Landflix Odyssey Review

Initially funded on Kickstarter in 2018, Fantastico Studio spent the past two-plus years developing and publishing Landflix Odyssey. This 2D pixel platformer game incorporates multiple side-scrolling genres into an interesting and entertaining experience that melds humor with challenging, action filled platforming throughout five parody filled worlds based on some of the most popular modern television shows. Once you play the game you can tell that the developers took inspiration from many sources in both television and video games. There are a lot of ideas melded together in this game – is it too much maybe? Or did the devs get just the right balance?

At first glance you might think Landflix Odyssey is an odd name, but once you learn that the story involves an alternate dimension called Landflix it makes more sense. Landflix Odyssey stars Larry: a video game loving, streaming service binging everyman. One evening he settles into his couch to binge watch his favorite TV shows with his streaming service of choice; unfortunately, his remote batteries are dead. After scrounging about his dirty room he finds some phosphorescent green batteries under his couch, and without thinking twice he jams those suckers in and starts browsing.

Almost immediately he is sucked into his television and deposited into the aforementioned alternate dimension called Landflix. Fortunately for him his uncle, Good Doc, is there to explain what happened (Good Doc looks like a certain time traveling, often parodied doctor/scientist from a popular 80s film). Good Doc, and his co-worker, Evil Doc, developed the batteries. I guess his name didn’t give away his intentions from the start, but once Good Doc realized his partner was evil he created Landflix as a prison to contain Evil Doc. He goes on to tell you that when you arrived in the alternate universe Evil Doc’s henchmen stole the five batteries (yes, your remote used five batteries). And in order to escape you must retrieve all five across the five series featured in the Landflix universe (The narrative exposition in the intro to the game is a little light, and I got some of this information from the game’s Kickstarter page).

Each series has a humorous spoof name of a popular TV show. I found myself smiling as I scrolled through the choices. My two favorite Landflix series names are Peculiar Stuff, a Stranger Things parody, and Blindevil based on DareDevil. The interface art and design is well done and looks like a pixel version of the Netflix interface. You have the choice to play the first level in any of the five series. Each series is made up of eight to nine levels, two of which are boss stages. Besides retrieving the batteries from the final boss of each series you also need to collect coins scattered throughout the levels, there are one hundred in each non-boss level. Try not to miss many because you need to use them to buy/unlock the next levels in each series.

The second collectible you can find in each non-boss level are three blue tickets. They are usually a little out of the way or behind invisible walls. The blue tickets are used to buy/unlock bonus episodes in the special features section of the level select menu. These extra episodes were the first stretch goal in the Kickstarter campaign. If you miss any of the collectibles you can replay the level later, and the coins and blue tickets you’ve already collected are still there but now transparent. In addition, the level select screen and the in-level HUD at the top of the screen tells you how many you’ve collected and how many you’re missing.

The basic gameplay in most of the levels is Joystick/D-pad to move, A to jump, and Y to burp, which launches a burp cloud projectile about a quarter of the way across the screen. Some enemies can be killed with a traditional jump on the head, but others need to be stunned first, and that’s what the burp does. Each series has one or more extra mechanics that changes the gameplay a bit, sometimes stretching the game into multiple platforming genres.

I started with the first selection on the left, Peculiar Stuff, which has a second dimension just like Stranger Things’ Upside Down. There are portals that take you to an alternate dimension, which you traverse and find your way to the exit portal. Doing this lets you get past dead-ends or roadblocks in the regular level. Some series have simple additions like a sword which you use by pressing X, or a crossbow (also X). The crossbow has the added function of creating a temporary platform you can jump on when shot into a wall. The added mechanics in these two series give one a hack/slash feel whereas the devs were going for a run and gun feel in the other.

One of the more interesting extra mechanics is the magnetic stick in Blindevil. This is also assigned to the X button and can be used to hit enemies as well as pull you towards green hooks scattered throughout the level. This gives way to some interesting and challenging platforming sections. There’s more mechanics and added elements in the various series but I’m going to let you discover them yourselves. I really enjoyed starting a new level and learning about a new mechanic, basically watching the game evolve or morph into a different style, such as a shoot-em-up level. The shoot-em-up levels aren’t Ikaruga quality but they really help give the game a good pace and keep things fresh. One other aspect of each series’ mechanics that I enjoyed was how they made use of each mechanic in the boss levels; this made each boss encounter unique.

The most constant yet challenging aspect of Landflix Odyssey is the platforming – Fantastico did a good job at ramping up the difficulty within each series. There are so many obstacles throughout the game, some unique to individual series, such as wind gusts, lasers, or mine carts with spikes on the front. Some are featured in multiple series, like the classic floor spikes, dripping acid, or moving spike walls that you have to outrun. Each series has unique enemies that require different strategies to defeat or get past. All of this really adds to the flow of the gameplay, I found myself saying, “let me play one more level” so I could see if there was anything new in the next one.

Another aspect of the game that makes it enjoyable and more accessible are the checkpoints. Every few screens you pass a holographic version of your trusty couch that acts as a checkpoint on death and restores any of your three missing health when you pass one. These are invaluable and turn what would be a very difficult game (if you had to restart each level when you died) into an extremely fun and enjoyable one.

Each series has its own unique visuals. Overall it has a 16-bit look to it and the level art stands out the most. When looking for the lost blue tickets pay attention to any added elements in the scenery like graffiti or bones, these often mean there’s a hidden area with a blue ticket and some coins. Fantastico chose to make the characters small which helps with the platforming. It allows more stuff to be visible on each screen, letting you plan out your approach. I like that aspect, but part of me would have liked to see more detail in the characters.

Each series features a sort of guide character that’s similarly named to a character from the series it’s based on. Some aren’t very original in their naming like King John from the Game of Thrones parody Elder Thrones; whereas others are more original like my favorite Ice&Berg from Going Mad, a Breaking Bad parody. At the beginning of each level you have little conversations with the guide characters about where you’re going and how to retrieve the batteries. They also tell you about each series’ new abilities and mechanics; the exchanges are oftentimes humorous. The art in the dialogue box for each character is spot on, looking like an alternate version of the character on which they’re based.

The soundtrack is diverse; within each series there are multiple tracks that match the theme of the levels. Some are somewhat stereotypical like the Mariachi band inspired track in the desert levels or the eastern Asian music in the dojo levels. Even if some of it is stereotypical it fits well and sounds nice, and it’s what you’d expect in a game based on parodies. The bosses usually have their own music as well. One thing I would have liked to have seen implemented in the sound design is having the music get more intense when you reach a tough section of the level, like when you have to outrun an avalanche or spike wall. The sound effects are made up mostly of 8-bit sounds. The first time I was on the level select screen I found myself moving the selector around creating my own simple chiptune beat. The sound effects as a whole fit nicely. Most are what you’d expect like the typical picking up a coin or jumping sounds, but there’s a few extra, more interesting additions like the sound of static and a tv turning on when you select a level to play.

I truly enjoyed Landflix Odyssey and if you’re at all interested in platformers you probably will too. It holds its own in a sea of competitors by combining many ideas, but never overwhelming the player. It’s not an overly long game, likely less than 8 hours to beat, but the collectibles will have you jumping back in order to find them all so you can play all the bonus stages. I wish their Kickstarter campaign had been more successful and more stretch goals had been unlocked. I would have liked to see what other creative additions they would have implemented. If you’ve ever been watching your favorite TV shows and wished you could play a video game version Landflix Odyssey has granted your wish, although instead of a high fidelity experience you get a comedic pixel platformer, one that should appeal to many gamers because of its variety. Hopefully a Season 2 is in the works.

Conclusion

Landflix Odyssey holds its own in a sea of competitors by combining many ideas, yet never overwhelms the player. If you’ve ever been watching your favorite TV shows and wished you could play a video game version, Landflix Odyssey has granted your wish – in a comedic pixel platformer that will challenge your platforming skills one minute and have you smiling at its parodies the next.

This game was reviewed based on Xbox One review code, using an Xbox One console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.