Oxide Room 104 is, in its own right, one of the sensations of the year both on Nintendo Switch in particular and in the video game industry in general. The work of Wild Sphere, a Spanish studio with several years of experience behind it, is an ode to classic horror that fans of the genre will love. Therefore, they will find a “home” here in the most particular sense of the word.
Despite being a small proposal, somewhat motivated by its small number of workers —you can count them on the fingers of one hand and they would still be left over— and by the very low budget it manages, Oxide Room 104 is capable of making the most of each of his virtues. Although, everything has to be said, it does not manage to completely cover those seams that are inevitable in products of this caliber.
Therefore, today we are going to analyze one of the independent sensations of the year. If what Oxide Room 104 poses catches your attention, a title that seeks to make you have a hard time, we warn you in advance: it is as surprising as it is unique. And that, in titles of this caliber, is a point to take into account.
Oxide Room 104 greases the terrifying bet of Nintendo Switch
As I said before, the title of Wild Sphere has been earned by being one of the hidden ones of the year. This puts us in the shoes of Matthew, a character with a mysterious past who, due to a series of bad decisions, ends up in a seedy motel lost by the hand of God. There, Matt will have to find a way to escape and, in turn, to survive each of the challenges that come his way.
Inspired by the challenges of the Escape Room and products like Saw or Hostel, Oxide Room 104 knows how to play the cards it has in its deck very well. For this reason, it correctly opts for claustrophobic terror to convey to the player a feeling of constant overwhelm and despair. In fact, the setting, the enemies and the different objects present in the hotel help to enhance that feeling.
Horror with rogue-like overtones
Not even a genre like horror is capable of escaping from rogue likes, the fashionable genre in recent years. However, I have to say in favor of Oxide Room 104 that it is a bet capable of getting the most out of this particular vision. In it, there are multiple enemies and traps that can end your game in the blink of an eye. However, perishing does not mean the end since, in case of falling, it always returns to the starting point.
That is none other than a rickety bathtub located in room 104 of the motel. There we will run into the doctor, a character as macabre as he is sinister who will tell us details of the story through his monologues. He, in turn, will also practice his particular surgical methods on us to give us a second (or as many as it takes) try to solve the mystery and escape the motel.
In this way, Oxide Room 104 cements its experience in exploration and puzzle solving. To do this, we will have at our disposal a limited inventory that will grant a certain dose of management to the title. Thus, although some objects are consumables, such as bandages to heal ourselves or bullets to kill enemies, most will have to be used wisely to solve the different mysteries.
Oxide Room 104 is an interesting proposal for Nintendo Switch
In short, the title of the Spanish study is one of the most particular experiences of the year. With its low budget and small crew, animations, item repetition, and other aspects may be considered by many to be lazy decisions. However, having chosen a motel as the location, the similarity between the rooms is justified wonderfully.
Thus, Oxide Room 104 is a horror experience designed for the most staunch fans of the genre. Although it is short, thanks to the consequences of Matt’s death it is possible to enjoy multiple experiences before finishing the game. In addition, it has dubbing in Spanish, a point in favor that those who want a deeper immersion will like. Therefore, Wild Sphere has managed to take advantage of its virtues and successfully hide the seams of the game.
video source
