Free-to-play 3D bullet hell

Obama is a free adventure game from Monkey and Rat Software. In this third-person experience with bullet hell elements, you play as an enigmatic character tasked with cleansing an alien world of the monsters that now rule over it. Furthermore, its story progression reveals more about the world, these invaders, and yourself. It has dark and gloomy aesthetics that sharply contrasts with its rather cute character designs.

With platforming elements on top of the fast-paced shooting action, Obama is a fun game despite its relatively short playthrough. It feels like a mix between Risk of Rain 2 and Sable.

Short and straightforward action

In Obama, you are assigned to the alien planet of Dolus. It is filled with a cast of quirky side characters on top of its roster of enemies. For a small project like this one, you have to give props to the character designs that add a layer to the game. This is despite the fact that most of them appear like silhouettes, thanks to the game’s dark lighting scheme.

Story-wise, it builds up a massive world but fails to follow up on it. It immediately devolves into a linear, predictable tale. Thankfully it remains enjoyable throughout, partly because of the graphics and another because of the gameplay style. Mixing melee and ranged combat, this becomes a fun bullet hell experience. It is challenging but not hard enough to be considered a Souls-like entry. 

Also, aside from shooting and dodging, the game features platforming puzzles that offer a different kind of challenge. You can even try its multiplayer mode, although it’s more of an open platform with no security capabilities. It is almost unfortunate that a game with this design, variety, and challenge would have a short playthrough. There are only four bosses, and the game can be finished in under an hour.

A quick challenge

Obama already has a short gameplay length because of its content, and all the excitement while playing it makes it feel even shorter. An ominous lighting style that contrasts with the cute character designs and a variety of challenges both for the reflexes and the mind all work together to make this little project stand out, making its short playthrough and bland story forgivable.