OneShot Experience Analysis
“You only have one shot.“— The Entity
Dramatic Elements
Challenge:
The player must solve various puzzles in order to save a world without light and get the protagonist, Niko, home
While the OneShot is very forgiving, there is no new game option (short of new game plus (NG+) — which is only available after completing the game and deleting the save file) and no option to restart, setting the stakes rather high.
Each puzzle is unique, but there is a non-player character (NPC,) called the Entity, who will offer the player advice on solving non-random puzzles, often times by breaking the fourth wall in several ways, from opening error messages addressing the player’s name to changing their desktop background
Play:
OneShot is heavily ludus (rule-based) and takes place in a make-believe, mimicry, world. Some of its puzzles are also randomized giving a bit of alea (chance-based) game play, and without the option to reset the game, one could argue that has some ilinx, vertigo game play.
OneShot appeals predominately to players who are storytellers; with its story rich game play, and craftsmen; with its numerous puzzles and the combining objects to solve some of the puzzles. With the numerous hidden Easter eggs, side quests, and immersive backstories and world building, OneShot can also appeal to explorers, collectors, and achievers.
Premise:
In OneShot, the player plays as a god guiding the protagonist, Niko, through a world of robots, with the goal of saving the world and getting Niko home. Niko’s goal is initially to just get home, but it quickly becomes saving the world. On the other hand, the Entity, a simulation of the world itself, who only wishes to get Niko home since it is aware that everything else in the world is nothing more than code and Niko is the only “living person” with in the world.
“This place was never worth saving. …Do you still want to try?” — The Entity
With the player acting as a god guiding Niko, it allows for some very interesting dialog that can help the player build a relationship with Niko. And with each character having their own backstory, even characters with short backstories can pull at the player’s heart strings pulling them deeper into the game.
Character:
The player plays as a god guiding Niko. All of the NPCs are aware of the player (though may only communicate with the player through Niko, except for the Entity.) By default, all of the NPCs refer to the player as, God, Player, or refer to them by the PC’s user or Steam account name. The player can also have Niko use a custom user input; however, other NPCs will continue to use the account name unless Niko corrects them, which adds some depth to the game (the player can also tell Niko not bother with correcting the other characters.)
Story:
The story is told to use through interactions with other NPCs; as they recount the world before the Old Sun went out, what we find scattered throughout the world; from a roomba to a cafe, and the different puzzles. Through short conversations and dream sequences, Niko’s own backstory from before he woke up in the world are revealed to the player.
This story affects just about everything in the game, from the Entity breaking the fourth wall, the lack of an actual save system, the puzzles put before the player, etc.
World-Building:
The World, where the story of OneShot takes place, is a circular plane. The Barrens are located on the edge, separated by water from the rest of the island. The Glen is on the coast of the center island, and the Refuge is a walled hexagon further in with the Tower at its center.
The Old Sun provided light to the World until (in Prophetbot’s words) “it went out”. Prophetbot mentions how the Old Sun used to sit at the top of the Tower and provided light to the World. Now, the lightbulb Niko is carrying is the (New) Sun.
The World Machine, or the Entity, was created by The Author as a way to preserve the Old World, after discovering that the Old World could not be saved. The current World is the result of the simulation that the World Machine was made to handle, but it deteriorated itself over time.
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This world-building creates a leveled system where when progressing to the next level, one must leave behind the friends Nico made and they can’t go back. Without being able to go back, it makes the player feel more burdened to carry on and guide Nico to the end of the game and save the World.
System Dynamics
Objects:
Items:
When an item is selected, it changes interactions with certain objects and NPCs.
If the player selects an item while another item is selected Niko will try to combine them to make a new item. Unsuccessful combinations can sometimes give
hints.
Items can also be traded to a merchant in the Gale when they are no longer useful and replaced by new items. The game will not let the player progress unless they have all the items they need from the merchant. Some items are also given to the player from NPCs
Lightbulb:
The Lightbulb or the Sun is destined to replace the long gone Old Sun of the World. It stays with Niko throughout most their journey and can be seen on their sprites.
Puzzles:
Crucial for progressing the story or unlocking Easter eggs and completing side quests. Some puzzles require certain items to be used on the puzzle’s objects.
Terminals:
Terminals are what trigger interactions with the Entity where the Entity gives hints to non-random puzzles, providing information. Niko is unaware of the interactions happening outside of the game through error messages and file manipulations.
Beds:
Beds provide automatic save points and recall points. Upon using a bed, the game automatically closes and upon relaunching the player is shown a dream sequence. The game will not allow the player to progress unless they use the beds and beds cannot be used more than once. There is one bed for every location.
Information Structure:
The Entity provides hints to the player and the player can always see what is in Niko’s inventory creating a direct information structure. However some puzzles are randomized and the Entity cannot help the player solve those puzzles creating a more dynamic information structure.
Control:
OneShot allows the player direct control over Niko’s movement, inventory, and actions, however certain actions Niko will refuse to do, such as destroying the sun, walking off a cliff, or walking into the squares.
Reflection:
Overall the dramatic element that contributes the most to this game is the premise. By separating the player from the protagonist, the player controls, it allows for there to be a predefined character, while still allowing the player to build an emotional connection the character, and explaining why the player can’t jump off a cliff or destroy the Sun. The system that contributes the most to the game is save system. It’s what makes the forgiving nature of the game feel justified and makes the title feel earned. Even when gaining access to NG+, the game is still impacted by previous runs which means even after finishing the game and restarting, it still won’t be exactly the same, the behaviors of the NPCs change, some can remember things they shouldn’t be able to, etc. With the premise and the save system, working in conjunction, it makes the world of OneShot feel alive, aware, and conscious, while allowing the player to feel more immersed in the game. It makes the game feel almost like another person.
The only change that I would make is for the Entity to be able provide strategies to solve some of the randomized puzzles or explain the mechanics behind randomized puzzles so the player can more easily solve them.
