You know that feeling when you discover something that has been around for the longest time and you were one of the few people that didn’t know about it? This is how I felt when I found out about Beyond Oasis. Released in 1994 for the Sega Genesis, the game looks like it is an authentic 90’s RPG at first. The hero arrives at his village when it’s been attacked by evil strangers, it puts you right in middle of the action right from the beginning.
Here is when you notice something is different. That previous feeling that it was your typical RPG is gone right after you kill your first enemy and you realize what actually is going on: IT IS AN ACTION RPG WITH BEAT ’EM UP MECHANICS. I like 16-bit action RPGs and Beat 'em ups, but I’ve always thought that one had generally poor combat systems, and the other made me feel stuck on the games’ rails.
I have no idea how this didn't become the norm for action RPGs nor how this game is not very known really. Bad marketing, maybe? Well, all I know is that it feels amazing to connect all those combos and combine them with the elementals' powers you unlock throughout the game. Exploration is also something present in the game, since it is and open world game.
In conclusion I would say this game was Sega's response to Zelda: A Link to the Past. Both games have a similar atmosphere.
This is part of the journey of uncovering the Sega Genesis library I’m currently on. I’m a guy who likes and respects the fourth generation of consoles, but for some reason only thought of the SNES when it came t the classics. Beyond Oasis, Comix Zone, Ristar, among others are changing my mind on this subject.
Betel