“Beyond Oasis” Yields a Classic Arabian Adventure!

Technically, no, Beyond Oasis isn’t an “Arabian adventure,” but the story draws so heavily off of Middle Eastern lore of several different types (including the name the characters, like the titular Prince Ali) that it seems like a lost tale out of the world of Aladdin (or 1001 Arabian Nights if you prefer). No matter how you slice it or define it, though, I have to say that one of the things that makes this game stand out to me is that it’s culturally diverse and represents a mythology that isn’t seen as much in RPGs and adventure titles, let alone those from the 1990s.

Beyond Oasis was a late-in-life action-adventure on the Sega Genesis that hit North America in 1995. Published directly by Sega, the game draws a bit from the Zelda franchise, but makes a lot of effort to put its own spin on things. There are certainly some puzzles to solve and overcome (particularly in the case of what spirits to use in which situations), but there’s a pretty strong beat ’em up vibe here as well. In some ways, the game is kind of like Zelda meets Streets of Rage, and even if that sounds a bit strange it’s actually a really fun experience.

I will say that it is a bit more linear than I’d prefer, but much like with Zelda, once you get certain items or abilities you’ll find yourself revisiting old areas in order to get things that were just out of reach before, and in this sense, the game’s world is decently large and fun to explore.

Here, I sample almost 90 minutes of gameplay, and I’m leaving it up in the air as to whether or not I’ll actually come back and do a Part 2. Maybe I’ll let you guys decide?

Either way, I hope you enjoy this sampling, and stay tuned – more fun is on the way!