One Rotten Oath Review – A Hybrid of FPS and FMV Genres That Feels Homemade, but Is Still Intriguing!

Over the decades, game developers have focused on a lot of different genres to share their stories with players and provide new gameplay experiences to them. One that rose to prominence quickly in the mid 1990’s was FMV games. While they had their fans, they tend to not to be remembered fondly. It’s a genre and game design choice that’s definitely retro, but not very common today. So, when a developer contacted me to see if I wanted to try out his game that is a mix of FPS and FMV with horror elements, I decided to give it a chance. It’s One Rotten Oath.

Gameplay

In it you play the role of a survivor who is protecting a small encampment of humans against a swarm of monsters. These foes used to be humans, but after a disaster, they became exposed to a dangerous chemical that resulted in them turning into zombie-like creatures. Although your camp has defense systems installed, periodically everything malfunctions for a minute and you have to fend off the encroaching threat. During this time, the game plays like a retro FPS where you move around in a small area as FMV renders of the former humans seek to kill you. You’re able to fire your gun and kick with your foot at the beginning of the game, with other options opening up as the story progresses.

For example, a second type of stage has you protecting your people with a barricade you’ve built. In these levels, you lose some movement options, but you’re still able to strafe left or right as you fire back at your adversaries. Like before, you are trying to survive for a single minute before returning to the safety of your base. Oddly enough, whenever you shoot your foes, it’s obvious that their hitboxes are not precise at all. They seem to be the size of the sprite, including the transparent areas around their arms and waists. It’s possible to shoot someone to the right of their stomach and still hit them. In spite of its janky nature, this usual aspect fits the style of this game well.

While there are new gameplay elements introduced as the game progresses, it should be noted that you can’t change weapons on the fly or upgrade your barricade in a huge way. I use the phrase “huge way” because all the advancements you enjoy are based on developments in the story. You don’t make any choices as a player to change weapons or improve your defenses. Nor is there any gameplay during the story sequences or opportunities to speak with the people you are protecting in the stronghold. Moreover, you never have to survive longer than a minute, and the areas you find yourself in are quite small.

Admittedly, such gameplay may be disappointing to some players. Yet, I think the core of the game is the FMV sequences that tie these moments of gameplay together.

The FMV Style

In fact, I expect that for most, their enjoyment of the title will directly correspond to their opinion of the story sequences. One Rotten Oath has a strong emphasis on these. Consequently, I think most people who would enjoy this should have an interest in FMV experiences already. Specifically of the B-movie or homemade variety. Despite the FMV not containing any gameplay elements, it is a major part of the title’s overall design.

For example, One Rotten Oath’s animations come from full motion video recordings of the developer and his brother. As such, it has a strong feeling of being homemade with almost no budget. Although most games produced by small studios are spoken of as Indie games today, I consider this one to have more of a tone of being homemade. I use that word to convey the title’s campy appearance. I also view it as being janky looking.

Of course, what I’ve just said sounds like a knock against it. However, I don’t think of it that way. In fact, it’s part of the game’s charm and style.

As I’ve already shared, FMV scenes are used between stages. These are for the two different stories in the title. One is for the player character as he defends the people in the fort. The second is related to the game developer and how people react to it as he seeks to get a publishing deal (part of this is shown in the trailer so me mentioning it isn’t much of a spoiler).

Admittedly, the connection between these stories doesn’t seem to make sense on paper, at least initially. But after completing the game, I have significant appreciation for how these messages were conveyed. Whereas some may think that FMV doesn’t add much to a game, in this case, it’s integral to understanding the title. As the story progressed, I became more intrigued by it and thought it was conveying something of value; so much so that I want to play the game again so I can reflect on it further.

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the filming itself. It isn’t noteworthy most of the time, at least in the areas of movement or cinematography. As a case in point, most of the shots are taken from a stationary camera that doesn’t move. Meanwhile, I watched a character talk on the phone, move some packages around, and cuss from time to time. Yet somehow, these short scenes were still interesting to watch from a game development perspective. They prompted me to reflect on the challenges of producing a game and getting people interested in buying it.

Graphics and Sound

In regard to the graphics, they are again made up of FMV recordings of the developer and his brother. There are about seven enemies in the game, with four sets of animation for each. These include things like their attacks, reacting to being shot, and moving toward you. Even though the number of frames is a pretty good amount, the way they’re done reminds me of a home video. For instance, I don’t think there were any animation frames for when an enemy’s attacks are interrupted. On the other hand, this added to the game’s B-movie feel. It also reminded me of One Rotten Oath’s limited budget. Considering how the FMV scenes were filmed, the graphics during the gameplay segments mesh well with how the rest of the game looks.

For the music compositions, they are reasonable considering the state in which the survivor finds himself. Following a disaster, I wouldn’t expect there to be pleasant music. One Rotten Oath doesn’t disappoint in this assumption. It’s composed by the developer’s girlfriend, and she does a great job of using slow, long notes to set the mood of what’s happening. Life has been interrupted by tragedy, and the music lets us feel that as we play. Additionally, I want to add that it reminded me of the music in HBO’s Chernobyl. Both have scores that impact the viewer’s or player’s mood, but are not intrinsically entertaining to listen to.

In the area of sound effects, they seem more like a retro title. They are fine, but there’s not too much variety for them during gameplay. Much of what you hear is the repeating sounds of the monsters’ attacks. Or maybe your own. Probably the best thing about the sound design is that it is a bit unnerving, which is good for a game with horror elements. I did routinely have trouble knowing where the enemies were coming from when I heard them, which added to this aspect.

Final Thoughts 

Again, I can’t help but think of how this title feels homemade to me. I’d go so far as to say that it is a part of its identity. As I played it, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being a part of a B-movie that was produced on a shoestring budget. My favorite thing about it is the relationship between that sensation and the storyline that is shared through the FMV sequences.

This cohesive tone of the game is intriguing to experience. It’s a fitting homage to FMV titles of the mid-1990’s. Complete with a limited amount of gameplay and play time. I mean, you can’t even move up or down with your gun, the play areas are small, and opportunities to expand on the gameplay are not explored.

Nevertheless, One Rotten Oath is the kind of game that works anyway. The FPS areas remain somewhat interesting throughout, even with their limitations. Moreover, my interest in the title grew as I played it, and after continuing through to the conclusion, I want to play it again.

I can’t say that about every game I play, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m giving it a Positive rating.

I recommend it for players who have an interest in early FPS titles, FMV, game development, or light horror. Especially if you are fine with a bit of jank combined with the above.

In fact, I found the game entertaining enough that now I’m curious about A Trip to Yugoslavia: Director’s Cut (Steam) as well. It was the developer’s first published title.

In the meantime, I’m glad to have played One Rotten Oath. However, due to its short length and price, I encourage potential players to consider it like they’re paying for a movie ticket for an hour or two of entertainment. Don’t go into it expecting a polished experience or a lot of play time.

Finally, as I alluded to at the beginning of this review, be aware that I received a free Steam key for the game from the developer. However, no funds or any other form of compensation were given to me prior to writing this review.

Title: One Rotten Oath (Steam)
Genre: FPS with some FMV story sequences.
Year Released: 2025
Developer: Piotr Bunkowski (Itch.io)
Available On: Steam, with a demo available on Itch.io.
Price Paid: Free, a Steam key was given to me by the developer. No money or other form of compensation was exchanged in return for a review.

Remember, we can have different opinions about the games we play. If you like something more (or less) than I do, both of our perspectives are valid. Please see my Review Rating Scale to know more of how I rate games.