Omega Five
Score: 85% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Hudson Soft Developer: Natsume Media: Download/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Shooter/ Action
Graphics & Sound: Stop me if you've heard this one before - a dual stick shooter where you face an increasing number of enemies. Omega Five, an original Xbox Live Arcade shooter from Natsume, takes this now familiar gameplay model and flips it on its side - literally. Omega Five is easily one of the prettiest looking titles to hit the Live Arcade in the last few months. Much of this has to do with the game's bright color palette which, after years of games with dark shadows and multiple hues of brown, is like turning the light on in Liberace's closet. Each environment looks completely different than the last, taking you from a frozen wasteland to a jungle to a space station. There isn't a whole lot that ties each level together in a way that makes logical sense, but this is easily overlooked. Both the enemies and heroes of the game are just as visually appealing and unique as the game's environments. There's a liquid-shooting, four-armed humanoid, two scantily-clad women hauling around what appear to be anchors and a samurai with a dog. It's all inventive stuff and something people will more than likely want to stop and watch, especially once some of the screen-sized (sometimes bigger) enemies come into play. It would be hard to talk about Omega Five without mentioning the awesomely bad announcer. Think of any stereotypical Asian voice you've ever heard and that's a close approximation to what you can expect during the game. If he's not telling you the name of the next level, he's asking you to try again... its great stuff. Music has an old-school flair that is really enjoyable, though it is typically drowned out by numerous explosions, missiles and laser fire.
Gameplay: Omega Five's core gameplay is straight and to the point. You play as one of four characters and shoot your way through four incredibly hard levels. At the start you have two characters; Ruby, a woman with an energy syphoning anchor and Tempest, a four-armed alien who can reflect enemy shots with a special shield. Two additional characters, R.A.D., who is similar to Ruby, and Sensei, an old man with a sword and a dog, are unlocked after completing the game with each of the starting characters. Similar to other side-scrolling shooters, the challenge behind Omega Five is to stay alive as long as possible, which isn't an easy task. Although four levels may not sound like many, each is long and you are given one life and a limited number of continues to complete each. Though you have a life gauge, there are no health power-ups and enemies swarm around you in large numbers. The idea is to learn patterns, though it takes a few plays before you're adept enough to always be in the best spot for each wave of enemies. It's a challenge with a decidedly old-school feel - so newcomers who aren't used to this style of gameplay will face a steep ramp upon entry. However, everything is handled well enough that you'll want to keep playing and probably get excited the first time you complete a tricky area. Co-op multiplayer is available for up to two players, though only if that player is still right next to you. The omission of online play is pretty big, especially for a game like Omega Five since the steep difficulty level could potentially scare away some players. The only issue to arise out of multiplayer games is the size of characters. This is something that pops up in single-player games as well since it is hard to tell where the actual collision area is for each character (especially when going down narrow passages), but one big character is much more manageable that two.
Difficulty: As stated numerous times already, Omega Five is a difficult game. You have one life, a few continues and enemies show no mercy. At the same time, a number of things encourage you to keep playing, which eventually make the game easier. After the first hour of play, you'll unlock two additional continues, bringing the total to five. After three hours, you'll unlock an additional three, giving you eight continues. With eight tries under your belt Omega Five is much more manageable, though even then it isn't a complete cakewalk. Most of the challenge boils down to recognizing patterns and knowing how to react to them. If you know a large enemy is coming from the top of the screen, it is probably a good idea to get as low as possible. It also becomes important to know how to use character abilities - especially the Dimensional Field ability that, when used, can help you dodge incoming shots.
Game Mechanics: Omega Five is primarily a dual-stick shooter. The left stick maneuvers your character while pressing the right stick in various directions shoots. The best analog is probably SEGA's Forgotten Worlds but the people who are likely to get that comparison are probably old enough remember who Liberace is, so just think Geometry Wars with side-scrolling levels. Characters each have three weapons with three power levels. For instance, Ruby's B-type weapon is a pink laser that becomes more powerful after one boost and can reflect off solid surfaces after an additional boost. Characters can only carry one weapon at a time, making it important to know which weapon works best for each level. You can also use a screen-clearing smart bomb when situations get tight, though earning one of these potent weapons requires a bit of effort since you'll have to shoot down numerous enemies and collect enough pink chips to "build" one. Characters also have unique abilities. Both Ruby and R.A.D. have an anchor that can attach to enemies and slowly drain health, while Sensei and Tempest can reflect shots with a well-timed flick of the right stick. Mastering these abilities is an important part of the game, though I personally found the anchor a little more useful than the reflect ability since things can get pretty crazy on screen. For everything that Omega Five does right, it still faces the issue of being a one-sided game for a very select, niche audience. If you're into this type of game, Omega Five should keep you busy long enough for the next shooter to hit the Arcade, though once you've completed it, there is little reason to return unless you're trying to knock out the game's more difficult Achievements. However, if this isn't your type of game, Omega Five won't do much to convince you otherwise.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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