Omega 5 Review ( 9 out of 10 )
February 12, 2008 ... Review by Mike
XBLA - $10
It had been a long time since I sat down and played a good 2D shooter ... I may even have to go as far back as Ikaruga on the Sega Dreamcast. When I first saw screens of Omega 5, I thought it looked amazing. It looked like a throwback to those good ol’ 2D days ... but now in high definition. Now that I’ve finally gotten a chance to spend some time with it ... I think I may have found the best single player game that XBLA has to offer.
Here are the basics ... you play as either a large chick or an even larger guy (who can fly for some reason) ... and they have to go through a series of stages to eventually take down the complex boss at the end. Let’s face it ... the story in shooters are not important. What is important is how crisp the controls are. Omega 5 handles like a dream with the duel stick scheme (rhyme) ... and the game poses a challenge for even a seasoned shooter fan. I would in no way call myself a seasoned shooter fan ... but for novices like me ... the more you play the game ... the more continues the game gives you (up to eight).
The two characters you start with have distinct strengths and weaknesses and play completely different from one another. However ... one of the unlockable characters is a clone of the girl ... but not as fun. The graphics and the sound in this game are amazing for a downloadable game. Omega 5 also feels remarkably epic ... until you finish the 4th stage and see the credits. The length of the game could be longer ... but you did only pay $10 for it. What takes this game down from a "10" status is the lack of online multi-player.
This game provides a challenge, stunning visuals and sound, great game play, and decent replay value which helps add value for this short game. If you are a shooter fan that can hold his own ... this is a must buy.
Tip: Play the demo a few times and learn the patterns ... if you can get the hang of it and make it to the end getting hit once or less ... you can handle this game.
Omega 5 (XBLA) At a Glance |
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9.0 |
The Goods |
Beautiful presentation / Crisp Controls / Good Replay value / Excellent Challenge |
The Flaws |
No online nulti-player / only four stages |
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Excellent |
The Verdict |
Shooter fans finally have a gem to play on XBLA ... worth every penny of $10 |
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