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Omega Five Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

Omega Five Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

Omega Five Comes out Shooting with Stunning Graphics

XBLA is not new to the world of side scrolling shooters, but it is, however, new to “new” side scrolling shooters. With most side scrolling shooter on XBLA, they’ve become nothing new to gawk at or bother spending your money on. Natsume and Hudson have put together a game designed specifically for Xbox Live Arcade. The result? Instant classic that’s easy on the eyes, easy on your wallet, and hard to forget.

Omega Five screenshot

Omega Five reminds us more of R-Type, and since this is one of the most loved scrolling shooters, that’s a great thing. For anyone who’s ever doubted scrolling shooters, try the demo and dare yourself not to spend the points on it. The demo isn’t enough to satisfy anyone, and this is the type of game you’ll want on your Xbox always.

In Omega Five, you’ll primarily use both analogue sticks. Your left analogue focuses on your player’s movement, while the right controls their direction of fire (think Geometry Wars). There is, however, an interesting exception. In a trade for a small portion of health, the player can use the right bumper to transport across the screen to get out of harm’s way and be temporarily invincible. You’ll find that there will be plenty of situations where the exchange will be well worth it.

Each player is equipped with a weapon that can be upgraded up to three times. Each player’s weapon varies, and will force you to rethink your strategy slightly. Tempest, for example, is stronger than Ruby, but Ruby has a longer range that Tempest. At your weapon’s peak, you are virtually unstoppable, but be weary; after a single death you are stripped of all upgrades which can cause you a huge inconvenience at certain parts of the game. That is to say that you may be surrounded be enemies on all sides and forced to fight them off with a level one weapon. In this instance, you’ll quickly become a fan of the right bumper and smart bomb. The smart bomb is aquired by collecting the little pink triangles that float across the screen from enemies you’ve slain.

Omega Five screenshot

At the game’s start, your only character options are Ruby and Tempest. Ruby covers long range attacks, beauty, and lingerie. She is also accompanied by a satellite that can lock onto enemies. Tempest, the four armed alien, covers brute strength and short range attacks. One of his interesting features is his shield. Tempest’s shield slows incoming bullets, and if the player can stop blasting long enough, the shield will reflect the bullets back to the enemies. Beating the game with Ruby will unlock R.A.D. who is faster than Ruby but aims slower and is also accompanied by a satellite. Beating the game with Tempest will unlock Sensei, a character who is unique. Sensei travels on a hover board with his dog. He wields a sword & ninja stars and is the most deadly force in the game. His downfall is that he must be much closer to attack enemies.

Omega Five screenshot

As with any good scrolling shooter, we know nothing about our characters other than their names and weapons. The plot is to beat the game. Scrolling shooters never really made a name for themselves by delving into the past of their heroes and telling us what exactly it is they’re doing flying in a mass of chaos causing huge amounts of destruction.

Omega Five screenshot

One thing Omega Five did not leave out is graphics. Omega Five has the most impressive scrolling shooter graphics yet. The graphics really allows Omega Five to make a name as not only as the best graphics for a scrolling shooter but the best graphics on Xbox Live Arcade to date. Though there’s nothing new the game has to show, it certainly has solid visuals. A 3D scrolling environment with bright lasers and beautiful explosions will have you watching it every time you blink or close your eyes. The background is thankfully not as bright as it would cause mass confusion, but it looks fantastic none the less.

Local co-op play is available, but adds little to the game. With so much going on in the game visually, a second player can often cause too much mayhem, making it hard to see what’s going on. The game is not offered with online co-op, but again, the gameplay value would not be increased if it were.

Omega Five is slower paced than most scrolling shooters, but with limited levels it fits the game. There are only a few levels in Omega Five so the slow pace is necessary. At the end of each level, you are faced with a boss, so try not to die, as it’s likely you will. If you make it through with an upgraded weapon, the boss should not be too difficult, though since you rarely do, expect a difficult fight.

Omega Five is exactly what Xbox Live Arcade needed. Though it is nothing new in terms of gameplay, this game proves that XBLA games are worth the purchase. The visuals are stunning for a game of this nature, and will often attract others into watching or playing with you. Expect Xbox to notice that when they create a game specifically for XBLA instead of remaking games or re-releasing games, it can be worth the extra effort. This game is one you’re going to want to keep on your Xbox

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.7 Graphics
Though there’s nothing new here to shock you, that does not mean each scene wont leave you awestruck. 4.0 Control
The use of the dual analog sticks combined with the unique escape moves means you won’t suffer from playing. 3.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Fitting for the game, but nothing more than traditional. 4.0 Play Value
Easily one of the best purchases you’ll make. Though you could likely beat it in a single evening, that won’t discourage you from playing it over and over 3.9 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Stunning 3D scrolling environment.
  • New unique characters.
  • Unlockable characters.
  • Variation of weapons and upgrades custom to each character.

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