Omega Five

Omega Five

When Xbox Live Arcade was first announced it was presumed the service would quickly become a hive of Japanese Shoot ‘Em Ups. But, for a genre that perhaps more than any other is synonymous with the word ‘arcade’, there’s been little representation on Microsoft’s service. While there’s the promise of classic titles like Raiden and Ikaruga, fans hoping for some new side-scrolling Japanese, spaceship-themed twitch gaming have been left hanging.

Omega Five arrives onto the service hoping to redress the balance by charging players with controlling a jet-pack-wearing anime pilot across four expansive levels. Retro fans will be pleased to hear it plays out a little like arcade classic Forgotten Worlds which, to younger gamers, means it’s a horizontal scrolling shoot ‘em up with giant alien monsters, hulking robot dinosaurs, and screen-filling spiky worms, all of whom must be shot down before they shoot you.

The controls are, at first, a little complex. At it’s most basic the game adopts the shooting system made popular by Geometry Wars: the left stick controls character movement while the right aims shots. There are four characters to play as (although only two are available from the start) and each one has access to three main weapon types. These can be switched between by picking up power ups in the field and the range from flamethrowers to neon pink lasers. Keep collecting the same weapon type pick-ups and you’ll increase its ability.

In addition to this core offensive system, enemies drop pink tokens that can be collected to fill a smart bomb gauge. Once filled this can be deployed to clear the screen of enemies and bullets should the action get too intense. Finally there’s a dodge button that depletes some of your health but allows you to dash unharmed through a swarm of bullets turning them into pink chips while doing so.

Graphically the game is superb with huge screen filling enemies and bright, engaging backgrounds and details. It really is one of the most visually impressive games on the service thus far. However, it’s not a game for the fainthearted. You’ll need quick reflexes and a strong sense of perseverance to get through the game’s four sprawling stages.

The emphasis is firmly on competitive high score gaming (if you use a continue when you die your score will be reset) and unless you’re prepared to work your way up the leaderboards with hard work and practise you’ll be in for a rough ride. For players who have been crying out for a shoot ‘em up on XBLA this is an assured and quality debut that will keep fans busy until heavyweights Ikaruga and Raiden are released later in the year.

3 out of 5