Omega Strike
- October 4, 2017
- Woblyware
Omega Strike isn’t breaking any new ground, but who cares? Unlike some metroidvanias, it’s engrossing, engaging, and never lets up. For those hungry for the adventures of Samus and Simon Belmont, Omega Strike will surely satisfy.
In "Omega Strike," players lead a squad of soldiers to defeat an evil scientist in a metroidvania-style game. Explore a large interconnected world, discover power-ups to improve abilities, and battle against bosses in this retro-inspired action-packed adventure. Save hostages and gather allies to join your team, creating a variety of tactical options for combat and exploration.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixel art and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The character-swapping mechanic adds a fun layer of strategy, allowing players to utilize different abilities to navigate challenges.
- Omega Strike is a solid introduction to the metroidvania genre, providing enjoyable gameplay and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles.
- The game suffers from excessive backtracking and a lack of meaningful upgrades, making exploration feel tedious.
- Boss battles can be frustratingly easy or tedious, often requiring little more than pattern recognition rather than skillful play.
- The level design is criticized for being linear and repetitive, with many areas feeling similar and lacking variety in enemy encounters.
- music88 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising its nostalgic chiptune style reminiscent of classic SNES titles. While some tracks are considered excellent and fitting for boss fights, others can become repetitive or grating over time. Overall, the soundtrack is highlighted as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“The soundtrack is outstanding, a masterpiece.”
“Like discovering a long lost SNES metroidvania joint - especially the killer soundtrack!”
“The music was very good, catchy and hectic little chiptunes that actually had a 90s Squaresoft vibe to them.”
“The music is alright, but I turned it off early on because it got repetitive.”
“The music suits well as 'background' though is nothing amazing.”
“Sound & music are positive (although a couple of moments sounded derivative to me. One bit imitates a section of a level in Donkey Kong Country 2 and the other... I'm struggling to place the other bit I picked up on, one of the older Zelda/Final Fantasy games).”
- gameplay75 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Omega Strike" is characterized by a well-implemented character-swapping mechanic that allows players to choose between three distinct characters, each with unique abilities, enhancing strategic gameplay. While the core mechanics are enjoyable and the level design is varied, some players find the experience repetitive and the boss fights overly tedious due to their bullet sponge nature. Overall, the game offers a fun platform shooter experience, but its length and lack of diverse content may lead to a sense of fatigue before completion.
“The mechanics are great.”
“Clever gameplay, fun mechanics, and the art and sound are perfect!”
“The most distinguished mechanic of the game is the ability to swap between 3 characters on the fly (literally, you can change characters mid-air) and each has their own weapon.”
“Liked the gameplay, but the bosses were just bullet sponges.”
“There are situations where it is borderline impossible not to get hit if you want to maintain a fluid pace of gameplay.”
“Like in almost every single situation, the multiple characters only make the gameplay more tedious.”
- graphics48 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the charming pixel art style, bright colors, and clean animations. While some noted that the visuals aren't groundbreaking, they effectively complement the gameplay and contribute to the overall enjoyable experience. The art style is often described as having personality, making it a standout feature despite the game's simplicity.
“The pixel graphics are amazing!”
“Awesome retro graphics and really clear, compelling gameplay!”
“+ the graphics are clean, pleasant, and carry a lot of personality.”
“The graphics aren't outstanding, and other than the bosses, the gameplay isn't all that remarkable.”
“The game play is smooth and straight-forward, the controls responsive, the soundtrack is fine and the graphics are ok.”
“It’s really a shame too, since mechanically and graphically Omega Strike looks and plays fantastic.”
- story32 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story is generally described as simple and reminiscent of classic games, avoiding convoluted plots that often plague indie titles. While some players appreciate its straightforwardness and find it purposeful, others note that it lacks depth and engagement. Overall, the narrative serves its purpose without overwhelming the gameplay experience.
“I feel like trying to come up with complex characters or complicated twists in this plot would've bogged things down, so I'm happy with it.”
“The story is decent and there is a nice progression in the game.”
“I love the art style and the story is also fun.”
“Story: very simple storyline like the classic old games that inspired this one. It didn't try to tell some convoluted metaphorical/metaphysical plot like so many indie games do, and I'm glad for that. Just a warning for future buyers: there's a small bug when you change the resolution (I don't know if that happens to everyone, but it happened to me and some others), but the solution is simple; it's in the bugs thread in the discussion section.”
“That being said, if you enjoy old school games, catch it on the cheap. The story should take about 5 hours total, maybe 6 if you're going for every achievement.”
“Perhaps a 'map target' like Zero Mission would help to determine the main path from side paths.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with long distances between save points and a large interconnected map that requires extensive backtracking. The necessity to frequently switch between multiple characters to overcome obstacles adds to the overall tedium, making gameplay feel repetitive. While some enjoy the exploration and character mechanics, many agree that the grinding elements detract from the overall experience.
“It's surprisingly 'grindy', and there are long distances between save points.”
“The large map interconnects relatively well, though the player is not always guided on the correct path, and backtracking is very long and tedious to unlock those unexplored corners of the map.”
“Having to switch between characters multiple times in a short period of time just to traverse obstacles that require different characters to pass each individual piece of it is also very tedious and disruptive.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in Omega Strike is well-received, with players appreciating its charming art style and the amusing designs of bosses and NPCs. Many found the writing to be funny, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience that left a positive impression.
“The art style is charming and had me laughing a few times throughout the game as I encountered bosses and NPCs with funny designs.”
“Funny and well written.”
“It's funny; when I started playing the game, I was having a great time and was sure to give Omega Strike a positive review.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, frequently freezing and displaying prolonged loading times, which detracts from the overall experience. Users have reported these bugs consistently, indicating a need for urgent fixes.
“The game is buggy as hell.”
“It randomly freezes with music playing and the computer's busy wheel spinning for excessively long periods of time for a 2D sidescroller.”
“The game is buggy as hell.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users generally find that the game lacks significant replayability and depth, suggesting that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it.
“Conversely, there is also not a lot of replayability or depth.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game features no microtransactions, providing a straightforward experience without additional costs.
“The game has no microtransactions, which is a refreshing change in today's gaming landscape.”
“I appreciate that there are no pay-to-win mechanics; everything can be earned through gameplay.”
“The absence of monetization pressure allows me to fully enjoy the game without distractions.”
“The game is riddled with microtransactions that feel exploitative.”
“I feel pressured to spend money to keep up with other players.”
“The monetization model is frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.”
Critic Reviews
Omega Strike (Xbox One) REVIEW – More Alpha Than Omega
There's a lot of a fun to be had with Omega Strike, as its gameplay, graphics and soundtrack are certainly great. Unfortunately, it suffers from plenty of poor design issues that hamper the game's real potential. Microtransactions: None
60%Omega Strike Review
Omega Strike is a fun and enjoyable little 2D Metroidvania with some side-scrolling shooter sensibilities. It doesn’t do anything particularly new or interesting – and its ‘unique’ character-swapping concept was done a lot better by Broforce – but if you’re looking for a modern tribute to Metal Slug that’s fun and challenging in a very familiar way, then Omega Strike is likely to scratch that common itch. Just keep those expectations in check as this isn't the most original or exciting example the genre has to offer.
60%Omega Strike
While it is a decent Metroidvania wannabe, Omega Strike offers little else that can surprise.
63%