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Omega Five

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8.2 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 33 critic reviews
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Based on 15 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Hudson Entertainment

Developer: Natsume

Genre(s): Action, Shoot-'em-up

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: January 9, 2008

Summary

[Xbox Live Arcade] Omega Five is a true next-gen, high-definition shooter, with the most awe-inspiring graphics around. Fly through dangerous 3-D environments in this side-scroller as enemies come at you from all sides, even the background. Grab an extra controller, choose your merc, and engage in two-player local co-op play for more action. If you're a hardcore player, try your hand at the ultra-challenging ++ Mode, where you're only allowed one hit! Local co-op: Grab an extra controller and demolish enemies with a friend by your side. Dangerous environments: Enemies come at you from all sides, even from the background. Merc variety: Fight as Ruby, Tempest, or other characters, each of whom has three unique main weapons and special attacks. Unlockable extras: Discover new characters, game modes, and options. Intuitive controls: The modern control scheme uses the right analog stick to aim and fire. [Hudson]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

games(TM)

If this review was written in 1995 then we’d probably have filled six pages with screenshots to point out every touch of genius that makes this one of the best shooters we’ve ever played. We don’t have that luxury, but the sentiment remains the same. [Mar 2008, p.134]

ZTGameDomain

If you are looking for an excellent single player side scrolling shooter, look no further than Omega 5. From the beautiful graphics, to quirky characters and bosses you will plan on playing for a few minutes and find yourself playing an hour.

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GamingExcellence

Omega Five is definitely worth a look, one of the best Xbox Live Arcade games released to date.

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Worth Playing

I have to give praise to Omega Five, which is a great attempt at bringing an original shooter to XBLA that definitely feels old-school but with enough of a visual emphasis to make it something appealing to play for today's fans of the genre.

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Gamer 2.0

Whatever your experience with the genre, you’re likely to be hooked on the addictive gameplay and dazzled by all the shiny HD sweetness.

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Xbox World Australia

Omega Five is the kind of game that if you stick with, will reward you with some sense of accomplishment when you take down a boss or just get better as you replay levels.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

Unique, stylish and addictive.

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Games Radar (in-house)

All you need for a great shooter is solid control and intense action, and Omega Five has that in spades. Plus it’s got some extremely pretty visuals to boot.

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GameDaily

The game could've used a few more levels, along with an online co-op mode. However, there's still plenty to enjoy, with unlockable bonus characters, online scoreboards and Challenge Mode stages.

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Kikizo

The game looks absolutely gorgeous with fantastic sounds, and highly addictive gameplay. It may be a tough sell to casual gamers due to its length and high degree of challenge, and to that we say try the free trial before you buy.

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X360 Magazine UK

We're already crying for the many people that just aren't goign to get this brilliant blaster. [Issue#30, p.119]

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Though it's brevity itslef, you'll be able to busy yourself chasing scores and unlockables for a long time to come. [Mar 2008, p.93]

Cheat Code Central

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.

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IGN

Omega Five is pretty but shallow. It's the trophy wife of XBLA games. That doesn't mean it isn't fun for a little while, but it's ultimately not among the top-tier Arcade titles.

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DailyGame

Omega Five is a rose: great to look at but painful to handle.

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Gaming Age

While Omega Five runs at a more deliberate or slower pace than some frantic shooters, that doesn’t mean for a second this game won’t kick your ass in short order.

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GameZone

The game is pretty and nice to look at, but ultimately shallow (I added that part) and while a distraction for a week or so, the game is too short and not deep enough to qualify for obsessiveness to get on the Live leaderboard.

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Extreme Gamer

Omega Five is a fun diversion game that is over as quickly as it begins. It’s too bad Omega Five is a short game with only four levels because the graphics and game design is impressive.

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Destructoid

It's just so goddamn fun to play. Anything negative I might have to say about this game is overshadowed by just how addictive and entertaining it is. So it's not the hardcore shmup some people were hoping for -- so what?

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GameSpot

Omega Five may not be brimming with content, but what's there is visually dazzling and packed with challenging action.

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VideoGamer

If mainstream releases are leaving you feeling a little uninspired, Omega Five should be just the kind of boost your daily intake needs.

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Eurogamer

In time the control system becomes second nature and weaving in and out of the moving mazes created by the gargantuan enemies around you feels like more of a dance than a chore.

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Planet Xbox 360

Omega Five is an incredibly pretty game with blemishes hidden behind the makeup. If you want a challenge and a return to old-school side-scrollers, give it a chance. Just do not expect much in the way of depth.

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Official Xbox Magazine

Playing with a buddy in same-screen co-op is your best bet to enjoyably sate your shooter lust. [Holiday 2007, p.70]

Gamer.nl

A very nice shoot 'em up with gorgeous graphics. It's a shame that de difficulty level is a quite unbalanced and that the multiplayer is absent.

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AceGamez

If you are a fan of 2D shooters then Omega Five certainly won't disappoint. For those previously uninterested in this classic genre of yesteryear, its unforgiving gameplay and old school sensibilities probably won't win you over.

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PTGamers

Omega Five is an extremely valid offer to those looking for new arcade titles on Xbox 360.

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Totally360

An excellent throwback to arcade games when we loved them the most: terribly difficult, oozing charm and Eastern art and level design.

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Team Xbox

It’s pure, old-school, side-scrolling action wrapped up in a gorgeous visual package. The game will certainly appeal to fans of the genre, even if they are left scratching their collective heads after trying to make sense of it all.

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Edge Magazine

What Omega Five lacks in purity, it gains in bombast. [Mar 2008, p.102]

GotNext

Fun, but short, pretty, yet too easy to crack open and finish within hours, shooter fans might want to try the trial version before giving it the full noteworthy decision of point shelling.

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GamePro

The gameplay gets old quick. Shoot, scroll, shoot, scroll. Lather, rinse, repeat.

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1UP

Omega Five isn't anything special -- a blessing in some respects, but ultimately its curse. It's a side-scrolling shooter, highly reminiscent of the 16-bit era (even the music is in line with the best shooters of the late '90s), and while it's a short game on the whole, its challenge is nearly insurmountable and definitely not for the mass market.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sam S. gave it a7:
Omega Five is a great shmup. I really liked it and anyone who enjoys this genre should really download it.

Jonman H. gave it a7:
Not the best sh'mup, but extremely solid in all respects. Well worth the $10 price tag. Difficulty curve is nicely balanced such that you generally get slightly further each time you play.

Billy B. gave it an8:
Fantastic shmup...very well balanced it can be cleared on a credit but never feels too easy Like a cross between forgotten worlds and r-type ..and it's a horizontal shooter which means it'll fit your widescreen TV well unlike vertical shooters which use about 1/4 of the screen space Unlocks more credits the more you play which is a nice touch, all in all essential for any Shmup fan. To be brutally honest, it's better than DC era games of this ilk with rather nice graphics indeed...you can be sure Ikaruga will score higher as it has a nice color switching dynamic, but the challenge here is better balanced for most players, and the graphics are much more colorful...essential.

Stian L. gave it a10:
I dont get why this fantastic game dont get higher scores. Its better than Mutant Storm Empire and Metal Slug 3 in my opinion even though i love those too.

Andyman gave it a5:
Maybe, just maybe, someday a scrolling shooter developer will wake up and realize that by including only one ridiculously high level of difficulty they're effectively excluding anyone and everyone who doesn't possess the twitch reflexes of an 11-year-old. When that day comes, the other 99.99% of the population might actually enjoy a game like this. Amusingly, the developer of Omega Five predicted my score - it's a 5 all the way - as in, 5 minutes of utter frustration followed by the 5 seconds it took to delete this massive disappointment from my 360's hard drive. Good riddance.

Paul H. gave it a9:
A fun game for just $10 (800 MSpoints). Great graphics and controls.

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