Omega Boost
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Turn up the music, turn down the lights and prepare for non-stop, thumb-blistering action! Sony's new space shooter promises intense action and fast game play, bringing you a mindless, twitchy shooter where your instincts will take control and sound and video will blast your senses into overload.
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Like a Boost to the Head
Omega Boost recalls the old-time space blast-em-ups of yesteryear like Gradius, Thunder Force, and even ancients like Tempest. You pilot your Omega Boost (a mechanical war machine reminiscent of those from Robotech and Gundam) through 19 intense zones of swarming enemies, huge bosses and pumping sound. Your enemies come at you from all directions, forcing you to be on your toes at all times. In fact, the action is often so intense that if you take time to think, you're hosed.
The game's not tough to play, even as enemies swarm you like bees to honey. An easy 'Scan" feature aims you in the direction of the nearest enemy whenever you press the L1 button, so following the action isn't so tough. The simple controls are unobtrusive and easy to learn, so you won't have that excuse when the forces of evil splatter your mechanical carcass throughout the stars. Omega Boost is about instincts and nerves. You'll need all your reflexes in tip-top shape to beat this one.
Omega Rave
Omega Boost's graphics are fast and intense, but the zones' backgrounds are actually very simple. Ranging from a typical star-field to claustrophobic tunnels to a sparse planet surface at nighttime, the zones are far from visually stunning. This frees up the PlayStation's aging graphics engine to pump out the overwhelming swarms of enemy fighters and the massive area bosses that are out to destroy you. It's been a long time since there was a shooter with this kind of speed. Most blast-em-ups these days focus more on violence and gore than on twitch-based gameplay and excitement.
You'll blast through the galaxy to the tune of some hard-slamming industrial-metal tracks from bands like Loudmouth and Static-X as you surround yourself with blazing laser sounds and rumbling explosions. Omega Boost boasts other sounds, most of which are lost in the game's sensory overload. More often than not, the one sound you'll pay attention to is the computer's stern "Caution!", which alerts you to oncoming enemies. Oddly enough, the sound of your machine getting shot is either nonexistent or way too soft, and you'll find yourself relying on the Dual Shock controller to tell you when you've been hit.
Honey, Your Blood Pressure�
If your blood yearns for a heart-pounding, twitch-inducing space shooter, then Omega Boost will burst your veins. Its mind-blasting speed and action may be too intense for some gamers, but those who desire a real test of reflexes will find none better on the PlayStation.
