High-speed action - out where no man has gone before
IF you have a fatal fascination for unsolved mysteries and unexplored
territories, then participating in Optima's Omega Probe may just
be the sort of program for you.
Little is known about the Omega Zone except that it lies in
the uncharted reaches of the universe, a place from where no man
has ever returned alive.
Your mission is quite simply to survive, travelling in the ultimate
spacecraft - Omega Probe.
Deep space may not be a terribly new or innovative setting,
but the story the game depicts does conjure up a sense of foreboding
and excitement.
I was especially impressed by the way in which it is brought
to life on screen by quite splendid colour and animation.
The many hazards encountered by Omega Probe are cleverly displayed
by the use of three separate layers of objects all moving simultaneously.
This not only produces one of the fastest machine code games
that I have seen, but gives the game an almost 3D effect.
While the controls of the game are fairly simple (comprising
four way movement and a fire button), Optima have included some
ingenious refinements.
There are the usual facilities for choosing to play with or
without sound and with or without a joystick, as well as a pause
option for freezing the game at whatever stage is wished.
The ingenuity arises in that these options can be selected at
any time without recourse to the original menu.
Indeed, you can even change options while in the pause mode,
not only giving you more time to think, but further enabling you
to continue the mission where you left off.
A very simple but nevertheless effective extra is the two keyboard
option for controls.
Omega Probe is a must for all game fanatics. It is not just
another watered-down version of an arcade game, but a truly original,
fast-moving and action-packed game that rivals even the best of
arcade game classics.
Karen Torevell
