Kromaia Omega
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Kromaia Omega
Kromaia Omega is a giant hyper-saturated burst of color, speed and heavy firepower, as stylish as it can be difficult, and it's impossible not to forgive a few questionable design elements when the enemies are swarming and the action takes off.
The core concept of Kromaia Ω is that of a solid 360º shooter which can generate some epic battles, but the combination of frantic shooting, chilled out story and trippy visuals have been done better, most notably in Ubisoft's Child of Eden. Whilst unremarkable, it remains entertaining and challenging, with the included co-op mode a worthwhile and welcome addition.
Kromaia Ω is a frantic and fun 3D shoot-'em-up, with a focus on arcade action and presented in a vibrant, though sometimes hard to read, aesthetic. With only four levels in which to unleash bullet hell, the game can get repetitive fairly quickly, but each area is massive, with secrets and puzzles sprinkled in to help keep things interesting. A unique, enjoyable game that could have done with just a dash more substance to go with all that style.
While Kromaia Omega can't quite live up to the classic space shooters of old, nor the crazy visual splendor of offerings like Child of Eden and Rez, it's certainly not a bad experience. There's just a lot you have to get used to here, like the navigation system and the somewhat lacking audio. Once you do, though, you'll find yourself happily taking flight for a few hours, alone or with a friend. I just wish it had a little more content to complete the room, man (and, yes, Big Lebowski reference, felt like it).
I don't hate Kromaia Ω, but it's difficult to recommend this confusing game. Everything works, but it's hard to tell anything apart from anything else.
Kromaia wants to be more than what it is, but it tries too hard with too many active parts all at once. Falling flat while at the same time continually exploding images on screen to achieve a more frenzied momentum feels desperate.
In the end, this is a rather shortlived experience that dives head first into a pit of tedium after some early promise. Kraken have definitely produced something intriguing, though the game soon needs to resort to padding to stretch its length. A little more content to back up its tight controls and polished presentation would have made Kromaia Omega a far more exciting title, though there's enough here to be excited for what comes next from Kraken Empire.
You'll have to complete each level four times if you want to take on the final boss in the hub world, which the cynic in me sees as a rather tiresome way of artificially increasing the game's length
