Omikron: The Nomad Soul

Ultimately flawed in many ways this game is non the less intriguing, compelling and pretty much unique. I played it originally not long after it was released and had fond memories of it. This GOG release is definitely improved, the shooter sections are now much more playable although there are still design issues such as enemies being able to shoot you whilst being seemingly out of range, and in some places not even rendered due to distance culling making it impossible to hit them without closing the distance. But issues aside, my second play through had me hooked in just the same way as it did originally. Given the graphical limitations of the time it creates a very immersive world with a strong story line and interesting mix of game mechanics including the ability to possess other NPCs and play as them. The musical score by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels is excellent. It's essentially an 'explore, solve the puzzles and unravel the mystery' game which is lengthy, detailed and takes you through a series of different environments and situations as the story progresses, mixed with marshal arts combat and first person shooter sections it provides sufficient challenges aside from the explore and discover aspects. Whilst graphically dated with some control aspects seeming awkward at times, taken as a whole it is imo a masterpiece of game design and vision and I highly recommend playing it.

Body hopping, breaking the fourth wall, high stakes player immersion, diverse gameplay, and a whole lot of rule bending! Omikron is the first game I remember where expoloiting the rules was actually part of the game. One of the only games ever where dying in-game can actually advance the story. Omikron not only has an exclusive David Bowie soundtrack, but he also voices one of the key characters you can meet and interact with! I will say this game had a couple technical issues I hated. I won't get into them, because, hey, if you think about it right, they may even add to the experience for you, but they're why I dropped a star. Otherwise this game is one of those rare gems that will give you something completely original and blow your mind.

I played this game back when it appeared on a demo disc in a magazine. I remember being super interested in the demo that plays to a certain point in the story, and thinking it would be a really amazing experience. So I bought the full game, and unfortunately it left me a little disappointed. The game's main mode is a freeform adventure through a massive cyberpunk city - the districts have interesting designs and feel alive at first glance. People walk around, cars drive by, there are grocery stores and pharmacies and restaurants and bars. However outside of the main storyline, there really is not much to do in these areas save for a couple minigames and the soul transfer mechanic. There are however some nice Bowie concerts to see! That soul transfer I found to be a really nice concept, and the only down side I feel with it is that the different hosts you can inhabit don't seem to be particularly well fleshed out save for some of them have an apartment or a unique item in their inventory. So that leaves the main story. It starts out as a bit of a mystery, and develops along with a really nice mix of quest types that tie you into the game world a bit. It is a bit more linear than one might expect from a game like this, but it is nice - I found the last bit to be a bit off, personally. The combat is divided into hand-to-hand combat, similar to a simplified arcade fighting game and a 1st person shooter. While I found the hand-to-hand fun, I hated the shooter portions because of the bad clipping and hit detection, as well as some enemies spawning from corners you cleared already, for example. To summarise, the game offers an unfinished feeling experience, but one that is worth it in the long run if you enjoy a more unconventional game. The atmosphere really is pretty cool, and the soul mechanic is interesting as well. Where this game falls down are merely places where the studio got a bit over-ambitious, but I think the experience is well worth the drawbacks.

There is hardly a game that I have played again and again. It's a kind of yearning for this world, it always pulls me there. It's magical, beautiful, mysterious and scary. And it is very complex. For me so far one of the biggest bright spots in the game universe. Unfortunately, there is this sudden death bug in the Tetra factory, so I always have to keep playing from there with an earlier savegame, when I happened to master this spot by accident. The graphics are outdated, no question. Nevertheless a brilliant game, a masterpiece.

Well, well, this is a difficult one to judge... Overall it's more than ok. And definitely anything you've ever played before. The idea of bringing player himself into an actual part of the game is interesting. And the sights of futuristic cities are incredible even graphic looks a bit old. With well-made sound effects, they are successfully creating the atmosphere. It's like you are actually inside the game , and cities of Omikron. However I think the elements of the game themselves are little....disappointing. Especially shooter part. Sometimes enemy spots you from far far away even from where you cannot see. Also it's bit repetitive. Other parts are good, I guess. Personally I liked Fighting part even though random key tapping is enough to beat your enemies. Bottom line, this game is beyond genres and I believe creators of Omikron were actually aiming at that. It has elements from shooter, adventure, and fighting game, but each of them are blended in "Omikron way". I wrote about how I disliked shooter part above, but you know what? This is not a shooter game after all. It just has shooter part. It is just "the Omikron." I guess whether you will like this game or not depends on how you can get into this game's style. And that's why I thought this game as a difficult one to judge. Anyway game itself must be something you'd be surprised. It's worth trying. Let's save the world players!