At the end of Riddle of The Sphinx, the
find of the centuries has been uncovered. Time to rest on our laurels. Or
is it? Although we have revealed an ancient artifact and deciphered a
cryptic scroll in the process, it appears that the mystery has really
only deepened. In fact, there were not one - but two scrolls. We learn at
the beginning of The Omega Stone, that our friend Gil has translated this
second scroll. The translation reveals more than a record of ancient ways
and times. It is more than the typical curse on the heads of wanton tomb
raiders. This is much more ominous. A prophetic vision, of the future..
our future.. It details a cataclysmic event due to occur to our world. Not
in the future, but perhaps in a few days time. After hearing this story
from our friend Gil, We find ourselves alone in Giza with little more than
some ID cards issued for various locales and his somber words resonating
in our mind. Time to scour the earth, solve ancient riddles and uncover
devices and items hidden from human eyes for thousands of years. Our
failure may mean nothing less than the end of the world.
The great adventure is on..
Interface
The Omega Stone is mouse driven with a smart cursor. You have an option within the game main menu to designate
your cursor as "fixed" or "free" focused. For those who like the view to
move with the mouse - choose the fixed view. I prefer the screen remain
stationary until the mouse hits the edge of the screen. I like to scan
each view carefully and sometimes lead with my mouse - so it is better
that the screen not jump every time my mouse does. It is great to see
this option present within the game. There is also an option to have your
character addressed in mail and such as either female or male. Maybe not
essential - but it is another nice touch that was built into the game. The
screen transitions for the most part are very smooth. The inventory screen
is part of the view area and you can conceal it or have it pop up with
your right mouse button. Clicking on an item selects it, drop it back in
your knapsack to replace it in inventory. One thing I really liked was
that moving your mouse over any item, picture or saved game brings the
item in your view area in close up. You can also delete any unwanted
picture files or saves easily as you play without having to exit the game.
The interface was for the most part one of the best around. My one
complaint was with the active cursor - sometimes it reacted to areas of
interest - sometimes it didn’t. But I think that people will find the
interface to be a quick learn, almost automatic and not in the way or a
hassle during the game.
The Story
I like the idea that one of the distinguishing features of adventure games
is the dedication to and focus on plot driven gameplay. Some games lay it
right out in a narrative others dribble it out in bits and pieces- others
leave you guessing, even after it’s all over. The Toblers do a vast
amount of research as a predicate and ongoing development tool with their
game construction. I was impressed with the attention to researched
detail in ROTS. The location of items and the whys were left somewhat
unsettled at the end. For good reason - a sequel was planned and in the
works. Those loose ends were to me resolved in Omega. Like any good tale -
some new mysteries were hinted at in the end. In this game I would say the
plot was advanced in a seamless and realistic manner. Much as you would
expect if this these were real events. Some of the story is revealed in
sub-plots you uncover in your searches. Some is told outright by
characters you encounter. Some is easy to fill in through what you see and
hear. What is actually a vast array of theories and hypothesis was neatly
joined in this story. I really can’t go into more detail than that - why
ruin all the fun for you. But I do think that the plot was more richly
defined in this game. I believe I felt involved in ROTS, primarily due to
my activities and the challenges. In Omega, it was the also the story and
it’s telling that added to my engagement level. If perhaps you have missed
a fact or two - all loose ends are tied up in a re-cap by our patron and
friend Gil at the end. A nice touch to a well thought out game..
The Big Picture
Omega is one vast game. Although, I realize not everyone reading this
review has played Riddle of the Sphinx, and I don’t think it is essential
to have done so to thoroughly enjoy Omega Stone, the way I approached the
game is similar and useful to describe the overall quality of Omega Stone.
When I saw the official site for ROTS, I was extremely impressed and
became a dedicated visitor over the next several years that passed before
ROTS actually released.
Similarly, Omni International once again put together a masterful
presentation and pre-saged Omega with detailed accuracy. When I started
ROTS - initially I was somewhat disappointed. I am afraid that I am not as
sensible as I would like to be about unwarranted expectations. Among
those, is this unfortunate human need for instant gratification. We tend
to want to be wowed right away or we lose interest. Though I like to pat
myself on the back and tell myself I am more patient with games - I too
can succumb to my own fondness for the instant hook. The graphics were a
bit grainy and no story leapt out to greet me. No people either. Just an
isolated camp. Now I am ashamed to admit that after about a day of
playing, I walked away from ROTS. Shortly thereafter - I read some ongoing
threads and grudgingly picked the game back up where I had left it. I
never looked back and never regretted it. As I got deeper into the
complexities of the environments and the quest itself - I became totally
engrossed. Then I became obsessed with ferreting out everything. At the
conclusion - I felt exhilarated. The game interaction, story and detail
was so engaging, that I really felt as if I had been to these amazing
places. That I had been on an archeological expedition of epic
proportions.
So what about ROTS and what does all this have to do with a review of The
Omega Stone? I mention my reaction and experience with ROTS because at
the start of Omega Stone, I felt the same way. I was a little
disappointed in the graphics at the beginning. I was expecting lush
environments and details. This time, my engagement with the game took
significantly less time. First there is character interaction not present
in the first game. Not a large number of characters, Omega is a solitary
exploration for the most part. But there was Hump the person who gets us
everywhere - as well as three other characters including Gil himself.
There was also the constant "sense" of people. By that I mean diary
entries, letters and correspondence involving a much larger group than
those you meet. I think that the device of creating the "presence of
people" by allowing the gamer to visually eavesdrop on their imprints and
discards is a great one in a game. You have the focus of a first person
exploration and the individual feelings of pride in a successful solve or
game advance. But you also avoid the isolation and loneliness that can
creep into gameplay that bothers some gamers (myself included) by a
desolated game environment devoid of people and characters. I think that
Omega Stone did a great job of balancing these concerns. In fact, I got a
real kick out of bugging these few characters to get the full range of
their scripted responses. There is no doubt that in Omega, the dialogue
that exists definitely added to the game experience and was not a waste of
anyone’s efforts.
The Game Look
Now I did say earlier that I was initially disappointed in what I saw?
That lasted all of the 30 steps or so it took me to re-enter the Sphinx.
The game locales are extremely varied. Some are crisp and so real you will
jump at a noise heard off to the side. Others are appropriately dark,
moody and somewhat fanciful. The diversity of locales was wonderful.
Within the game itself I truly felt like I wasn’t only going to a new
locale - at times it felt like a whole new game. I believe the Toblers to
be some of the most meticulous developers in the business. Not just the
story line and back ground research but the nuances of each screen is done
so attentively. Little items that you may not even notice the first time
around are there. The sun reflects off of things in perfect symmetry. Look
back at the transport vehicle and you will see the driver fidget.
Perspective changes realistically as you move through tunnels, pathways
and rooms. Flawlessly done. I believe these little details can make or
break a gamers mood and level of involvement. In this case - I always felt
rooted to where I was. Too much so at times. I had to take breaks and go
above ground at times in one particular location. Odd choice of words
isn’t it? If the game had not involved me so much - I think I would have
thought "walk away from the screen or leave your office" But this game has
a way of taking over your thoughts and imagination. Great games do that.
This discussion of the details and powerful presentation would not be
complete without a thumbs up on the sounds. All of these visuals were
supported and enhanced at all times by the sound effects used. If someone
is upstairs - you hear pacing and sounds. It was hard, hmmm no make that
almost impossible, for me to leave one spot in the game. I kept hearing
these scraping sounds, crashes, footsteps. It didn’t matter that I was
really done with that part - I wanted to know what they heck they were
doing up there. Omega grabs your curiosity in so many levels - way past
the immediate tasks at hand. It is just another piece of the complex
fabric of this game. It is this clever and adroit weaving of sounds,
graphics and story line with a keen appreciation for all the little things
that not only hooked, but ultimately wowed me.
Enigmas
I am starting to prefer the term "enigmas" rather than puzzles for in game
challenges. Particularly with newer games where the old paradigm of here’s
a wheel with numbers - make the sounds match is no longer the norm in
adventure games. Have to thank Frogwares for that turn of phrase. In
Omega Stone there are devices to interact with as we are looking for items
meant to be protectively concealed from humans - so that they will be
there when the prophecy is realized. SO, we do have a certain number of
traditional looking devices and mechanisms to solve - unlock - or
activate. However a greater number of the enigmas are practically related
to the game plot and environment. We have to learn and recreate a alchemy
ritual, chart our way through a vast underground world and leave no stone
uncovered as we search out items. There may be left over inventory - but
there are no red herrings. In fact as with ROTS - there are abundant clues
to most of the challenges if you dig deep enough or look closely enough.
There is a maze - and you just have to work through this one. A map is
available later - kind of cheeky doing that. Heh-heh. Myself, I always go
with the go to the right always and you will work your way through most
any maze -but for those who go crazy at even the mere thought of a maze -
you’ve been warned. You will have to dive, climb, scale, swim and dig.
Read charts, maps and sift through messages. This game has a wide variety
of puzzles. Some are unique and great fun for being different. Variety
with the puzzles - as with the locations is one of the great things about
this game. I think most if not all who play this game will find challenges
that make them slightly crazy but also plenty more that they will enjoy on
many different levels.
The Drawbacks
The drawback I encountered was the user manual contents or really the lack
thereof. It is in itself an odd issue. I have never before discussed the
user manual and supporting docs in a game review. Heck I rarely give a
second thought to the things. But if you have to troubleshoot or have
technical issues, this is where I always look first. I had some difficulty
getting Omega to load at first and was surprised at the lack of technical
facts available in the manual. For the benefit of those who are about to
play Omega Stone here’s my user manual updates.
The game prefers software rendered graphics. This is now noted at the tech
support page at DC -and it may not have been known at the time of release.
You have an option at the load screen for software Vs hardware rendered
graphics. Unless you have a real advanced graphics card - I would stick
with the software render choice.
If you do the full install ( which I recommend to avoid the ever tedious
"disc swapping"). Make sure you have plenty of additional space available
after the install. Though the game features unlimited save spots and
picture taking - this is illusory if you don’t allow for the space
requirements the additional pic files will consume. Primarily, my game
locked up and I had to manually delete any pic files and saved games that
I longer needed, so that the game would continue running. I would add that
I believe a 2gig figure is mentioned as the space requirement for a full
install of the game. It is actually 2.68 gig plus extra space for the pics
and added files.
Now all this being said - none of this would make me give Omega Stone
anything but high marks all around. . Once you know about these quirks -
the game runs well and is a joy to experience. So I thought I would
fore-warn and fore-prepare the gamers out there. No reason for all of us
to have these issues arise.
Final Thoughts
Despite my side issue quibbles at the end of the review - that is really
just noise in terms of whether a particular game is worth your hard earned
money or not. In truth, The Omega Stone is one of those games that is
destined to be a classic. My final thoughts are these: at the end of this
game I was thrilled, happy and disappointed. Thrilled to have discovered
Omega’s mysteries, happy to have seen all of it’s delights and
disappointed that it was all over and done with. For at the end of it all
- it is how reluctant we are to see that final end screen that matters the
most.
Grade: A
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GameBoomers
