If this review was written in 1995 then we’d probably have filled six pages with screenshots to point out every touch of genius that makes this one of the best shooters we’ve ever played. We don’t have that luxury, but the sentiment remains the same. [Mar 2008, p.134]

If you are looking for an excellent single player side scrolling shooter, look no further than Omega 5. From the beautiful graphics, to quirky characters and bosses you will plan on playing for a few minutes and find yourself playing an hour.

Whatever your experience with the genre, you’re likely to be hooked on the addictive gameplay and dazzled by all the shiny HD sweetness.

Omega Five is the kind of game that if you stick with, will reward you with some sense of accomplishment when you take down a boss or just get better as you replay levels.

Unique, stylish and addictive.

All you need for a great shooter is solid control and intense action, and Omega Five has that in spades. Plus it’s got some extremely pretty visuals to boot.

The game could've used a few more levels, along with an online co-op mode. However, there's still plenty to enjoy, with unlockable bonus characters, online scoreboards and Challenge Mode stages.

We're already crying for the many people that just aren't goign to get this brilliant blaster. [Issue#30, p.119]

Though it's brevity itslef, you'll be able to busy yourself chasing scores and unlockables for a long time to come. [Mar 2008, p.93]

Omega Five is exactly what Xbox Live Arcade needed. Though it is nothing new in terms of gameplay, this game proves that XBLA games are worth the purchase. The visuals are stunning for a game of this nature, and will often attract others into watching or playing with you. Expect Xbox to notice that when they create a game specifically for XBLA instead of remaking games or re-releasing games, it can be worth the extra effort.

Omega Five is pretty but shallow. It's the trophy wife of XBLA games. That doesn't mean it isn't fun for a little while, but it's ultimately not among the top-tier Arcade titles.

Omega Five is a rose: great to look at but painful to handle.

While Omega Five runs at a more deliberate or slower pace than some frantic shooters, that doesn’t mean for a second this game won’t kick your ass in short order.

The game is pretty and nice to look at, but ultimately shallow (I added that part) and while a distraction for a week or so, the game is too short and not deep enough to qualify for obsessiveness to get on the Live leaderboard.

Omega Five is a fun diversion game that is over as quickly as it begins. It’s too bad Omega Five is a short game with only four levels because the graphics and game design is impressive.

It's just so goddamn fun to play. Anything negative I might have to say about this game is overshadowed by just how addictive and entertaining it is. So it's not the hardcore shmup some people were hoping for -- so what?

Omega Five may not be brimming with content, but what's there is visually dazzling and packed with challenging action.

If mainstream releases are leaving you feeling a little uninspired, Omega Five should be just the kind of boost your daily intake needs.

In time the control system becomes second nature and weaving in and out of the moving mazes created by the gargantuan enemies around you feels like more of a dance than a chore.

Omega Five is an incredibly pretty game with blemishes hidden behind the makeup. If you want a challenge and a return to old-school side-scrollers, give it a chance. Just do not expect much in the way of depth.

Playing with a buddy in same-screen co-op is your best bet to enjoyably sate your shooter lust. [Holiday 2007, p.70]

A very nice shoot 'em up with gorgeous graphics. It's a shame that de difficulty level is a quite unbalanced and that the multiplayer is absent.

If you are a fan of 2D shooters then Omega Five certainly won't disappoint. For those previously uninterested in this classic genre of yesteryear, its unforgiving gameplay and old school sensibilities probably won't win you over.

Omega Five is an extremely valid offer to those looking for new arcade titles on Xbox 360.

It’s pure, old-school, side-scrolling action wrapped up in a gorgeous visual package. The game will certainly appeal to fans of the genre, even if they are left scratching their collective heads after trying to make sense of it all.

What Omega Five lacks in purity, it gains in bombast. [Mar 2008, p.102]

Omega Five isn't anything special -- a blessing in some respects, but ultimately its curse. It's a side-scrolling shooter, highly reminiscent of the 16-bit era (even the music is in line with the best shooters of the late '90s), and while it's a short game on the whole, its challenge is nearly insurmountable and definitely not for the mass market.