Omega Boost First Impressions

If you thought Gran Turismo, or even the upcoming Gran Turismo 2, was the epitome of the PlayStation's graphic prowess, then guess again, because when you finally get a chance to see Omega Boost in action, your eyes might just melt off your face.

Developed by Polyphony Digital (Motor Toon Racing, Gran Turismo), Omega Boost is a full-on 360-degree shooter in the truest sense of the word. Not just some neo-360 degree wannabe like Psychic Force or Ergheiz, but a madly pivoting, whiplash inducing ricochet of a game that combines great playability, awesome graphics, and excellent mech and enemy design. Imagine the convincing outer-space backgrounds of Psygnosis' Colony Wars series (but much better looking), the immersive sci-fi worlds of Sega's Panzer Dragoon series, and super-intense, mega-fast shooter action, viewable in first- or third-person mode, and you're almost there. In some respects, it almost reminds one of Capcom's old side-scrolling shooter, Forgotten Worlds - but in full 3D, with your mech seemingly balanced on a gyroscope. Omega Boost is of such high quality and playability that it might garner the same kind of fanaticism that follows games like Wipeout XL or Tekken 3. Essentially, this is a true hard-core gamer's game.

For the time being, check out these awesome screenshots, and pray that Sony speeds up the American release. A full review is on the way.