As the new generation consoles are still growing, many companies are trying to move on from PS3 & Xbox 360 to the PS4 and Xbox One. Compile Heart were quick to move to the PS4 and released the PS4-exclusive Omega Quintet as the system’s first JRPG, which has now been released in the west thanks to Idea Factory International.

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Omega Quintet is set in a world where a mysterious force called ‘Blare’ is slowly taking over the world. The Blares have the ability to summon monsters from a different dimension which attacks people and can be only be defeated by the Verse Maiden. The Blare spawn randomly in the game and it’s up to the heroines to destroy these monsters to save the world. The Verse Maiden’s are a group of teenagers who have the ability to fight and sing to defeat the Blare. Singing is the only method of defeating the Blare as well it seems.

Omega Quintet_20150517103336 The combat system in the game is very simple and well designed while sharing similarities with other turn-based JRPGs like the Atelier series. however, there is a slight twist where you can attack multiple times in a turn if you meet the necessary conditions to unlock it.  The combat system is very easy to understand and fun to play but one annoying feature I didn’t like was the fact that the heroine’s clothing degrade each time they take a hit.  This resulted in spending money just to fix it; I guess it’s something like Diablo’s durability status but I don’t really want that in a RPG game.

In all RPG games, there are ways to get better equipment; From buying them from shops and merchants, to lucky drops from monsters or just finding them lying about. In Omega Quintet, you get new equipment by crafting them yourself from items you acquire. Players can craft items as long as they have the necessary items to craft a particular piece of equipment. Using this system, you can create new things such as weapons and clothing, which can help to improve your party and make an impact on the game.

Two special modes, Harmonics and Live Concert Mode serve as special modes you can use in battle. Harmonics allows more than one character to act within a turn; the exact members is based upon the upcoming turns and must meet the requirements in order to activate. This feature allows bigger combos to be chained together and gives you the chance to perform special chain attacks to wipe out the enemy’s HP.  Mastering the Harmonics battle mode makes the game very easy and can helps to get past tough bosses with ease.

Live Concert Mode makes use of the Voltage Gauge, but rather than unleashing an attack skill it provides a significant set of buffs to the party.

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The normal difficulty gives players the option to play the game normally without much resistance. There is not a lot of challenge in this game as long as the player follows the tutorial and learn the combat system. Meanwhile, the other two higher difficulties provide players a challenge that Compile Heart fans have come to expect.  However there is no option to change difficulties mid way so plan ahead else you may regret picking the hardest difficulty.

Apart from following the main story, the player has the option to do side quests and create their own PV videos.  The quests unlock more features in the PV feature however it is very repetitive and can get boring to do.  The music in the game espeically the Jpop songs are very catchy, though that is expected due to the PV feature.   The game comes in both english and japanese audio, both are well voiced though I prefer to play games in the original voice acting.

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Review Summary

Overall, the game is not a bad start into the PS4 era however it lacks push to drive it better. Even though the game battle system is a big improvement compared to other games, the story lacks the punch. The game can also be slightly confusing at time when it comes to progressing with the story as it is not always clear and the graphics doesn't seem to be a massive improvement from the PS3 era as well. However i might be expecting a bit too much. I would most likely recommend the game but the price might be too steep. Fans of the Compile Heart genre will love this game though.