Over time, even the most enjoyable of tasks can become a slog.
The original
Chaos Rings rarely relied on grinding to reach the dénouement(s), but the repetition of the monsters and maps could get a little tiring after the first few laps around its JRPG world.
Unfortunately, those who are already burnt out on the formula from the first game will find nothing here to reignite that spark.
While
Chaos Rings Omega is still a good game, the lack of any meaningful advances in the gameplay from the original will rankle all but the most dedicated fans.
Ring a ringOmega starts in almost exactly the same way as the first game - couples are taken from their homes by a mysterious metal creature known as ‘The Agent’ and pitted against each other in a fight to the death - and this familiarity doesn’t let up for a good few hours after that.
Gameplay is split between combat, exploration, and puzzles - the former being the main focus of the game.
These battles take the form of turn-based affairs between your two (sometimes one) characters and a group of monsters, randomly appearing as you walk the wilds.
Although these ogres start off about as brainless as you can get - tip: hit the 'attack' button to win - the bosses and tougher monsters that come into play around the third ‘world’ of
Omega provide a satisfying dance between risk and reward.
Gold bandThe graphics have seen a significant improvement since the last outing, with the blocky PS1-era styled models now sporting far more detail and clarity on the high-res screens of the iPad and iPhone.
It’s a shame, though, that the monsters appear to have been ripped straight out of the original game - complete with the same moves and ‘genetics’ (spells, essentially) that they possessed back then.
Even some of the worlds are nigh-on identical in both look and layout - which may be ‘canon’ with events of the plot, but it does little to dismiss the thought that this is just a cash-in.
Re-marriage
This strict adherence to the original continues through to
Omega’s faults as well.
The maps remain a tangled mess to navigate, especially when starting out, and the the lack of a turn order hurts on the harder and more unpredictable fights that involve multiple buffs and debuffs.
Despite the allure of a good plot that twists and turns its own path away from the initial setup,
Omega comes across as a game made for newcomers rather than for fans of the first game (who have likely been through the Ark many, many times before).
If you've never played Chaos Rings, you should go straight to the sequel. The gameplay is entertaining once you’ve passed the first few hours, and the battles can be very enjoyable once your characters’ MP is high enough to allow experimentation.
But while it’s often the case that sequels try to offer ‘more of the same’ to please fans of the first, Omega borders on being merely ‘the same again’.
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