At EB Expo 2013, I got the chance to try out the Omnitrix, not literally unfortunately, and try my hand at High Voltage Software‘s newest title Ben 10: Omniverse 2. Get ready to blast your way through invading aliens as the baddest kid to ever save the day: Ben 10.
The core gameplay I experienced playing Omniverse 2 is that of a classic beat em up game. Once you enter certain rooms, enemies begin to appear. Naturally you must destroy them all in order to progress, ploughing your way through the spawning enemy forces. From what I played, the level threw two types of baddies at me, one was the simple footsoldier, in this case Incurseans, along with more powerful robotic turrets. The trade off being that these turrets are stationary, not that it helps them against Ben’s alien powers.
During my brief glimpse of the game, I was only able to play as three of Ben’s fifty five or so transformations, all of which are unfortunately not in the game. In this case, I was given access to the classic Four Arms, along with the newcomers Bloxx and Crashhopper. In combat, each of the different alien forms possesses its own unique fighting style. For example, the tank that is Four Arms moves comparatively slowly to the other forms, but hits a lot harder. Crashhopper is quick, but requires more strikes to bring down an enemy. Bloxx is different still, being able to construct a clone to draw enemies attention, as well as being able to launch projectiles.
The main benefit of this being a Ben 10 title, is that you are free to switch between these aliens at any time in combat, though this must be done during an idle phase, as you cannot transform mid attack. Defeating enemies yields green orbs crucial to your continued effectiveness. As you remain in alien form, a gauge slowly drains over time. When this hits zero, you’ll hear the familiar time out buzz and return to regular Ben Tennyson. Reverting to human form reduces your abilities to the point of simple punches and kicks. Though, due to the fairly benign difficulty level, you can still defeat most of the enemies the game throws at you. Minus the turrets, who remain stubbornly resistant.
In between these beat ’em up rooms, the game shifts into an on rails runner for a short time. These sections present five types of roadblock, which you must correctly navigate, or suffer damage. The trick to retaining your health is understanding your alien transformations and the unique skills they possess. For example whenever a large pit blocks your path, switching to Crashhopper allows you to jump over it with ease, whilst stubborn walls can be destroyed by Four Arms. These running sections comprise of three lanes for you to switch between, choosing which obstacle you wish to tackle. When turns in the track arise, you are given the option of choosing a path. Different icons denote the end point of each path, for example the Omnitrix symbol leads to an object that increases the time you can spend transformed.
However, probably the best factor of the game, especially from the standpoint of a fan, is the voice acting. The cast from the Omniverse series returns to voice each of the characters and alien forms. In my brief glimpse I noticed the voice of Bumper Robinson as Bloxx, leading me to believe he will also reprise his role of Rook. Dee Bradley Baker also voiced Crashhopper, so expect almost every other alien form to keep its series voice. Dee Bradley sure is a busy guy.
Ben 10: Omniverse 2 is a game obviously directed towards the younger fans of the television series. The gameplay itself is a fairly watered down version of the beat ’em up style and the game is fairly forgiving damage wise. That being said, it definitely retains the new art style adopted by Omniverse and the returning cast only serves to further the experience. It’s hero time!
