Omygod, omygod, omygod, I love Rez, and I think it’s safe to say Dan Frandsen loves Rez too. While Tetsuya Mizuguchi is busy making all kinds of games that sadly aren’t Rez 2, Frandsen decided to make the sequel that I’ve been patiently awaiting.
Okay, so Olu isn’t an official sequel to everyone’s favorite on-rails shooter that takes place inside a computer featuring hypnotic techno music and trippy vector graphics. But, like a scrumptious bowl of Marshmallow Mateys next to Lucky’s iconic Charms, sometimes the spurious imposter can 1up the original.
It’s difficult to call Olu a Rez clone without it somehow seeming like a slight against it, and that isn’t exactly fair. The original Rez debuted nearly a decade ago and nothing has even approached the bliss of its sensory-overloading style; so, I have no problem with a new entry into the oft-ignored synesthesic-shooter genre.
You can essentially copy and paste Rez’s story to figure out what is going on in Olu. A computer program became self-aware and is running amok inside its digital playground and it’s your job to send those 1’s and 0’s to the digital grim reaper.
The most striking aspect of the game is its visual flair. It initially resembles an old vector game but far more colorful and full of visual effects. The levels begin simplistically with only a few enemies popping out of barren landscapes. As the levels progress the backgrounds become richer and more effects intensify the situation. Objects also move in unison with the music and flashes of color strobe on certain beats. It can’t quite match Rez’s visual splendor, but it is one of the best-looking Indie titles.
Olu follows Rez’s model of beginning each stage with a minimalistic soundtrack consisting of only a few simple beats and then gradually adding layers as the level continues. It’s like a demented dream, which keeps getting stranger the deeper into sleep you fall. At first you feel like you can cope with the relaxing feel of the game, but as more objects appear, the music intensifies and the techno beats grow heavier and more complex.
In addition to the soundtrack and visuals, the third layer of the synesthasia is the vibrating controller. I’m unsure if the Xbox 360 controller just can’t shake forcibly enough or if it’s somehow the fault of the game, but the vibrations are too gentle to add much to the experience. Rez overcomes this limitation by allowing the use of multiple controllers, a feature Olu lacks.
Olu is unlike other shooters in the sense that you don’t actually control your avatar or dodge attacks; you basically float on a pre-determined path like you’re taking a guided tour through the guts of a computer. You hover the aiming reticule over as many as 8 targets while holding down the attack button to lock onto them. Releasing the attack button fires your lasers of death. Locking onto more baddies at once increases your score, but it also increases the likelihood that one will hit you.
The enemies themselves are generally crude representations of animals, vehicles or sometimes pulsating, glowing orbs. Polygonal serpents and abstract birds attempt to thwart your crusade. One boss resembles a stone golem or perhaps an enormous colossus that furiously charges the screen; destroying each limb reveals a concealed glowing set of purple tentacles.
Olu’s major innovation is that there are two types of enemies: analog and digital. Analog critters have a solid texture and digital ones are constructed of hollow wireframes. Just like Ikaruga, you also have two attacks and using with the opposing weapon does more damage and yields more points. It can be a little tricky to decipher if something is analog or digital from afar, but thankfully there are audial cues to let you know if you attacked with the proper attack.
There are also two types of special moves: one that briefly freezes time and another that damages everything on the screen.
Aside from its lack of originality, the only pejorative critique I can muster is that the game is bit too easy. Granted, I played quite a bit of Rez, but I managed to make it through Olu’s 5 stages without dying. Outside of sheer enjoyment, the replay value of this game comes in trying to score more points by chaining together combos of proper attacks against enemies. It would be great if you could compare your score with others online, but that is a feature that Microsoft prohibits from Indie releases.
If you tried Rez and absolutely loathed every second of it, then I can’t imagine why you are still reading this review; Olu is clearly not the game for you. But, if you kind of enjoyed, were somewhat curious about, or fell in love with Mizuguchi’s trippy shooter, lay down the 3 bucks and give Olu a shot. It’s a fantastic game for less than a cup of Starbucks.
Visit the Xbox Live Indie Marketplace to queue up a free demo of Olu for Xbox 360.
Olu was provided for review by Red Button Games. The review is based on the full version of the game, which is available for 240 MS points ($3).
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