Developed by Red Button Games, the cyber rhythm-shooter Olu is now part of the Xbox LIVE Indie scene, mimicking the legendary Rez HD on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Does it stay in tune with the best of them? Read on to learn more about Olu, and find out if it’s one you should own.
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Olu presents itself strong, with a cyber-themed menu, and a generally appealing look to it. The game welcomes players of any skill level with its two modes, simple and complex. With the Simple Mode, you can progress through levels without worrying about taking any damage, though you won’t gain a score either. In Complex Mode, you can gain score, create combos to increase it, and you’ll take damage from the enemies. If you’re unfamiliar with this type of game, you may wish to try it out on simple mode, and once you grasp the concept, move onto complex mode.
The game offers a basic tutorial for players to learn the basics of Olu’s gameplay. Beyond the tutorial, the game offers four levels to play through, each lasting 10-15 minutes on average. There are two types of enemy designs in the game, following suit of its cyberworld theme – analogue enemies & digital enemies. For higher scores and quicker special weapon meter boosting, you should kill digital enemies with the analogue weaponry, and vice versa. As just mentioned, there are two special weapons in Olu, a stopwatch that temporarily stops all enemies allowing for quick easy kills, often saving your life, and the other special weapon is an attack that eliminates all enemies presently on-screen. You can store up to 3 of each attack at any given time, and activate them using LB and RB when you require them.
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Visually, Olu is very appealing to fans of this cyber style, and it feels immersive once you’re in the world, creating new beats as you defeat the enemies. You might even say it’s similar to Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, but much cooler. At times, you’ll be entranced by the strobe effects, or you’ll stare into the neverending tunnel of polygons. In terms of sound, the game offers an mix of fast-paced beats, as well as some more mellow tunes. Depending on the combos you create, you add in different beats with each set of enemies, therefore the game can sound just a little different every time you play it. If you’re playing on a decent sound system, you’ll surely appreciate the game more, with its heavy bass.
When it comes down to it, Olu is a great experience and should be experienced by everyone. Whether you’re playing it, or watching someone else play, Olu is a fun experience. While the game may be a relatively short experience, it’s surely one you can enjoy multiple times without worry of it becoming stale. For only 240 :MSPoints: you can save the cyber-themed world and get your groove on. To learn more about Olu, grab the demo, or make the smart move and purchase the game, head on over to the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
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