Dive into the realms of Omega Crafter, a fantasy open-world survival game with a hint of sci-fi developed by Preferred Networks. Command robots called Grammis, explore procedurally generated worlds, fight monsters, scale and automate your city. Here are my first impressions of Omega Crafter after finishing the demo for almost two hours.
Graphics
Omega Crafter’s character creation has some similarities with the art style of the trainer avatars in Pokemon Scarlet while the monstrous entities, specifically the mushrooms remind me of Ravenlok, a game that I also reviewed last year. The Grammi’s design feels inspired by EVE from Wall-E.
Despite the vibrancy of the environment, I feel skeptical about the world’s depth due to occasional moments of emptiness after gathering resources and hunting animals. I even tried going outside the grasslands biome to see if there was anything else that I could do in the demo only to end up like playing an empty walking simulator.
However, the presence of scattered lootable boxes and commanding my Grammi companion for resource gathering add some layers of immersion.
Gameplay
When it comes to automation, I’ve seen plenty of games do this like Dyson Sphere Program and Desynced, Omega Crafter still manages to think of their twist in this genre.
Their way of introducing automation is through Grammis as well. Think of them as your robot citizens similar to Palworld’s Pals. You can program a Grammi to craft recipes, harvest resources, and a myriad of other tasks with either program presets codes or even create your custom routines, streamlining the gaming experience.
I just wish that it had more command options and I look forward to what I can do with the Grammis once the full release comes out.
When it comes to weapon and armor maintenance, Omega Crafter takes a more casual approach. The absence of the ongoing need for repairs adds a layer of accessibility, making it a more relaxed experience.
Building a base also feels great, thanks to the options of having either a free-form or snap-to-grid build approach.
Exploration & Combat
The expansive world of Omega Crafter invites exploration through diverse terrains, from stone temples to encounters with your typical fantasy creatures. The challenges range from eliminating summoning gems to engaging in combat with mushrooms and wolves, at least in the demo experience. Alternatively, hunting boars and deers provides avenues for enhancing armor and raw resources are enough to supply your base automation.
The game introduces basic controls and a stamina system that injects a strategic layer into combat and resource gathering, a game mechanic that’s popular with soulslike titles. The demo ends with a showdown against the first boss, the Treant. Its move set reminds me of Valheim’s Eikthyr boss with its lightning attacks. However, what sets this Treant apart is its ability to summon additional monsters, giving me a tougher challenge.
Verdict
After spending two immersive hours navigating the landscapes and conquering the Treant boss, Omega Crafter presents the essential elements of survival gameplay. However, you can get impatient while exploring, because of the absence of fast travel locations in the demo and there isn’t much to do after that. I was expecting something similar to what Against The Storm did with their demo where you feel like you’re already playing the full game.
On the bright side, I do look forward to what the full release will look like later this year. Despite these nuances, the game shows promise, and I hope to see more Grammis programming and co-op experiences. For those yearning for a blend of cute sci-fi with a sprinkle of fantasy, especially if Palworld feels overwhelming to you, then Omega Crafter might be worth looking at.
What are your thoughts on our first impressions of Omega Crafter and how was your demo experience? Planning to wishlist this on Steam? Let us know in the comments section below.
