Omega Pilot Evolution Races Onto PlayStation 5 And PS VR2

Xocus certainly took their sweet time with this one! Racing fans have been waiting quite a while, and after finally beating the game, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Omega Pilot Evolution shares an awful lot of DNA with the developer’s previous game, EXOcars. From the overall structure to many of its gameplay mechanics, the similarities are hard to ignore.

The Need For Speed…

The gameplay is blisteringly fast, and you’ll be flying at incredible speeds. In fact, the action is so fast that many of the races feel over far too quickly.

As you progress, you’ll unlock upgrades that significantly improve your ship. Better yet, you can choose which attributes to upgrade first, allowing you to tailor your craft to your own driving style. Your options include top speed, acceleration, nitro, brakes, and handling, giving you plenty of freedom to fine-tune your racer.

The Music Is Key…

One of the main reasons WipEout became such a sensation—and remains so to this day—is its incredible soundtrack. While Omega Pilot Evolution doesn’t quite reach those legendary heights, its music still does an excellent job of pulling you into the action. The soundtrack features a solid mix of techno and pop-inspired tracks, along with a handful of heavier, more intense tunes that genuinely caught me by surprise. It all comes together to keep the adrenaline flowing throughout the races.

The Presentation…

As soon as I booted up the game, I was struck by its crystal-clear, shimmer-free visuals. The image quality is excellent, with a sharp resolution that really lets the vibrant art style shine. It also runs at 90Hz natively, resulting in a smooth and highly responsive experience. Combined with its bold colours and sleek visual design, the game positively radiates, making every race a feast for the eyes.

Tracks Makes The Game…

The game offers 28 tracks in the career mode, the same tracks can be selected in the 3 other modes (Series Mode, Bots Mode and Multiplayer) in the game too, some pretty good ones in here while others are pretty “meh” in terms of verticality, some are just too flat and almost as if it was a formula one racing game, that said, other trackers got some steep curved turns and hills etc so it ain’t all bad.

Online Connectivity…

The game features local leaderboards, online track-specific leaderboards, and an overall global leaderboard, and as far as I could tell, they all worked flawlessly.

There’s also support for online races and battle modes with up to five players. The menus are clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate, making it quick and painless to set up a match. Private matches and room codes are also supported for those who prefer racing with friends rather than jumping into public lobbies.

I couldn’t find any sign of cross-platform play, and I’m not even sure whether this version of the game has been released on any other platforms.

Cockpit, Skins And VR Controls…

I’ll say it right away: the best and most immersive way to experience this game is in Virtual Reality. It absolutely blows the flat-screen version out of the water in terms of immersion, speed, and overall excitement.

The VR version can be played with both Dual Sense controllers and the orbs that comes the PlayStation VR2 set.

The game features 90hz non reprojected graphics, a heavy headset rumble, and there’s even a few other features used that is only available on the PlayStation VR2.

That said, both versions are good and can be played from either a third-person chase camera or a fully modelled cockpit view. Both perspectives look fantastic and play equally well, so it really comes down to personal preference.

If you’re into customization, there’s also a healthy selection of ship & equipment skins to unlock using in-game currency, giving you plenty of cosmetic options to personalize your racer.

The Verdict…

So, is Omega Pilot Evolution any good?

Well, let’s get one thing out of the way: this is no WipEout. However, what it does do is fill a gap that has existed on PlayStation VR2 ever since its launch on 22 March 2023. Until now, we simply haven’t had a true futuristic anti-gravity racer, and that alone earns the game a few extra points in my book.

That said, Omega Pilot Evolution is a solid racer in its own right. The campaign is a little on the short side, and I found the overall difficulty a bit too forgiving. Don’t expect gravity-defying loops, jaw-dropping drops, or wildly imaginative track designs either. The circuits are relatively grounded compared to the genre’s biggest names, but somehow it all comes together and works surprisingly well.

Despite its shortcomings, I have a feeling you’ll find yourself coming back for “just one more race” more often than you’d expect, esecially so thanks to the leaderboards and the online component.

Add to that sharp visuals, a strong soundtrack, solid sound effects, and a well-designed trophy list that offers far more longevity than the campaign alone, and you’ve got a game that’s easy to recommend to fans of futuristic racing.

It may not redefine the genre, but it’s a very welcome addition to the PS VR2 library. “Should You Buy It? – Yes, but buy with caution “.