OmniBus (video game)

Last updated

OmniBus
OmniBus logo.png
Logo of OmniBus
Developer(s) Buddy Cops, LLC
Publisher(s) Devolver Digital
Designer(s)
  • Amir Badri
  • Jeremy Crockett
Programmer(s) Jeremy Crockett
Artist(s) Amir Badri
Writer(s)
  • Amir Badri
  • Jeremy Crockett
Composer(s) Jeremy Crockett
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux
Release
  • WW: May 26, 2016
Genre(s) Action, platform
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

OmniBus is a physics-based action platform video game developed by American indie development studio Buddy Cops, LLC and published by Devolver Digital. The game follows an unstoppable bus with which the player must accomplish missions or defeat other players in head-to-head combat. It was released on May 26, 2016, for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux.

Contents

Gameplay

In OmniBus, the player controls an unstoppable bus with which the player is able to break through most in-game objects, [1] unless the bus lands on its roof or falls off the map. [2] The player's bus is unable to stop or slow down; rather, its speed increases over time. [3]

OmniBus gives the player the choice between free-play and single-player mode. [4] In the latter, the player is given a specific instruction to accomplish using the bus, such as robbing a bank or safely carrying passengers. [5] In addition, OmniBus features local multiplayer for up to four players in head-to-head deathmatch mode. [4]

Development

OmniBus's art style is similar to classic PlayStation games' low-poly 3D design, and its unstoppable bus has been compared to the plot of the 1994 film Speed . [5] Development on the game began in summer 2014, when DePaul University students Amir Badri and Jeremy Crockett decided to make a physics-based game about a bus; however, the development was halted for almost a year. [6] After development resumed, the team released a playable demo of OmniBus to itch.io and launched a Kickstarter campaign. [7] During the campaign, it was announced the game would be shown at indie game festival Bit Bash in Chicago, Illinois, on August 22, 2015. [8]

On January 14, 2016, publisher Devolver Digital released a trailer titled "The Story of OmniBus", which depicted the game as a lost and repeatedly canceled title from the 1990s, finally releasing in 2016 after over 20 years of being vaporware. [9] The video also served to announce that Devolver would be publishing OmniBus. [10] It was then announced that it would be released in Spring 2016 on Steam. [11] OmniBus was brought to PAX South 2016 in San Antonio, Texas, in January 2016. [1]

On May 19, 2016, it was announced that OmniBus would be released on May 26, 2016. [12] The game was released in three editions: [13] the Free Edition, consisting of printable papercraft models of game objects; [14] the Game of the Year Edition, including the game itself and its soundtrack; and the Ultimate Bus Driver Edition, a one-off $7,500 package including the Game of the Year Edition and a 1977 MCI charter bus, which would have to be picked up in Austin, Texas. [12] [15]

Reception

OmniBus received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [16]

Jed Whitaker at Game Revolution noted that the game physics, though intentionally unsound for the sake of satire, had a detrimental effect on the experience. The soundtrack was said to be one of the worst he had ever heard, while the free play mode was described to have been a useless addition to "an overall shallow game". However, Whitaker singled out the multiplayer mode as OmniBus' only redeeming quality, alongside a few of the story levels. [17]

Writing for Hardcore Gamer, Kyle LeClair praised the execution of it deliberately being "so bad, it's good". Like Whitaker, LeClair found the story levels enjoyable, and despite its flawed physics, thought the gameplay was rewarding and challenging. LeClair observed that the music and free play mode lacked variety, but were otherwise entertaining. [18]

Related Research Articles

Need for Speed (NFS) is a racing game franchise published by Electronic Arts and currently developed by Criterion Games, the developers of Burnout. The series generally centers around illegal street racing and tasks players to complete various types of races while evading the local law enforcement in police pursuits. The series is one of EA's oldest franchises not published under their EA Sports brand. The series released its first title, The Need for Speed, in 1994. The most recent game, Need for Speed Unbound, was released on December 2, 2022. Additionally, a free-to-play mobile installment released in 2015, Need for Speed: No Limits, is actively developed by Firemonkeys Studios, the developers of Real Racing 3.

<i>Need for Speed II</i> 1997 racing video game

Need for Speed II is a racing video game released in 1997 for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is a part of the Need for Speed series and is the second installment, following The Need for Speed.

<i>Diablo III</i> 2012 action role-playing video game

Diablo III is a 2012 online-only hack-and-slash action role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment as the third installment in the Diablo franchise. It was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in May 2012, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in August 2014, and Nintendo Switch in November 2018. Set 20 years after the events of Diablo II, players control one of seven character classes – Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, Witch Doctor, or Wizard – and are tasked with defeating Diablo.

<i>Street Fighter V</i> 2016 video game

Street Fighter V is a 2.5D fighting game developed by Capcom and Dimps and published by Capcom for PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2016. An arcade version exclusive to Japan was released by Taito in 2019.

<i>San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing</i> 1996 video game

San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is a video game developed and published by Atari Games. This game was first released in arcades in 1996 and was ported to Nintendo 64 in 1997 and the PlayStation in 1998. San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is the first game in the Rush series.

Numerous video games were released in 2016. New hardware came out as well, albeit largely refreshed and updated versions of consoles in the PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 4 Slim, and Xbox One S. Commercially available virtual reality headsets were released in much greater numbers and at much lower price points than the enthusiast-only virtual reality headsets of earlier generations. Augmented reality also became mainstream with Pokémon Go. Top-rated games originally released in 2016 included Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Inside, Overwatch, Forza Horizon 3, Madden NFL 17, WWE 2K17, NBA 2K17, Dark Souls III, and Battlefield 1 and Doom 2016. The top five highest-grossing video games of 2016 were League of Legends, Honor of Kings/Arena of Valor, Monster Strike, Clash of Clans, and Dungeon Fighter Online.

Strafe is a first-person shooter video game developed by Pixel Titans and published by Devolver Digital. The game is an homage to 1990s first-person shooter video games, such as Doom and Quake, advertised as to have "bleeding edge graphics and gameplay", citing the year 1996. It was released worldwide on May 9, 2017.

<i>Bad Rats</i> 2009 video game

Bad Rats: The Rats' Revenge is a 2009 puzzle video game developed by Invent4 Entertainment. Over a string of levels, the player places a set of rats and static objects to guide a ball towards a trap that kills a cat. Bad Rats was released as Invent4 Entertainment's debut game on 20 July 2009 via Steam, followed by releases on other services in 2010. While it received no reviews at release, retrospective pieces criticised the game's graphics, puzzles, and physics. Bad Rats is considered an oddity for being released on Steam while the platform's catalogue was still hand-curated. It became a popular gag gift on Steam, leading to more than 400,000 owners by 2018. A sequel, Bad Rats Show, was released on the seventh anniversary of Bad Rats in 2016.

<i>The Deadly Tower of Monsters</i> 2016 video game

The Deadly Tower of Monsters is an action-adventure game developed by ACE Team and published by Atlus USA for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 in January 2016. The game is a metafictional parody of science fiction midnight B movie from its golden age, with caricatural action heroes.

<i>Clustertruck</i> 2016 video game

Clustertruck is a platform game developed by independent Swedish studio Landfall Games and published by tinyBuild. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and PlayStation 4 on 27 September 2016, Xbox One on 27 October 2016, and Nintendo Switch on 15 March 2018.

Enter the Gungeon is a 2016 bullet hell roguelike game developed by Dodge Roll and published by Devolver Digital. Set in the firearms-themed Gungeon, gameplay follows four player characters called Gungeoneers as they traverse procedurally generated rooms to find a gun that can "kill the past". The Gungeoneers fight against bullet-shaped enemies, which are fought using both conventional and exotic weapons. Enter the Gungeon features a permadeath system, causing the Gungeoneers to lose all obtained items and start again from the first level upon death. Between playthroughs, players can travel to an area called the Breach, where they can converse with non-player characters and unlock new items randomly encountered while playing.

<i>Serious Sams Bogus Detour</i> 2017 video game

Serious Sam's Bogus Detour is a 2017 twin-stick shooter game developed by Crackshell and published by Devolver Digital. One to four players traverse levels set in Egypt, Greece, and on the Moon, collecting weapons to be used against waves of enemies placed throughout the open areas. Character upgrades can be purchased using stars, which can be found within levels or obtained through experience points gained by killing enemies. Deathmatch and survival modes can be played with up to twelve players.

<i>Human: Fall Flat</i> 2016 video game

Human: Fall Flat is a puzzle-platform game developed by Tomas Sakalauskas, founder of the Lithuanian studio No Brakes Games, and published by Curve Digital. It was initially released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in July 2016, and received ports for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and iOS and Android over the next several years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Lives</span> South African video game developer

Free Lives (Pty) Ltd is an independent South African video game developer based in Cape Town. Founded in April 2012 and led by creative director Evan Greenwood, Free Lives is best known for creating the video game Broforce and has also developed the comedy game Genital Jousting and the virtual reality game Gorn. Free Lives is primarily published through the American publisher Devolver Digital.

<i>Move or Die</i> 2016 multiplayer video game

Move or Die is a multiplayer action-puzzle game developed by Romanian indie studio Those Awesome Guys. Move or Die was released on Microsoft Windows on 21 January 2016 and was released on PlayStation 4 on 5 March 2019.

<i>Genital Jousting</i> 2018 video game

Genital Jousting is a party video game developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital for Windows and macOS in 2018.

<i>Weird West</i> (video game) 2022 video game

Weird West is an action role-playing video game developed by WolfEye Studios and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 31, 2022, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S subtitled Definitive Edition on May 8, 2023.

<i>Heave Ho</i> 2019 video game

Heave Ho is a platform party video game developed by Le Cartel Studio and published by Devolver Digital. In Heave Ho, players must navigate their characters through a ravine across a series of increasingly complex levels in order to reach the end goal. The game's physics system allows players to launch their characters to safety through stretching movements and interactions with other player characters. Heave Ho was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch on August 29, 2019, to a generally positive critical reception, with many critics praising it as an exemplary cooperative video game. A version for Amazon Luna was made available on February 3, 2022.

<i>A Fistful of Gun</i> 2015 video game

A Fistful of Gun: For a Few Gun More is a 2015 top-down shooter game developed by FarmerGnome and published by Devolver Digital. The game features eleven playable characters with differing weapons, attributes, and control schemes. Players engage in procedurally generated fights, clearing a wave of enemies before progressing. Power-ups and handicaps affect the player character's abilities, such as movement and shooting speed. Horses allow a character to move faster and endure one additional enemy shot. The game features a single-player story mode and multiplayer modes for cooperative and player-versus-player battles.

<i>Kunai</i> (video game) 2020 action-platform video game

Kunai is an action-platform video game developed by TurtleBlaze and published by The Arcade Crew. The game was released on February 6, 2020 for Windows and Nintendo Switch. In the game, the player controls Tabby, a robot tasked with defeating Lemonkus, an AI that nearly causes the extinction of humanity. In July 2020, The Arcade Crew partnered with Limited Run Games to release physical copies of the Nintendo Switch version. The physical copies were released in October 2020. The PC version received generally favorable reviews, while the Nintendo Switch version received mixed reviews.

References

  1. 1 2 Marks, Tom (January 30, 2016). "Omnibus pits an unstoppable bus against very brittle buildings". PC Gamer . Future US . Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ Cunningham, James (August 25, 2015). "OmniBus is a Million Modes of Ridiculous". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  3. ↑ Priestman, Chris (January 17, 2016). "PS1-Style Driving Game OmniBus Will Let You Break Everything". Siliconera . Curse, Inc. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Saed, Sherif (January 15, 2016). "OmniBus is a bus simulator with PS1 graphics and the plot of Speed". VG247 . Videogaming247 . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Rudin, David (July 10, 2015). "This PS1-style videogame is basically Speed with hysterical vehicle physics". Kill Screen . Kill Screen Media . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  6. ↑ Aldrich, Bea (October 11, 2015). "DePaul video game 'Omnibus' earns recognition". The DePaulia . DePaul University . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  7. ↑ Savage, Phil (August 26, 2015). "OmniBus has a demo and a Kickstarter". PC Gamer . Future US . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  8. ↑ Hall, Charlie (July 28, 2015). "Chicago indie game fest Bit Bash 2015 will be bigger and better than ever". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  9. ↑ Pereira, Chris (January 14, 2016). "This Fantastic Trailer Portrays Its Game as 20-Year-Old Vaporware". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  10. ↑ LeClair, Kyle (January 14, 2016). "Devolver Digital and Buddy Cops Unveil 'The Story of OmniBus' Video". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  11. ↑ Prescott, Shaun (January 15, 2016). "PS1-alike OmniBus careering onto Steam in Spring". PC Gamer . Future US . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Te, Zorine (May 19, 2016). "$7,500 Edition of OmniBus Includes a Real Bus". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  13. ↑ Serrels, Mark (May 19, 2016). "The Most Ridiculous Special Edition Ever Comes With An Actual Bus". Kotaku Australia . Allure Media . Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  14. ↑ Porter, Matt (May 19, 2016). "Omnibus Special Edition Comes With an Actual Bus". IGN . IGN Entertainment . Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  15. ↑ Prescott, Shaun (May 19, 2016). "OmniBus to release next week, special edition includes real bus". PC Gamer . Future US . Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  16. 1 2 "OmniBus". Metacritic . Archived from the original on August 2, 2017.
  17. 1 2 Whitaker, Jed (June 6, 2016). "OmniBus Review". Game Revolution . Archived from the original on August 2, 2017.
  18. 1 2 LeClair, Kyle (May 26, 2016). "Review: OmniBus". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.