Omega Labyrinth Life (Nintendo Switch) Review

By Gabriel Jones 05.08.2019

Review for Omega Labyrinth Life on Nintendo Switch

For the first time ever, the illustrious Belles Fleurs Academy is welcoming its first transfer student. Legends tell that within the Academy's walls is the most beautiful garden imaginable. The flowers are always in bloom, and it's an incredible sight to witness. Just as transfer student Hinata Akatsuki takes her first steps into Belles Fleurs, she's whisked away to another world, one filled with magic and peril. Guided by a mysterious yet friendly voice, Hina is able to escape unscathed. Upon her return, she soon discovers that the garden is being threatened by an evil force. Unless Hinata and her new friends make a stand, then all of the precious flowers will be lost. Hopefully the students of Belles Fleurs can grow into their roles as protectors of the Grand Garden.

Omega Labyrinth is a roguelike series designed in the spirit of Mystery Dungeon. In fact, it's helmed by Matrix Software, the same developer that worked with Chunsoft on Torneko: The Last Hope. Of course, that was decades ago. Since then, the genre has grown exponentially, with rogue-elements creeping into everything, from First-Person-Shooters to Metroidvanias. Nevertheless, Omega Labyrinth Life sticks to the classic formula, where fortune or failure is always one step away. Players must delve into randomized dungeons, make use of everything they can get their hands on, and try to avoid a miserable death.

Granted, unlike the franchise that inspired it, this game aims for perversion whenever the opportunity arises. The nubile women of Belles Fleurs are as fierce in combat as any warrior, but their choices in armour are a little questionable. Basically, bras and panties take the place of chainmail and greaves. Traps can sometimes cause the student's skirts to flip up, leaving them unable to act for a turn or two. If that wasn't enough, it's even possible to get turned into a literal pair of panties. Imagine trying to survive a battle as useless piece of fabric. Then there's the matter of Omega Power…

Here's the deal: when monsters are defeated, they release omega power… which is then absorbed by the heroine's breasts. This phenomenon causes them to grow in size. With a larger bust comes an increase in stats. However, the effects aren't permanent. True to the roguelike genre, once the heroine leaves a dungeon, her chest will return to its original size. Unsurprisingly, bustier characters start off with an innate advantage. Those who aren't quite as "blessed" grow at a faster rate, so it balances out. Oh and watch out for washboard traps. True to their name, they'll reduce an unlucky adventurer to an A cup, which severely reduces their stats. Yeah this game is something else. Anyway, omega power also serves as currency. Always be sure to have some on hand, since shops are sometimes found while exploring.

Screenshot for Omega Labyrinth Life on Nintendo Switch

Unbelievable as it may seem, those last couple paragraphs are just the tip of the lewd iceberg. While exploring, you're bound to come across unidentified items. Ambiguity crystals are required in order to discern just what exactly they're supposed to be. These crystals are energized by omega power, which is stored in the chest… you probably have an idea of where this is going don't you? Alright, so in order to identify the crystal, the heroine must place it between her breasts. After a short rubbing session, the item is identified. Oh, and just to guarantee that there's no subtlety whatsoever, the crystal grows in size and turns red, before releasing its "mystic energies." Oy vey! The trials you'll have to go through just to ensure the Grand Garden's safety.

Considering the genre, it's natural to expect some penalty for getting knocked out, and this game doesn't disappoint. If the heroine runs out of HP, she'll lose all of her stuff, including equipped weapons and "armour." Since progress is constantly saved, there's no way to revert back to a previous save. Thankfully, there are methods to avoid losing especially valuable gear. GPS straps can be attached to items, so they can be easily recovered. Just be ready to pay a tidy sum to get them back. The "angel wings" potion protects against disappearing items. Worst comes to worst, maybe a friendly fairy will fish out your lost undies from the bottom of a labyrinth.

Even if you're doing your best to keep those hit-points topped off, bad things can still happen. Running into the wrong trap at the wrong time, will really mess your game up. Just to give an example. Hinata is running along, minding her own business when 'WHOOP!' she slips and falls - now her weapons and underwear are strewn all over the floor. While she's trying to recover, a wizard wanders into the room and immediately toasts her with a column of fire. What a shame. If only her panties - which boost magic defence - hadn't slipped off during the fall. Some monsters can also cast rust spells, which causes equipment to rapidly deteriorate. Thankfully, there are ways to protect against these nasties. Also, if you want to make absolutely sure that you don't step on a trap; try swinging your weapon while inside a room. If there's a trap nearby, the swing will cause it to appear.

One of the interesting aspects of this title is that there are seven playable characters. Each lady has their own set of skills, which serve to eliminate monsters, and make exploration just a little bit easier. There's a buddy system, as well. For most quests, you'll recruit the help of a partner. They'll follow their leader's instructions, and engage any foes that get close. It's a good idea to ensure your partner has decent gear, and that her skill-set covers for any of the leader's deficiencies. Switching partners can be done at any time. Also, if one of them gets knocked out, they'll recover, provided that the survivor makes it to the next floor. Note that this is easier said than done, because the monster that struck them down will receive a promotion, along with a significant stat boost.

Screenshot for Omega Labyrinth Life on Nintendo Switch

In-between dungeon excursions, the students of Belles Fleurs Academy are encouraged to care for the Grand Garden. By planting seeds and showing them a little TLC, they'll grow to become beautiful flowers. A well-tended garden is pleasant to look out, but the real benefit is found in the nectar they produce. Nectar serves as the second currency, and it's used to buy a variety of fruits or other goodies. These are taken to a machine known as the assimilator, where they are converted into added affects. Added effects can include bonuses to various stats, defences against numerous ailments, and so on. It might be a good idea to save up for the "Float" effect. As long as the player-character is floating, they can't set off any traps. Alternatively, nectar can be invested in a skill-boosting activity known as "augmenting." Seeing as how the player-character's level is reduced to 1, whenever they leave a dungeon, permanent boosts to one's abilities are quite welcome.

Now then, augmenting with someone involves a touching mini-game. Momo and Yuyu, the sadomasochistic caretakers of the Grand Garden, will do the honours. By touching one's pressure points, their omega power will accumulate. Depending on how talented these sisters' fingers are, the heroine won't be able to contain herself, and then she'll clima… whoa! um… let's just say that she releases her pent-up omega power, and learns skills that'll help her deal with monsters. Omega Labyrinth Life isn't lacking for suggestive innuendo. Consider keeping the volume low, or using headphones. Otherwise, Hinata and the gang's screams of passion will get the attention of everyone in your house. Aside from the tutorial, you're not required to play this mini-game. Although you still have to pay the requisite amount of nectar, you can skip the mini-game and acquire abilities.

Occasionally, you may stumble upon something called a TFT Petal. TFT, or Tit-For-Tat, is a janken mini-game. By besting your rival in a game of rock-paper-scissors, you'll score extra rewards at the end of the dungeon. If for whatever reason the heroines are defeated while holding a TFT Petal, you'll still get a chance to play. This time however, the reward is that you won't lose all of your items and equipment. Since tying still counts as a win, there's a two in three chance that stuff will be kept. Unsurprisingly, this version of janken is played using one's own boobs.

Screenshot for Omega Labyrinth Life on Nintendo Switch

Now you're probably thinking "Alright already! Yes there are a lot of boobs, but I'm more interested in the actual game." There's no need to worry, because Matrix Software has done a really good job here. Although the environs rarely stray away from hallways and rooms, they're still designed in a way that's engaging and fun. Later dungeons employ more dangerous traps, as well as monsters that must be strategically approached.

For anyone out there seeking a unique challenge, there are character-specific dungeons. You're not allowed to bring items into these trials. Thus the only way to survive is by mastering each skill-set, and making do with what's available. In Mei Kurosaki's dungeon, she's constantly chased by high-level monsters. The only way to fight back is via the Hyper Omega Slash, which does immense damage to surrounding enemies. The only catch is that this super move requires a Z-cup. Luckily, there are books that can help with achieving those immense proportions. Mei must hunt down the tomes, while staying one step ahead of the baddies. As ridiculous as this scenario is, it works within the context of the game. Players must think several moves ahead, or else their suffering will be immense.

The controls are easy to figure out, especially for anyone familiar with Mystery Dungeon games. Holding the B button down causes the heroine to speed up. When Y and B are held down, they travel even faster. This allows for a brisk pace, so players can get through 15+ floor dungeons in less than half an hour. Alongside the inventory is an easily-accessible shortcut button. Once you get the hang of managing your items, quaffing a potion or firing an arrow takes minimal effort. Taking care of the Grand Garden is also an easy task. All you have to do is plant the seeds, water them, then go adventuring or "augmenting" until they grow. The frame-rate does get a little rough while gardening, but it's not a serious issue. Since we're on that subject, it's actually pretty neat that accessing most of the lewd material requires an appreciation for horticulture. That's not something you see every day.

To sum it all up, if you're a fan of the genre who's willing to look past, or embrace, the perverted absurdity of it all, then Omega Labyrinth Life is a safe pick. It's solidly put-together and dangerously addictive. The characters are rather charming too. Although, let it be known, their occupations are really dull. Yeah, this critic is going to go ahead and say it: students are boring! Honestly, here's a roguelike that features gardening and boobs growing like weeds. That's basically a niche trifecta, yet allowing the cast to be anything other than schoolgirls is apparently a bridge too far.

Screenshot for Omega Labyrinth Life on Nintendo Switch

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

Omega Labyrinth Life was created to appeal to a very specific audience, but that doesn't mean it's a bad game - actually, it's very far from that. Matrix Software clearly understands the Mystery Dungeon formula, and they've pulled out all the stops to deliver an exceptional product. Each of the seven playable characters has their own unique qualities, and partnering them together allows for a lot of tactical options. The subject matter is definitely not going to appeal to everyone, but at least there's an option to skip past the more outrageous content. Just don't expect to find anything resembling "family-friendly" here. All in all, this is highly recommended.

Developer

Matrix

Publisher

D3 Publisher

Genre

Turn Based RPG

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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