Omen: A New Top-Down Extraction Sci-Fi Shooter Announced for Steam

Indie developer Codex Interactive has announced its debut title, Omen, an extraction top-down sci-fi shooter coming soon to Steam. Players take on the role of an Astral, an immortal starship pilot serving the Halvonic League in a post-apocalyptic expanse known as The Voidborn. Your mission is to investigate a cosmic anomaly called The Veil while combating waves of pirates, traitors, and savage cultists. A demo for the game will be available on Steam starting Thursday, February 5, with the full release to follow.

The gameplay experience blends base defense, extraction looting, and stackable roguelike upgrades. Players operate from a main hub called the Monastery, where they can trade with NPCs, claim missions, and craft new weapons. Because the Monastery is a primary target for enemy forces, you must build defenses to survive brutal onslaughts. Successfully defending your base earns you “blessings,” which act as powerful perks for future runs.

Omen features a four-act structure that takes players through unique regions of the Samarin Empire, including military bases and secret research facilities. Each act offers specific defense missions and mini-objectives, culminating in high-octane boss battles. As you progress, you can secure final weaponry upgrades and utilize additional resources like drones, cloaks, and allied ships to survive the final gauntlet against The Veil.

What We Can Expect

• Base Defense Gameplay: Manage and expand your base to defend against retaliatory enemy raids, seeking retribution for the Astral’s actions.

• Extraction Shooter: Select a mission to complete allies’ objectives and extract valuable resources; if the armada arrives, stage your exit or defend your loot for higher rewards.

• Roguelike Rewards: Defend your base against raiders and receive special perks–known as blessings–to alter the gameplay experience between each run. Blessings can be stacked but are lost at the end of a run.

• 4 Act Saga: Uncover the truth behind The Veil across 4 distinct story arcs, each culminating in a unique boss battle. 

• Over 100 Items and Upgrades: Collect loot from enemy bases, trade at the monastery, and build a combination of over 100 weapons, defensive structures, abilities, and utility items. 

• Demo Coming Soon: Interested players can anticipate the game’s demo, coming Thursday, February 5th.

My Thoughts

My mind went immediately to the early 80s classic Zaxxon, and I was instantly hooked. When you throw in modern genre elements like base defense, extraction shooting, and roguelike mechanics, you have a recipe for a potential Game of the Year contender. The loop of raiding enemy bases for blueprints and then rushing back to defend your own Monastery sounds like a tense, rewarding experience. Omen is already on my must-play list, and I certainly won’t be missing this one.

Let me know your thoughts after watching the trailer!