Fighting games are best suited to an arcade. The fast button slapping and aggressive style work well with the oversized controllers and old-school machines. Yet, I love to play them at home on my console. Omen of Sorrow is the latest fighting game to enter this cramped market place and it captures the classic 2.5D fighting style within its dark and fast-paced action.
Developed by AOne Games and published by Eastasiasoft Limited, this is a fantastic solo and two-player fighting experience. Featuring monsters of horror, literature, and mythology, this is an experience unlike any other. You’ll identify the market-leading influences while enjoying the unique take on this aggressive genre.
Omen of Sorrow oozes style.
Though the gameplay options are limited, what you choose from oozes a horrific and gory style. Each battle is a fine balance between attack, counter, and defence. How you wish to play, and who you select, is your choice, but you must be tactically savvy to win each fight. The gameplay revolves around the classic four-button setup and demands you combine movement and actions to utilise special attacks to overcome your foes.
The basic story doesn’t influence the game too much, and it’s only near the end of the single-player mode that it becomes relevant. A new terror has awakened in the hidden underworld ruled by creatures of the night. You must complete many battles to face this evil abomination and defeat it.
Limited modes and fantastic characters.
Omen of Sorrow is sadly lacking in gameplay options, you’ll select from; Training, Versus, Online, Survival, and Story mode. Unfortunately, this limits its appeal and impacts longevity. However, what is experienced is wonderful and rivals some of the well-known franchises. I loved the varied backgrounds, the choice of characters and the unique methods of attack.
Each character has its own style of fighting, special moves, and strengths and weaknesses. You can select from Frankenstein’s monster, Quasimodo, Imhotep, and more. The roster of characters was fascinating and there are many styles available. As you progress, you unlock alternative costumes that add little to the game, but they add some much-needed flair.
Story mode.
A short node based expedition that comprises many fights. Your opponents are selected at random and it culminates in the main boss encounter. Each battle is best to two, and your efforts are scored and recorded on a leaderboard.
Survival.
Set across multiple stages and against every character, you must survive twelve, thirty, sixty, and a mystery amount of rounds. If you fail at any point, it’s game over and you must start again.
Verses and Practice.
Here you can brush up your skills, perfect your moves, take on the CPU or play against friends. It’s mindless arcade fun and allows you to jump straight into the action.
Online.
You can play friendly or ranked matches to be crowned the best in the world. Success here is not easy and the greatest players don’t hold back.
Omen of Sorrow is oppressive, sorrowful, looks great, and runs smoothly.
With monsters, horror, and mythology at its heart, it was always going to have an oppressive and sorrowful look. Yet, I was surprised by how great it looked and how smoothly it ran. Each character has a comic book style cinematic that was crisp and interesting to observe. The action flowed nicely, no matter how hectic the fights got, and I experienced no frame rate issues. I adored the different stages, the varied locations and the gothic style. I didn’t expect it to be so dark and sinister, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The audio matched the visuals perfectly with its classic sombre tones and heavy soundtrack. The high adrenaline tunes spur you on to fight no matter the cost. This was supported further by the aggressive sound effects. Grunts, slaps, and screaming are all commonplace, and it was fantastic.
Warm those fingers up, as you’re going to bash that controller.
Fighting games are about skill, agility, tactics, and dexterity. The greatest players master each of these areas and destroy anyone that doesn’t. Using only four buttons and an array of special attacks and combos, you’ll whack the buttons like crazy as you try to win each battle.
Because of its limited game modes, Omen of Sorrow has limited replay value and longevity. If you love the genre, you’ll fight for hours. However, a casual player will tire of its repetition quickly. Completionists must invest lots of time to finish this, and this reduces its appeal further, still.
Omen of Sorrow is an excellent addition to a congested market.
It’s a brave move to try to muscle in on such a congested market, but Omen of Sorrow has done a great job. Its bizarre blend of characters, excellent attacks, varied locations, and wonderful aesthetics make it stand out. Sadly, though, it’s repetitive and will offer limited appeal for casual gamers. However, I liked it and recommend you to buy it here! Select a fighter, battle your foes, and remove the new terror that threatens your land.
