Horror Icons Go to War in Square Enix’s Omen of Sorrow

David Gelmini |

Mar 17, 2016

Set for release in mid 2017, publisher Square Enix’s new fighting game Omen of Sorrow looks like an absolute treat for horror gamers. It features vampires, werewolves, hunchbacks and other creatures of the night duking it out in 2D fighting environments. Now if that doesn’t excite horror gamers, then I don’t know what will.

Earlier this year, the game was given the greenlight over on Steam, and the Square Enix Collective are currently running a poll to see if people will crowdfund it, to which I think the answer should be a definitive “hell yes!”

If anything, I want this game to be great so I can have a reason to forgive Square for forcing developer IO Interactive to chop up this year’s Hitman into episodic installments.

Synopsis:
Omen of Sorrow is a horror fighting game, by ex-Ace Team developers (Zeno Clash 2, Rock of Ages) , with Art by the internationally acclaimed Genzoman (Double Dragon: Neon, Ultra Street Fighter IV, Hearthstone), Music by Francisco Cerda (Jamestown, Gunpoint) and the best young talent from SCL.

Features:

Master its hardcore combat mechanics; The game’s combat system is intended to be challenging, deep and fluid, based on player skill rather than stats or random chance. Timing, reflex, and pattern recognition are emphasized, yet we are striving to make it accessible to new players.

Compete Online; Using a netcode technique called rollback (the same used in GGPO), we’ll provide you with a near-lagless online experience.

Fight your friends in Local Multiplayer; Having someone in the same physical space when playing a game is a very different experience than playing with them over the internet, you know that, and so do we.

Art:

We’ll convey horror using a dramatic, dark and grim art style influenced by various sources; from the heavy chiaroscuro of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, to the dramatic framing of Tod Browning´s Dracula, to contemporary gore like Saw and classics such as Jan Svankmajer’s shorts.

Each of the environments will have a distinct mood, but darkness will always play an important role and on each level you’ll have ways to obscure your character.

Music:

Omen of Sorrow’s music is an ambitious mix of diverse influences, we want to integrate the traditional sonority of orchestral instruments and the ominous nature of gregorian chant with contemporary genres such as industrial metal and djent, infused with the energy of admirable soundtracks like Tsutomu Ōhashi’s Akira and Tom Holkenborg’s Mad Max.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRq7D6u9HAM]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stE0vPajBBk]

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