Omen of Sorrow Review: A Delightful Monster Mash On Nintendo Switch

There was a time long ago when I considered myself pretty decent playing fighting games. I learned the basics (and developed calluses) on Street Fighter, got more ambitious playing weirdos like King in Tekken, and even screwed around with Soul Calibur II on the Gamecube with friends. But I’d be lying if I said I put as much energy into mastering movesets and learning complex combination attacks as I used to. Hell, most of what I play these days is Smash Bros. Ultimate, which many don’t exactly consider a traditional fighting game. Nevertheless, I’m still drawn to the genre, especially those games that stand out from the pack. One, in particular, is called Omen of Sorrow. I’ve been following it since it first got announced and have not so patiently been waiting for the Switch version to release. Finally, after a two-year wait, the time has arrived. I’m happy to say that despite some rough spots, Omen of Sorrow is absolutely a fighting game worth checking out on Nintendo’s console.

Cue the Thriller Music

One of the primary reasons I wanted to check out Omen of Sorrow is that it marries two great ideas – mixing fighting games with iconic monsters. It’s a wild little monster mash featuring a diverse roster of characters. There are more humanoid options like the angelic Zafkiel, the brutal Dr. Hyde, and the nimble Quasimodo. Then there are the old-school monster classics, like blood-hungry Vladislav III, the hairy and vicious wolfman Caleb, Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, Adam, and even a diabolical blood-summoning demoness by the name of Erzsebet Bathory. All told, there are a dozen or so characters, and they all play very differently from each other. Many also evoke comparisons to other fighting games, such as how Adam plays like a mixture of Blanka and Zangief, while the mummy man Imhotep stretches in an absurd fashion, not unlike Dhalsim. The point is that there’s a character for everyone, so long as you spend sufficient time learning each character’s quirks.

Stretch Your Horizons

I tended to prefer the fast and furious fighters, especially if they could toss out a projectile or two. Early on, I spent a lot of time with Gabriel and Vladislav, both of which are adept at this technique. But after learning a bit more of the nuanced special moves, I actually really grew to appreciate the hulking Adam. He seemed slow and inflexible initially, but I loved his vast array of ways to screw with opponents. He can not only generate an electric bubble around himself, but he can toss lightning bolts and even leap unexpectedly at opponents, feet first. Some characters, such as Dr. Hyde, require a ton of research to play adequately. He can toss vials of chemicals at foes, and most of his moveset revolves around that mechanic. This sounds fine but requires a lot more work than most other characters, making him one of the most technical pugilists in Omen of Sorrow’s roster. Erzsebet also takes a little getting used to and isn’t quite as devastating until you learn how to use her blood magic adeptly.

Though I enjoyed the basic flow of combat in Omen of Sorrow, I do have one minor complaint. While it’s great that the game allows you to practice using attacks, it lacks any sort of actual tutorial mode. Yes, they explain some of the more complicated features, such as the Fate and Fortune Meter and the Doomed state. But they only do so via brief written descriptions. What they don’t do is actually explain things like Bold Counters, Cancels, or really any of the advanced techniques one would require in a competitive setting. And while it’s true I wasn’t looking to play Omen of Sorrow competitively, I do appreciate fully comprehending all that a game is capable of. Also, I’m not a huge fan of a mechanic that penalizes players for using a defensive playstyle, which this game absolutely does.

By the Light of the Moon

One of the things that Omen of Sorrow brought first to the Switch version of the game was an enhanced Story Mode. I always enjoy a good plot-focused mode in any game. You get to play through a long and meandering story as pretty much the entire roster. There are all sorts of in-fighting and dangerous encounters, all in search of a cursed magical tome. The effort gets an A plus, but the translation fares significantly worse. I often found it awkward and wooden as I played, and it probably doesn’t hurt that many of the narrative sections feel like they were ripped out of a bible. My main issue with this mode otherwise is that I wish developer AOne Games hadn’t given us all the playable characters from the get-go. I like unlocking content and working toward completion in any fighting game, and I missed that option here.

All these characters were unlocked from the beginning.

Other than the Story Mode, there’s also a standard Arcade (though they added new endings to this version of the game) as well as online play. I was tempted to dive in, but honestly feel I have a lot more practice to do before I can feel confident trying online. That said, apparently, the game boasts cross-platform play. While I was tempted to check it out, given how fragile the Switch’s online infrastructure has been for other online-focused games like Splatoon 3, I’m more than a little hesitant to test my luck with a fighter. Even in the modes I played, the game features very long load times and scratchy visual resolution.

Something Spooky This Way Comes

Visually, I’m a little torn about Omen of Sorrow. While the visual style is attractive, it’s apparent that the Switch version’s graphics are dumbed down from the others. I usually don’t mind that sort of thing overmuch, but I was hoping they had found a workaround to make it less apparent here—something like cel-shaded models or other visual tricks I’ve seen used in Nintendo games in the past. Musically, the game is pretty solid as well, though none of the songs will get stuck in your head. Certainly, nothing is egregious about the presentation, but it could have been spiced up a bit on both fronts.

Though most of my time spent with Omen of Sorrow was enjoyable, I did have a few quibbles. I touched on the long load times briefly earlier, but let me tell you – they’re pretty annoying. After every battle in Story Mode, you’ll have to wait a good 10 seconds before the next section loads. There’s even a long wait when you press start from the opening screen. More irritating is how small the command list is when playing portably. It’s hard to read the inputs properly, mostly regarding which attack to use for special moves. I’m certain this is less of an issue playing on a TV screen, but as someone that almost exclusively plays on the Switch’s small screen, I was hoping for something more.

Switch Up Your Fighting Experience

Overall, I still feel Omen of Sorrow was worth the wait on Nintendo Switch. While admittedly, this version of the game boasts the worst graphics and long load times, the game is a lot of fun once you get past those barriers. Featuring a diverse roster of monstrous creatures, an expansive Story Mode, and various unlockable achievements, this is still a fighting game I can recommend to fans of the genre, even those that don’t take them all that seriously. It may not be a genre-changing game, but it’s a very solid and enjoyable fighter.

Final Verdict: 4/5

Available on: Switch (reviewed), PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One; Publisher: eastasiasoft; Developer: AOne Games; Players: 1-2; Released: March 23, 2023; ESRB: T for Teen – Blood, Violence, Suggestive Themes; MSRP: $19.99

Editor’s note: The publisher provided a review copy to Hey Poor Player.