I’ve been working as a Designer at NetherRealm Studios for over 10 years, and through that point, the staff has had the chance to design actually particular visitor characters. We view this as a privilege but additionally as a severe mission to make these characters stand out in our video games.
We had been already large followers of Omni-Man and the Invincible collection, usually referencing issues he’d executed in our workplace. Designers usually talk via references to elucidate concepts or ideas when developing with Fatalities, Brutalities, and someday even normal assaults. “Fist via the again, Omni-Man fashion,” for example, communicates an thought completely.
For essentially the most half, each particular transfer we’ve created for Omni-Man in Mortal Kombat 1 pertains to one thing we’ve seen from the present, even right down to delicate nuances. In the course of the design course of, we compiled tons of references for motions, poses, FX, and sounds for use as a foundation to type a gameplay design. From there, we went into the movement seize studio the place large care was taken to seize performances that in some circumstances precisely match the references we had.
One thing individuals won’t discover instantly is that even his cape strikes equally to the way it does within the present. The chest bump particular transfer is an instance of an animation the place we had been trying to have the cape sway in a selected approach based mostly on a scene from the present.
One of many issues I recognize and respect essentially the most are all of the artistic methods Omni-Man exacts his vengeance, one thing I feel we’ve in frequent with the Skybound of us, within the sense that we’re continuously fascinated by and developing with artistic Fatalities. When developing with one of many Fatalities for Omni-Man, the selection was simply too apparent, and I feel it turned out to be probably the greatest we’ve ever executed. Whereas I don’t wish to give it away for anybody who hasn’t seen it but, it’s instantly based mostly on an iconic scene from the present. Enjoyable reality: The Fatality set can also be impressed by parts of an iconic Mortal Kombat 3 stage…
From the attitude of character skills, we had been impressed by Omni-Man’s pace, energy, character, and brutality. These had been the keys to the general design language of the character. Oftentimes, the precise concepts are the simple a part of the design course of, whereas the implementation half, together with capturing the look, really feel, and energy via a compelling gameplay fashion is the problem.
With Mortal Kombat 1 our design and workflow processes have taken a quantum leap ahead from the previous, primarily stemming from an engine change, thereby permitting us to do issues with results and animations that had been beforehand not doable. We leverage these skills throughout to translate the overwhelming feeling of pace and energy Omni-Man has from the present to the sport.
Gameplay-wise, Omni-Man is a rushdown character that revolves round pace and energy. One in every of his go-to particular strikes that I feel embodies him one of the best is his Viltrumite stance. From the bottom or air, Omni-Man goes right into a assured pose the place the participant can execute 4 distinctive assaults every serving a selected objective. This each serves a thoughts sport for the participant and a approach for Omni-Man to shock the opponent and safe vital injury as most of those assaults will permit him to observe up with extra strikes.
Passively, whereas in his Viltrumite stance, Omni-Man avoids projectiles, virtually dismissing them in a nonchalant approach, making him robust in matchups the place opponents depend on projectiles. Furthermore, the improved model of the Viltrumite stance permits Omni-Man to shortly dodge excessive and mid assaults up shut. Lastly, the participant can teleport out of the Viltrumite stance and find yourself behind the opponent successfully appearing like a cancel.
As a design group, we’re so happy with how he turned out and grateful to have had the chance to work with the Skybound staff on an superior addition to Mortal Kombat 1.
Omni-Man shall be accessible in Mortal Kombat 1 beginning on Nov. 9 as a part of the early entry interval for all Kombat Pack homeowners, adopted by large availability on Nov. 16.
