A Mediocre Attempt at Horror – Not Worth the $4 Price Tag

Ominous presents itself as a unique multiplayer horror experience with a fresh twist on the genre, but it ultimately feels like a college student’s end-of-year project. While it has some interesting ideas, the execution leaves much to be desired.

The game’s premise is intriguing: you and your team are tasked with closing a dangerous interdimensional portal while avoiding a deadly creature. The twist? You’re all in the same map but exist in different dimensions, unable to see each other. This concept could have led to some thrilling gameplay, but the reality is far from it.

Gameplay and Mechanics: The mechanics are clunky, and the controls feel unpolished. Navigating the map is more of a chore than a challenge, and the puzzles, while creative in theory, are poorly executed and often frustrating rather than fun. The game’s claim of replayability through procedural generation falls flat when the environments feel repetitive and uninspired. The dimensional rifts, while a novel idea, lack the depth to make them engaging. Sure, it’s interesting to be transported to a poker table mid-game, but the novelty wears off quickly, leaving you with little incentive to keep playing.

Multiplayer Experience: The multiplayer aspect, which should be the game’s strongest selling point, feels more like a gimmick. Being in separate dimensions adds tension, but it also removes the cooperative element that makes these kinds of games enjoyable. You end up feeling isolated rather than connected to your teammates, which might work in a horror game if it weren’t for the fact that it just feels like you’re playing a single-player game with no interaction.

Creature Encounters: The creature that stalks you is supposed to add a layer of fear, but its AI is predictable and easy to avoid once you understand its patterns. The tension quickly dissipates, leaving you more annoyed than scared. The lack of weapons or meaningful ways to interact with the creature makes these encounters feel more like a nuisance than a thrilling challenge.

Verdict: In the end, Ominous is neither good nor terrible. It has some creative ideas, but they are buried under layers of mediocre design and execution. It feels like a game made by a university student as a final project—ambitious but ultimately lacking the polish and depth needed to justify even its modest $4 price tag. If you’re looking for a multiplayer horror experience, there are far better options out there. Ominous is one to skip unless you’re really desperate for something new to try.