Bellum Bestiae: War of Beasts

Bellum Bestiae: War of Beasts is an official fighting video game created by ChrisFClarke, developed and published by the MGW Productions and NetherRealm Studios with Dimps and Blizzard Entertainment. Upcoming in 2017 for the PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch

Gameplay and Features
Bellum Bestiae (the title is Latin for "War of Beasts") will have a biggest 3.5D gameplay format, even same as the NetherRealm Studios' Mortal Kombat series and Injustice series, with some elements of Soul Calibur and Bloody Roar (except the animal forms aren't anthropomorphic) thrown in for good measure.

The Quest Mode, AKA the Arcade Mode of Bellum Bestiae, ladder will consist of eight CPU battles, a Mirror Battle, reminiscent of Mortal Kombat One, which also includes a cutscene where the character you play as is in their home stage and Damoclus shows up to create a copy of said character for you to fight, a Destined Battle, in which your chosen character fights their rival, that takes place inside the ruins of an abandoned cathedral, and two final fights in Infernus against the sub-boss and the final boss, who is, of course, Damoclus! So, that's 12 Quest Mode battles total.

The "super meter" here is called "Essentia Bestia" (Beast Essence), and do you know exactly what requires a third of it? Special techniques called "Ars Bestiae" (Beast Techniques), which are just like the Rage Morphs in the lost arcade game, Primal Rage II, in which your character quickly changes into their animal form to perform a powerful technique, and then back to human form at the same rate, and are performed using special command motions plus the B (Xbox One) or Circle (PS4) button, depending on which console you are playing it on.

The "fatalities," or "Percute Ultimum" (Final Strikes) as they're called here, are very similar to the Zetsumei Ougi in Samurai Shodown V Special in which they require not only that your opponent's health be critically low in your winning round, but also that you trigger an Instant Kill-like state, which can be done by pressing X+Y+A+B (Xbox One) or Square+Triangle+X+Circle (PS4), depending on the console version, requires that all three bars of your Essentia Bestia be full, and lasts until your Essentia Bestia meter runs out, then disappears with no chance of you being able to use it again (which can also happen if you whiff the pre-Percute Ultimum strike or the other guy blocks it). All Percute Ultimum are executed by, while in pre-Percute Ultimum state, performing the quarter-circle-back command and pressing the lower face buttons at the same time and allow you to gruesomely kill your opponent at the end of a fight, Mortal Kombat-style, and shape-shift into your beast form and back while doing it, so use your finishing move with anticipation! Now, I envision to be the music for just about every Percute Ultimum (wouldn't that be awesome?).

Also, if your opponent's health is critically low in your winning round (same as with the Percute Ultimum), certain normal attacks or special moves can trigger a small animation of the camera focusing on the opponent, and the opponent only, as they are either decapitated, cut in half, horizontally or vertically (with the opponent falling on their knees like they just got on the receiving end of Kung Lao's MKII Body Slice Fatality before bisecting during the "vertical" part), have their left, right hand, or both arms chopped off, or bleed out and, regardless of the match win finish animation, drop their weapon in the process in a manner reminiscent of Samurai Shodown Sen, before cutting to the winning character's outro sequence. For the "Bisected" match win finish animations, "H" represents "horizontal" and "V" represents "vertical," and for the "Dismembered" ones, "H" represents "hand" and "A" represents "arms."

The game will run in Unreal Engine 4, to give it a very realistic look, from the stages to the character models. With the exception of the game intro, Percute Ultimum sequences, character endings, and credits, which will have half the frame rate, I envision Bellum Bestiae to run at 60fps. The Training Mode stage is a medieval-style training yard (you can fight in a different stage in Training Mode if you wish!).

The final boss battle vs. Damoclus is a three-round fight. Winning two rounds against Damoclus triggers an MKX Corrupted Shinnok transformation-like cutscene in which he will turn into a Tyrannosaurus rex as a beast form. While in his secondary form, Damoclus' moveset will change and the fight will become only one round and more like the Galactus boss fight in MVC3 and, also, the Ultron Omega boss fight in MVC Infinite.

Plot
Animal spirits have existed since they first originated in Africa. Over time, those spirits searched the world for warriors strong and worthy enough to host them, which would grant them the power to transform at will, be it in or out of combat, into all manner of powerful and mighty beasts. In August 1501, Damoclus, the demon lord of the Hell-like realm of Infernus, plans to plunge the world into chaos and conflict. Who will rise to the challenge and defend the world from his demonic forces or acquire as much of his demonic energy as necessary to doom it and all of mankind?

Default

 * Agnarr Holgersen
 * Fergus MacDougal
 * Grzegorz Krew
 * Hodari Jasiri
 * Juan Sánchez
 * Karasu
 * Masaru Kurozawa
 * Micha
 * Pierre Beaumont
 * Rajesh Karamchand
 * Thomas Montague
 * Weai'masitoon

Bosses

 * Damoclus (Final Boss)
 * Torturex (Sub-Boss)

Pre-Order

 * Shinzo Hinato

Hidden

 * Han Qingmei
 * Laurenz von Brandt

DLC

 * Anton Vasilyev
 * Bubon
 * Insaniac
 * Yalewa

Default

 * 1) Andes
 * 2) Blood Sacrifice
 * 3) Great Basin Forest
 * 4) Gypsy Village
 * 5) King Louis XII's Throne Room
 * 6) Kurozawa Farmhouse
 * 7) Reisafjorden
 * 8) Richmond Castle
 * 9) Savannah Sunset
 * 10) Sengoku Rooftop
 * 11) Solitude
 * 12) Storm at Sea

Hidden

 * 1) Eastern Cold
 * 2) Smithy Interior

Bios

 * Thomas - Having served in King Henry VII's military forces since age 17, Thomas is regarded as one of his best knights. Following a warning by his king's 14-year-old son, Prince Arthur, about demonic forces invading England, Thomas sets out to defeat Damoclus and defend his land and the rest of the world, which the demon lord of Infernus is planning to doom.
 * Pierre - Pierre is a gendarme of King Louis XII, also known as the "Father of the People," and one of the best his king ever recruited. One day, he receives an order from his king to go out and save France from the threat of Damoclus and his demonic forces. Ever dedicated to his land and its people, Pierre happily accepts this task, in spite of the countless dangers it comes with.
 * Micha - Micha is a princess of the Inca Empire and one of many offspring that the current Sapa Inca, Huayna Capac, has sired over his 34-year reign. Upon hearing of her younger brother, as well as successor to the throne, Huáscar's mysterious disappearance, Micha trains hard in the art of weapon fighting in order to find the young prince and bring him safely home to her palace.
 * Juan - A master of stealth, Juan is a thief, though he only wishes to use his thievery for good intentions, and has been that way since he learned the art from his Romani mother. With the intention of helping his poverty-stricken village, and despite fearing that the Spanish Inquisition will have his head if he continues stealing, Juan goes out to rob the Incan royal vault.
 * Agnarr - Known as Ulvensvrede, or "Wrath of Wolf," Agnarr leads the Ulv Tann, or "Wolf Tooth" warrior clan, whose members are descended from the now-forgotten Vikings, with strength and pride. One day, he receives word from his younger brothers and the previous Ulv Tann leader of the unfortunate events that Damoclus is planning and goes on a quest to find and defeat him.
 * Fergus - Fergus has been a pirate since being expelled from the Royal Scots Navy, and is regarded as one of Europe's most feared and wanted of them all for his countless atrocities, from terrorizing lands and oceans to murdering innocents. In order to achieve the much greater notoriety he so desperately seeks, Fergus sets sail to slay Damoclus, a being not much less malevolent than he.
 * Masaru - Masaru is a farmer in Sengoku-era Japan, working to provide for his family. Upon happening upon a katana of unknown origin that only recently appeared at his doorstep, he trains hard in the art of the Japanese sword so that he may begin his quest to discover the true circumstances of his birth, as well as reclaim his former lover, Ayumi Hinato.
 * Karasu - Before she became known as the kunoichi, Karasu, Ayumi Hinato, the daughter of the Sengoku general, Shinzo Hinato, was once the lover of a rice farmer named Masaru Kurozawa. According to her father, relations with lower-class men are considered taboo, so he forced her into servitude as a kunoichi in his personal army and has tasked her with killing the peasant.
 * Weai'masitoon - Weai'masitoon is a member of the Shoshone Native American tribe in what is now Idaho and, also, a devoted husband and father. One day, the shaman of his tribe warns him that demonic forces will soon invade all the lands, and so, Weai'masitoon embarks on a quest to bring peace and prosperity to them by tracking down and defeating the evil Damoclus.
 * Hodari - Hodari is the son of the current warchief of his tribe, Kondo Jasiri, and is next in line to succeed his father in the chiefdom. In order to do that, however, he must first take his greatest test yet: to journey far and wide to find and defeat Damoclus, the demon lord of Infernus; otherwise, his tribe will suffer greatly, as will every land in the world.
 * Grzegorz - Krew was a pastor in the Old Synagogue in Kraków until he was excommunicated from the Orthodox Jewish faith for choosing to drink the blood of helpless victims over his religious duties. He now leads a vampire-like blood cult, whose members he regularly assigns to bring potential sacrifices into his church. However, he decides that human blood alone won't satisfy his literal bloodthirst, and so, sets out to take the blood of a certain demon lord.
 * Rajesh - Rajesh is an aging hermit, and has lived that lifestyle ever since he lost his beloved wife, Meena, 13 years ago. It was when he chose a cave, very far away from home, as his dwelling, that he unlocked and learned to utilize both the power of and the energy derived from the seven chakras. He soon senses an evil presence going on and seeks to get rid of that presence and maintain the balance of the lands.
 * Qingmei - Qingmei was once the concubine of the Hongzhi Emperor until she learned that he was to wed the soon-to-be Empress Zhang. Upset with this realization, she let her cryokinesis, which no one knew of from the start, spiral out of control, and has since then avoided any contact with men. Fortunately, in order to put a stop to the demon lord, Damoclus, she has learned to control her powers.
 * Laurenz - In a small town in Holy Roman Empire Germany resides Laurenz, a common smith. After years of supplying the Empire's knights and guard with the weapons and armor necessary for battle, he soon receives word that Damoclus wishes to bring chaos and strife to the world and decides to forge a sword for himself, one powerful beyond imagination, that will change weapon-smithing forever.

Trivia

 * The game intro and the prologues and endings for all the characters will be narrated by, of all people... Ben Kingsley!
 * The song that plays pre-credits roll, where short animations of all the characters, who are depicted in full-body, are shown in their home stages, with the names of their voice actors/actresses and pieces of 16th-century tapestry depicting said characters as their animal forms on their left or right (hidden and DLC will be added if unlocked), and also, during the credits, is "The Devil and the Huntsman," from Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
 * All character bios are rated "Strict Mature Content - Violence/Gore," just to make the project accessible only to viewers of at least the required age to play an M-rated game, which Bellum Bestiae is, and are not easily offended by excessive violence, gore, or blood.