Summary
Among the rank and file of Capcom’s numerous collection of IPs, perhaps the most distressing omission has beenOnimusha. Although the first game got a fantastic high-definition remaster that allowed it to grace new platforms for the first time, it did not sell well enough to convince Capcom to pursue the rest of the series. Despite that,Onimushawas one of the most exciting franchises to debut during the sixth generation of home consoles, as it released some fabulous games on the PS2, PS3, PC, and Game Boy Advance.
Combining elements of real-world history, mostly taking place throughout Sengoku-era Japan,Onimushais best described asResident Evilmeets Akira Kurosawa. It meshes the inventory management and survival horror thrills of Capcom’s zombie-hunting blockbuster with a supernatural samurai story and does so in spectacular fashion.Onimushais still a franchise worth revisiting today, as its unique blend of historical figures and samurai action is something in desperate need of a return.
7Onimusha: Blade Warriors
Smash-Style Fighting Game Features Multiple Onimusha Franchise Characters
Despite being only three years old by the timeOnimusha: Blade Warriorslaunched in 2004, the series was already popular enough to justify fighting game spin-offs. And with Blade Warriors, Capcom channeled their innerSuper Smash Bros.by pitting the characters ofOnimushaagainst each other in 2D battle arenas filled with power-ups, perils, and a sense of kinetic speed.
Onimusha: Blade Warriorsis a decentSmash-clone, but feels a bit weak in comparison to not just the mainline entries, but other fighting games of the era. Perhaps one of the best parts ofBlade Warriorsis the unlockable characters, as MegaMan.EXE from theBattle Networkseries and Zero from theXspin-offs are available. It was fun to see MegaMan.EXE in 3D as opposed to 2D sprites, but ultimately this forgettable fighter is the franchise’s lowest effort.
6Onimusha Tactics
Tactical RPG Set In Sengoku-Era Japan
It seems fairly common today to see a popular franchise reworked into the tactical RPG genre, but the concept ofOnimushabeing used in this style was rather surprising back in 2003. Among the Game Boy Advance’s incredible library, it’s difficult to rankOnimusha Tacticsamong the best, but it’s still a decent tactical strategy game that’s worth checking out.
Onimusha Tacticsis non-canon to the rest of the series but does feature some of the same real-world historical figures from the mainline games and even features Oda Nobunaga as the main antagonist. It doesn’t quite work asa great tactical RPGand ultimately misses the mark as anOnimushagame, butTacticsfeatures some fun battles and loose references to the mainline series. It would be a worthy addition to the Game Boy Advance section of Nintendo Switch Online.
AfterOnimusha 3: Demon Siegeeffectively ended the ongoing saga of Samanosuke and Oda Nobunaga, Capcom decided to produce a fourth entry that went in a completely new direction. With new Capcom COO Keiji Inafune at the helm as a producer, the fourthOnimushabecameDawn of Dreamsand introduced new gameplay mechanics and characters.
WithOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Capcom ditchedthe pre-rendered backgroundsand fixed angles, going for a fully 3D world and camera control. Additionally,Dawn of Dreamsintroduces multiple playable characters, and the ability to grant commands to AI partners. It was an entertaining game in its own right, but it felt like a franchise that needed a break by this point, as it was the sixthOnimushagame in five years. Even so,Dawn of Dreamshas some fun that is worth experiencing, as it did its best to revitalize the series.
In 1997, Yoshiki Okamoto, who had previously worked on the originalResident Evil, expressed interest in creating a ninja version of the survival horror franchise. After beginning development first on the failed N64DD, then the PS1,Onimusha: Warlordswas put into proper development for the PS2. In the end,Onimusha: Warlordsexceeded expectations, becoming one of the PS2’s greatest games.
The 2D pre-rendered backgrounds are a delight to look at, combining all the visual beauty of Japanese architecture with the stark horror of the demons and monsters. Combat is sharp and punchy, as using melee attacks with a fixed camera works far better than it sounds like it might on paper. It was ported to the original Xbox in 2002 asGenma Onimusha, but the 2018 remaster has made this PS2 classic easier than ever to play on modern hardware.
For the final game in what was planned as a trilogy, Capcom pulled out all the stops by bringing Samanosuke, the protagonist of the first game, back into the fold. He was absent from the sequel but returned inOnimusha 3: Demon Siege, in glorious fashion. Capcom also abandoned the pre-rendered backgrounds, utilizing 3D environments with fixed angles, and crafted what is still one of the finest PS2 action games of all time.
Demon Siegetakes place at theend of Oda Nobunaga’s reignin 1582 and during a time of war, and features a dual story where Samanosuke is sent into the future, while a man named Jacques Blanc finds himself stranded in Japan. The speed and brisk pace ofOnimusha 3is still astounding to this day, as Samanosuke and Jacques feel decidedly different from each other. It was a fitting send-off to the story that started inOnimusha: Warlords, which is one of the best games of its generation.
2Onimusha: Warlords Remastered
High-Definition Remaster Of Original Game Brings Series To Modern Hardware
Announced by Capcom in a blog post in 2018, the remaster ofOnimusha: Warlordssaw the debut of the franchise get new life on contemporary hardware. It features updated graphics, as the backgrounds have been improved and the performance is a stable 60 fps, a welcome addition for an action game like this.
Additionally, a new control scheme that allows for full 3D movement was added, allowing for the choice between traditional tank controls and a more modern system. The music was also re-recorded and original Samanosuke actor Takashi Kaneshiro returned to re-dub his dialogue, as well as new quality-of-life features for the UI and weapon selection. It unfortunately does not include the new content added to the Xbox version from 2002, but it is easily the best way possible to playthis phenomenal PS2 gametoday.
Developed in tandem with the first game,Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destinywas revealed the same year that theoriginal was released in 2001. It launched roughly a year later and starred a new protagonist in the form of Jubei Yagyu, a man hunting Oda Nobunaga for revenge after he devastated the samurai’s clan.
Combat has been upgraded from the previous game, as it features a parry mechanic that allows for more strategic battles. Players can feel the series starting to not just take inspiration fromResident Evil, but from Capcom’s other hack-and-slash series,Devil May Cry. Everything aboutOnimusha 2: Samurai’s Destinyis an improvement overWarlords, as the combat feels faster and the stoic presence of newcomer Jubei is wonderful. Unfortunately, due to the sluggish sales of theWarlordsremaster,Samurai’s Destinyremains stuck on the PS2. Even so, it’s worth finding a console just to play this fantastic game.
