The one thing that will always be a constant in gaming is that we don’t have all the time in the world to play every game we want. But sometimes, for unknown reasons, we don’t give certain games a second look. This was the case when we first saw Onimusha: Warlords back in the early 2000s. For some strange reason, it was assumed that it was one of those hack-and-slash type games, more akin to Dynasty Warriors. Now, to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with liking Dynasty Warriors. It’s just not really our thing. Imagine our surprise when we see that it’s more of a horror action game. It’s almost as if Resident Evil, Ninja Gaiden, and God of War had a secret love child in feudal Japan.
With Capcom deciding to resurrect the dormant franchise with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, there is no better time than now to correct the error of not playing this game, especially since they also released a remastered version of it for PlayStation 4 back in 2018. We managed to find a used copy for about $25 (not too bad). Copies of the original PS2 game can vary from as low as $10 to as high as $40, depending on condition and CIB. Depending on your budget, collecting this franchise seems more doable than some other games released around the same time.
In this entry into Respawn Reviews, we’re dusting off an unplayed classic. Dissecting this game is going to be interesting. There are absolutely no nostalgia goggles on this one. Being a first ever playthrough, we can only look at this as straight down the middle as possible. If the story still manages to hold up and keep us engaged, if the overall atmosphere lends itself well to the experience, how well the gameplay has aged, and seeing how the graphics hold up a quarter of a century later.
Story
The story is unsurprisingly simple and easy to digest. It’s a mature version of a standard Mario game, for the most part. You must save a princess from a maniacal madman who wants to take over the world. You play as a leader of the Akechi clan, Samanosuke. After commanding a battle with a rival clan and defeating their nemesis, Nobunaga Oda. It is assumed Oda is dead, but a year later he resurfaces. Oda attacks Inabayama Castle, the home of Princess Yuki and Samanosuke’s cousin. Samanosuke and his ninja companion, Kaede, arrive too late. Ultimately Samanosuke is attacked and killed by demons trying to rescue Yuki, for mere mortals cannot kill demons. But as he slowly drifts to his death, he is visited by the 12 Oni and given the power of the Oni Gauntlet, which grants him the ability to kill demons and seal their souls. With this newfound power, Samanosuke must save his cousin and uncover the mystery of the attack.
Atmosphere
Since this is more of an action/ horror game, don’t expect the atmosphere to be creepy or even slightly scary here. It leans more on the tense combat and the player being forced to contend with multiple enemies at once. Some of the creature designs are nightmare fuel, but I doubt they will actually cause any sleepless nights. The action rarely stops, keeping the tension up throughout though.
Gameplay
If you’re familiar with games like the original God of War, or the early 2000’s reboot of Ninja Gaiden, then Warlords will be equally familiar to you. The difficulty curve isn’t as high as with those games, but the vibe is similar. It uses static camera angles and tank controls like Resident Evil. The 2018 remaster updated the options allowing for 3D movement for those hating on tank controls. It’s mainly a linear experience, but there are some secret areas, and an optional trial dungeon called The Dark Realm. 20 levels of increasingly difficult stages, like the Trial of the Gods from God of War.
Graphics
For graphics, I ended up playing the remastered version for PS4. The game was updated with smoother graphics and better frame rates. It looked decent for what it is. A 25-year-old game can’t compare to today’s graphics, but Capcom still managed to give this version the love it deserves. I did pop in my newly acquired original PS2 copy just to see how much of a difference there was. Obviously, textures and other quality of life improvements make the remaster a better choice for newer fans to experience the game, but I don’t feel it has aged all that bad.
Final Word
With a new Onimusha game just a couple of months away, going back and checking the original off the never-ending list of games we never played was very fun. It’s a very fun and satisfying game. The puzzles were just difficult enough to make you think, but not so hard that it ruined pacing. The fact that there are three main weapons to unlock after acquiring the Oni Gauntlet, and all three end up being useful at different points in the game depending on what enemies you’re facing, is great. Too many times, games introduce new weapons, and outside of their tutorial sections, they just stay in your inventory collecting digital dust. The combat was quick and engaging, the story was simple enough to follow, but interesting enough to keep me locked in. The small sections where you play as companion character, Kaede, were a nice change of pace and didn’t feel out of place or tacked on to pad run time.
I do have to add that while I normally lean on defending static cameras, playing a game this action oriented and having several off-screen monsters attack me to the point of near death or actual death did get frustrating. It happened more times than I would have liked, forcing me to replay large sections if I didn’t save constantly. This didn’t ruin the complete experience, but after a while I did end up forgoing exploring and go straight to the objective and moving on.
Capcom resurrecting a franchise after more than two decades is a nice surprise. The fact that the remasters must’ve done well enough to prove the series still has life gives me hope they will continue to release more remasters after the first sequel. As mentioned earlier, if you’re like us and there’s an Onimusha sized hole on your shelf, collecting the original or the remaster isn’t too expensive right now. But with the secondhand market as it is, I’d recommend pulling that trigger sooner rather than later.
We give Onimusha: Warlords Remaster 3.5 Genma Demons out of 5