Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams

"The Onimusha of Dreams"

Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is the fourth game in the franchise that is known as the "Onimusha" series. However, this game remains apart from the previous 3 games given its new storyline and main character, as well as new features that it brings along for the ride. Don't confuse this as "Onimusha 4," since this game more than stands alone by itself without the help of the previous 3, though previous knowledge of them is highly recommended to get the full enjoyment of the Onimusha world. Let's take a look.

Story - 10/10 - Though it follows the same premise of Onimusha 1-3, Dawn of Dreams takes a break from the seriousness of the first, the weirdness of the second, and the futuristic approach of the third to bring you a tale that stays true to how an Onimusha game should be traditionally played: In Japan. That's right, no more time-traveling in this one, it all takes place in Japan a number of years after the trilogy where Samanosuke faced off against his enemy, Nobunaga, and defeated him at Honnoji Temple. The interesting thing about this game, is that it takes on a more "anime-style" approach. Some of the cutscenes prove just that, as one sees the main character, Soki, is able to perform tactics that would have otherwise seemed impossible, such as cutting down a large Genma enemy that is MUCH larger than he is. The story follows Soki, with the help of 4 others, to help put an end to the monkey-faced Toyotomi Hideyoshi's insanity that has risen after he brought peace to Japan for a number of years. With this, he brings back the Genma into the very world that had hoped to never see them again, and to this, Soki must find his very strength to defeat Hideyoshi and put an end to his tyranny. It sounds cliched for a storyline, but nevertheless, the player is presented with nifty cutscenes and characters to add more life into something that could have easily been disregarded. Even though the story didn't have much originality, there were twists that came when I did not expect them to come, and it truly brought out the whole Onimusha experience. Other than that, I won't spoil the storyline, because it really pays homage to the previous games if you've played them or at least kept tabs on the history, etc.

Music & Sound - 10/10 - Absolutely astounding! The music presents this Onimusha game with a sense of flare and style, often mixing elements between traditional Japanese music with more of the modern twist of guitars and orchestrated music. During battle scenes, you'll hear loud drum beats while fighting heavily-armored samurai, or flutes during eerie places where Genma could pop out of nowhere, inspiring music during battle sequences, and in most cases, each character has their own theme music. The music is very enjoyable and fits in very well with the Onimusha universe, and I'm pretty much waiting for an OST if there is any. The music is very catchy and does a good job of remaining distinct in every environment. Definitely unforgettable. The sounds of clashing weapons, slashed Genma, and audio snippets of the characters communicating with your main character and their battle cries also make the game more enjoyable, adding on to the experience and piece of work that Capcom has put in for us.

Graphics - 10/10 - The graphics are a sight to see, and thanks to the rotating camera system with the use of the right analog stick in certain places, you now have the option of viewing the beautiful environments while playing this game! In some levels, you get to see the Cherry Blossoms and the numerous petals that fall from it, as well as the gorgeous Japanese structures and much more! For Onimusha 3, which marked the end of pre-rendered graphics, this also uses graphics that are rendered on the spot, and the result gives the environment and characters a cleaner feel to the game in presentation. The enemies that Soki and his companions fight are also something else, ranging from the simple Genma soldiers, to the more behemoth and menacing ones, they are all rendered beautifully. Be wary, though, as you may find yourself losing many battles or boss fights simply because you're overwhelmed by the amount of detail present on the screen. With so much time and effort that was placed into the production of this game, there hardly was any slowdown in the framerate that I could find. However, of course, the only slowdowns that occur are when the screen is filled with thousands of Genma enemies that you haven't disposed of yet, and you're using magic and slash attacks and just about everything you can use to defeat them all. Yes, it only gets slow during such instances, but regardless of that, you'll hardly come across that problem when focusing on the main game. The movie cutscenes in the game are also impressive, though not given the "Robot" treatment (i.e. Robot was the name of the team that worked on the previous CG movies in the last games), they serve their purpose of being "anime-like" in presentation, so there aren't any complaints there.

Gameplay - 10/10 - The gameplay is easily the best feature of this game. With 5 characters you can play as, the battles between the weakest of the Genma, to the strongest of the Genma never gets boring, and creativity is a must if you wish to bring out the benefits and rewards. In this game, the controls are simple: Use the right analog stick to rotate the camera (It doesn't work in all places, mind you.), use the left analog stick to move your character. The L1 button blocks, the R1 character locks on to the nearest enemy. The square button slashes, the triangle uses Oni Magic, and the X button absorbs souls. You can also kick enemies as well. Later on in the game, you can press both the L3 and R3 (Which can be done by pressing down on the analog sticks) to use a specific character's special mode, assuming that they are the main character you are using. However, your secondary character can be ordered to follow through with commands via the D-pad. These commands are basic, such as an "All-out" attack by pressing up, or a "Defend and Recover" by pressing down. The left and right vary depending on the individual. Dawn of Dreams also sports an RPG-leveling system that allows you strengthen your character with the use of leveling up his or her armor status, and outfitting them with elemental-type weapons, some of which also are very powerful and don't use any magic at all. The items add some positive or negative statuses that could either work for, or against you. This means you can practically raise your characters the way you want them to be, whether you're the type of person who plays on Oni magic, or one who plays on brute strength alone. A new feature included in gameplay are short "timed-tests" where the character must fulfill a certain task or goal, called a "Test of Valor." In this test, you're given a set time limit to complete the goal with the allotted time limit and to earn a ranking, which may range from Gold, Silver, or Bronze. These challenges aren't necessary to beating the game, so should you happen to lose, you aren't penalized for it. However, if you managed to beat it with either one of the three rankings, you are awarded some neat items or weapons that you can use on your journey! Like previous Onimusha games, a puzzle system is still apparent, this time working with the arrangement of orbs and aligning them so that each row is of the same color. The funny thing about this game is that you don't have to waste time solving the puzzles; you can break the boxes and the end result is a mystery weapon that cannot be used or equipped unless it is appraised at the shop. However, the prices for appraisal are usually high and you would rather be better off solving the puzzle and using the money for something else instead. That's right, I did mention the shop aspect of the game. Most likely borrowed from the second game, Dawn of Dreams sports a shop system where the main character can buy items and weapons to further aid him in battle. There are so many other things I can say for gameplay, but I really think it's best if you experience it for yourself!

Bonus Material - 10/10 - Though there wasn't much as compared to Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, Dawn of Dreams definitely has other marks that still make it worthwhile. Each character has a maximum of 4 costumes, including the original, making it a total of 20 costumes all together. If you beat the game or use a special code, you can also unlock a character's "joke" weapon. There are plenty of other options available, such as the option to change the audio and menu language to either Japanese or English. Capcom surely made sure this game was polished up nicely.

Replay Value - Very High - Even after beating the game, there are plenty of things to do. One of them is the task of collecting all the weapons that each of the characters have at their disposal, should you find them. There are over 300+ weapons to collect and use, each one having different strengths and weaknesses to use in battle. You also can unlock various game modes, costumes and an additional 2-player co-op mode allowing you and a friend to face off against the Genma as a team. If you've been itching to beat your previous record on a Test of Valor, then you can pretty much go back and do it again, both for the ranking and the items that you may have missed out on. If you've missed out on an item, you can venture back to a previously-visited place and obtain the item, which was out of reach due to not having the right character for the job. Although the game doesn't have an "Ultimate Mode" that allows you infinite use of Oni Magic, there are a set of items in the game that allow you to do so. Even so, Capcom has thrown in a "New Game+" to make up for this, by allowing you to keep your items and weapons for the next play-through!

Overall Summation: This game is pretty much what all of the other Onimusha games should have been, and clearly takes in ideas from the predecessors to be used in this one. Rest well, Samanosuke Akechi, Jubei Yagyu and Jacque Blanc, because your successors have proven to be the worthy characters for this follow-up. If you're a fan of action/adventure titles looking for some RPG influence, then this is a game for you. For any true fan of Onimusha, or any real player of games like this, I highly recommend adding it to your collection, because you would be doing a great disservice to yourself by passing this one up. Otherwise, if you're feeling skeptical, rent or borrow it first and see how it adds up to your tastes, then make the decision afterwards. Overall, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams receives a 10/10 in my book. Do yourself the favor of picking this one up, but if you want to wait until the cost goes down, just make sure you add it sooner or later.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/04/06