Onimusha: Warlords

"Promising but ultimately unfufilling"

When I first saw the opening FMV from this game at Siggraph last year I can't say I was very impressed. It sported incredible animation and 3D models that were completely without support from interesting or dramatic camera movements/choices. Then again I buy games for the game play not the FMV.

When I later saw game play in motion I was also equally unimpressed by the less than innovative game play style. I like BioHazard, Metal Gear Solid and the 3d action genre as a whole, when done well of course, but I expected quite a bit more out of the PS2. I actually passed it up when it first was released based on this. Until one night at a friend's I tried the game out and found, to my surprise, that the game play was extremely well executed. A very adept and visceral fighting system, combined with some excellent dual shock usage made this game one I could no longer pass up. I went out and bought it the next day.

For the first couple of hours this game was totally engrossing. The atmosphere was pretty intense and the system of stealing enemies souls after you killed them was very cool (you are in fact acting as the agents for the enemies of the demons...not exactly good guys themselves). It greys the line between good and bad which is nice, and certainly rare in today's Hollywood-esque story's where everything is an absolute.

All of the weapons you collect can be powered up by using terminals which allow you to convert souls into more advanced weapons and ''Power Spheres''. Power spheres allow you to proceed in the game through areas locked by gates keyed to the sphere's power level. There are swords which become more powerful and weapons, a flintlock and bow, where the ammo can be powered up.

As for puzzles there are some very cool, challenging puzzles in this game. I found myself stuck on one puzzle for almost 2 hours!!!! However as the game goes on we see a lot of the BioHazard conventions show up. Take item A replace with fake item A to open door that has become locked since you took item A initially. Locate red key open red door, etc...

Much like BioHazard 3 the battle controls allow you to turn 180 degrees, run(always), block, attack, special attack and evade. There is also some interaction with the environments that is quite a nice touch however the game takes a turn for the ''worse'' around halfway through.

The game become too familiar. The entire game basically takes place in one locale, and while the locale is very cool it is disappointing to see that there is in fact only one locale. Odd considering this games indirect brothers/sisters always mix up the locales or make them quite expansive.

This goes doubly for the atmosphere. The first time you walk into a room that is littered with bodies and splattered with debris and gore it is pretty intense but after you fight your way through these rooms a few times they lose their impact. Indeed one fo the coolest elements of the game comes later when a certain item allows you to hear the voices of all these dead people but the atmosphere is not compounded in any way beyond this.

Not even weather pattern changes outside, lights flickering or ??? I didn't enjoy BioHazard Code Veronica very much but damn did it have solid atmosphere!

This is this games biggest stumbling point.

The story is fairly standard fare with incredibly well designed, executed characters and monsters but once again you've seen pretty much everything early on in this game.

I found all my items powered up to their maximum way before the game was over. Not only that there are no new attacks to bee learned as you go on so you simply gain more powerful versions of existing attacks. This is a big stumbling block. I found that the combat system which I liked so much earlier was now turned against me. It was too simple. This game could've than a slight cue from Bushido Blade in that respect. Maybe as you powered up you learn new attacks which can be combined with the old? It's all speculation now of course.

As with all of these types of games doing exceptionally well or collecting a certain type of item unlocks all kinds of bonus games, costumes, etc. I tend to find those things to be gimmicky though and never really bother with them too much. But that's a matter of preference. I'd rather they spent more time making the primary game better than futzing around with sub-games (of course like all things there are exceptions to this).

I will not play this game again. I think the only two games of this type I've played more than once were BioHazard 3 and Metal Gear Solid(jp version). That is of course a shame as this title costs $70 (to import at least).

Bottom line this game starts out great but loses steam around halfway through for me. The graphics and fighting system are great but seem to lack depth. The same can be said for the enviros, music and story. It is worth trying but I can't recommend for a full purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/19/01, Updated 02/19/01