Onimusha: Warlords

"Is this just Resident Evil with Samurai subbing for Chris and Jill? Not likely...."

Many people are going to look at this game and say, ''Yay. Resident Evil with ninja. Next!'' I'm here to tell you differently. This game is so fun and original, you'll want to play it over and over again. Onimusha: Warlords is a a masterpiece, a true landmark in gaming. When I bought my PS2, this game jumped at me from the shelves and I picked it up. It has hooked me ever since. Now onto the review!

_-=STORY=-_ 7/10

Ok, so this is Onimusha's weakest point. Still, a seven isn't bad. You play the role of Samonosuke Akechi, a lone swordsman and Samurai who travels across Japan seeking your rival. You are considered coldhearted because of your ''lone wolf'' ways, but you are actually a just, fair, hot-blooded warrior. You also have a sidekick named Kaede, who is a beautiful kunoichi(female ninja) who was first charged with the task of assasinating you, but she changed her mind after growing to like you, and joins you by becoming your confidant. A warlord named Nobunaga Oda attacks the castle Inabayama with an army of 2,000 men, simply to create a diversion while he sends demons to kidnap Princess Yuki, who is Yoshitatsu's sister and Samonosuke's cousin. Yoshitatsu is the lord of Inabayama castle. Samonosuke tries to rescue her, but arrives seconds late. The Princess is already gone. Samonosuke vows to rescue the Princess, but has no idea what is in store for him...
Along your travels, you will meet many strange and interesting characters, some allies, some enemies. Yumemaru, the 12 year old brat who you find in the Keep, or Toukichiro, Nobunaga's highest ranking and most trusted general.

Sure, it is standard ''rescue the damsel-in-distress fair'', but it sure as hell did it better than Mario ever could've.

_-=GRAPHICS=-_ 10/10

This is among the many areas where Onimusha shines. From the start of the opening FMV to the end of the Ending, you'll be thinking, ''My God, this is a movie, not a video game!'' Characters move with astounding realism, and even where there is about 10 enemies onscreen, the frame rate doesn't stutter one bit. All the actions are fluid, and Capcom has paid attention to details, like when you see sparks from the clang of steel on steel, or fires dancing eerily in the moonlight. There is also many blur effects, like enemy demon's eyes glowing. Then there is the FMV's. Capcom outdid itself here. Just take a look at the opening intro and you will believe me. Needless to say, this game surely shows the Playstation 2's graphical muscle.

_-=SOUND EFFECTS/MUSIC=-_ 10/10

Another awesome feature of Onimusha. The voice acting has come a LLLOOONNNNGGGG way from the terrible voice-overs of the first Resident Evil. It is a little off at times, but that is so few and far between, you probably won't even notice. The music is most definitely more Japanese than most Americans will be used to, but it scores big in my book. It can be effectively creepy at times, or it can raise your adrenaline just enough to deliver that killing blow to a tough boss. The sounds effects are top-notch as well, such as the clang of steel-on-steel to the hideous, raspy moaning of your demons adversaries. Like I said before, the voice acting is above average, conveying just the right mood all the time.

_-=CONTROL=-_ 9/10

The controls feel a little wonky at first, but you'll get used to them after about 15 minutes of playing. The main problem is the sometimes frustrating camera angles, which can give you the old ''I-can-hear-them-but-I-can't-see-them'' jive. That aside, controlling Samonosuke/Kaede is very easy. The game plays a lot like Resident Evil, with the fixed camera angles and 3D characters in 2D environments. I like this, because it provides more detail in the background and I was never really a big fan of Dino Crisis anyway. As Samonosuke, you can bust off tons of cool moves to dispatch your enemies. You can kick them to the ground and stab your sword through their chest, you can sidestep their attacks and deliver that killing blow, or you can just slash them to death. All of this is easy to pull off with the fluid responses from the Dualshock 2. The camera angles may sometimes leave you feeling stranded, but the controls never will.

_-=GAMEPLAY=-_ 10/10

Oh yes, Daddy, gimme sum mo'! This is Onimusha's best feature. You travel through 2D environments a la Resident Evil, slashing through hideous demons and the like. At the start of the game, Samonosuke acquires a gauntlet that allows him to steal the souls of fallen enemies. There are 3 types of souls, yellow, which recover Vitality, blue, which give you back some used up Magic Power, and Red, which you can store in an orb to advance your weapons or turn plain ol' Herbs into much-more-powerful Medicine. You can only enhance things when you find a Magic Mirror, which is also where you save your progress. You find special orbs that fit into your gauntlet, which let you use the power of Lightning, Fire, Wind, and such. Orbs are also the way of unlocking special doors in order to travel to new areas. Samonosuke must also solve puzzles as much as he gives demons an ass-whooping. Some puzzles are tough, while others are more easily solved. The puzzles are sometimes as nerve-wracking as the boss fights. For example, at one point in the game, Samonosuke gets trapped in a chamber rapidly filling with water, and Kaede must solve a puzzle that you must rapidly slide pieces around to line them up in the correct way. Of course, you don't have much time, you'd better hurry! You'll soak your controller with sweat at this part. Of course, this game is no Myst. You spill blood as often as you use your brain, and boy is it fun. Demons charge at you, and you can knock them to the ground with a kick and them slash them through there black hearts, or you can just swipe at them till they go limp. Don't forget to suck up their souls! One of the coolest sequences in the game is when you fight a huge samurai-demon on top of a building in the moonlight. This game rules.

_-=EXTRAS=-_ 10/10

Onimusha has it's share of extras for the ''hardcore'' gamer. Through the game, you can collect 20 pieces of Flourite. If you succeed in getting all 20 pieces, you can unlock a hidden mini-game called ''Oni Spirits.'' You should consult the ''Oni Spirits'' mini-FAQ on GameFAQS for more info. Not only that, but the game has stunning FMV's which the creators worked their butts off on, and a host moves to discover for Samonosuke and Kaede. Onimusha has it's share of extras.

_-=CLOSING THOUGHTS=-_

Onimusha is truly and awesome game, although it is a little on the short side. I give this game a ten. No, it isn't a joke, and no, this ten is not given lightly. Onimusha: Warlords is definitely a landmark in console gaming. Lets hope for a sequel soon.

_-=RENT/BUY=-_

Buy this game if you have any interest in gaming whatsoever. But if you are skeptical, you should most definitely rent it first to see if you like it. If you don't think this game is awesome, then you are different and strange. All your friends think Onimusha is great.

_-=FINAL SCORE=-_ 10/10. 110%. 5 out of 5 stars. Buy this game, I can almost guarantee you won't regret it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/01, Updated 04/06/01