Genma Onimusha

"WELL worth getting, even if you have the PS2 original!"

I realize there are plenty of other reviews for this game here, but I just beat it and am so blown away I just have to put in my two cents and hope that my 10 helps anyone looking to get this game make up their minds to do so.

General Review -
Even though its an upgrade to an already awesome game, Genma Onimusha is well worth picking up even if you own and have beaten the original! If you are new to the Onimusha series and own an X-Box then this is a great place to start and get into the masterpiece that is this epic Capcom samurai / ninja adventure! With new features like chargeable attacks, new armors, new and more challenging enemies, and the green soul system as well as more areas to explore, its definitely awesome. It finely tunes the original and looks better in the process. The new armors, like the Ninja Outfit, Metal Armor, and the best and coolest Ogre Armor, alone make it worth it. Go get it!

Gameplay - 9
The game plays great, the movements fluid, plenty of sword attacks, magic, and secondary weapons to hack and slash into various demons with. Its not difficult to get the groove of at all; you'll be slicing and dicing badguys right away. The only problem is that the camera angles sometimes make it harder to gauge distance from an enemy, and can result in taking an unnecessary hit, but this is a minor flaw, all games have one.

Visual - 10
The game is beautiful. Full of vibrant colors and dark atmosphere. Prettier than the PS2 version and the CG movies are spectacular, especially the ending sequence!

Audio - 10
The game sounds great as well, with the option to have either English dialogue or the original Japanese, with English or Japanese subtitles as you wish. The music is excellent, the perfect mix of heroic epic sounds and eerie horror movie tones.

Extras - 9
With an unlockable mini game which, upon completion allows you access to greater weaponry upon replaying the game and a secret armor and sword to attain, the extras are awesome. The Onimusha 2 preview from the PS2 version is gone, however, thus the 9.

Story - 10
The story is engaging and really draws you in. You truly come to care for the characters, making the superb ending that much more dramatic.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/09/02, Updated 03/09/02