Genma Onimusha

"Sooo....you think this is just your run-of-the-mill port......well you're wrong!!!!"

Soooo...you have bought the PS2 version...it was a very solid action adventure. Well meet Genma Onimusha...the next generation of good ports...this game adds new enemies (new hard enemies), new areas to explore, new increased difficulty...basically the works.

+_+_+_+GRAPHICS+_+_+_+
Score: 9/10
This game uses the same graphics engine as Onimusha: Warlords. The characters are well done, the level detail is high, cinematic are especially good (including multiple CG cinematic). The engine is a little outdated, but it is still one of the prettiest looking games inside of the Xbox game library.

+_+_+_+SOUND+_+_+_+
Score: 10/10
I think the sound crew had a few to many bowls of Wearies. The sound in this game is absolutely incredible. The sound effects are great, the battle music is great, and it always keeps you on your toes. The game includes 2 languages, English and Japanese, for extra.

+_+_+_+VOICE ACTING+_+_+_+
Score: 5/10
One of the bad thing s is that the Motion Capture for the
game was done in Japan...therefore; all of the voice synching to the lips are in Japanese. So what I am trying to say is...If your character is delivering a powerful line and his lips won’t be moving...then they will start moving when you’re done because that is how the lips move when it is in Japanese. I highly suggest playing with Japanese voice acting and English subtitles. With English voice acting it kind of takes away from the game.

+_+_+_+GAMEPLAY+_+_+_+
Score: 9/10
This game puts you in the shoes of Samanosuke, a warrior who goes out to save his cousin, Princess Yuki. You may play as Kaede, his female ninja friend, throughout the course of the game. You probably play 80% Samanosuke, 20% Kaede. The camera is fixed, so at times you can either get the heck scared out of you because you couldn't see the enemy or you can be frustrated...either way it is not a major problem...jus occasional. The controls use the D-pad for movement, which is the RE games. It takes some getting used to, but once you have it, it is like second nature. There are some nice boss fights, good weapons and some tense moments...also there is a scary doll that likes to chase you. Although I don't think she (the doll) was needed...she is placed in certain areas that you can either fight and get an item or runaway and make it hard on yourself.

+_+_+_+RENT OR BUY+_+_+_+
Score: Buy
Buy this game if you have never played an Onimusha game before, buy it if you are an Onimusha veteran, because of the harder difficulty...it is also very cheap (about 10$)

+_+_+_+LAST NOTES+_+_+_+
Pros:
+harder difficulty
+addictive combat
+more unlikable
+new areas and enemies
+cheap price (about 10 dollars)

Cons:
-still a tad short
-uses the D-pad for the movement of the character
-you may have to backtrack to collect enough souls to enhance your weapons

+_LAST WORDS_+
This is a great game for Newbies and returning Veterans.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/18/04