Onimusha Tactics

"It's got ups and downs, but atleast it's unique"

If you're looking for the same style gameplay as FFTA this might be a push. Sure the RPG engine is exactly the same as FFTA, but both games are two distinctly different titles.

Gameplay - 9/10

The game plays just like FFTA. However, instead of relying on 4 or 5 of my top characters (like in FFTA), I fount myself using 8 characters at a time (the max you can bring into a level). Unlike FFTA, the diversity of the characters is strictly limited, unless you have a passion for weak archers or ninjas, you'll mainly be using swordsman throughout the game. This is why 8 characters adds to the fun, allow me to explain... In the game a single character can usually only take a limited number of hits, by including 8 characters in a given mission the tactics portion of the game is included. Break your team up into parties to divide and conquer or flank the enemy (and by "parties", this is a manual thing, the game does not promote your tactics to this degree, your strategizing is left up to you).

Due to the nature of the game, the party I sent out on missions was constantly changing; as new characters are introduced into gameplay, you will often find yourself replacing old/obsolete characters with the new ones. But it keeps the game interesting.

The abilities of the characters usually involves doing some type of magic, powering up a stat for characters, or hitting enemies multiple times. Although this sounds weak compared to FFTA, this adds alot to the tactics of the game. Unlike most RPGs, the stat powerups in this game are significant enough to strategize with.

Story - 7/10

The storyline is pretty good (it beats the kiddy crap you get from FFTA). I never played any of the other Onimusha games, but I still thought it was pretty good. It's by far not the best I've played through, but it's interesting enough to keep your interest. It's also short enough to, again, keep you playing and interested to the end (for those that thought FFTA dragged on forever), but still long enough to keep the battle situations interesting.

Graphics - NA/10

They're ok, nothing worth mentioning (not that many people buy GBA games for the graphics anyway though).

Sound - 10/10

The music in this game is awesome (good enough to compete with any ps2/xbox/gc music). The sound certainly deserves a perfect 10 for the music alone... The music is usually always appropriate (if not perfect) for each situation.

Replayability - 4/10

Well, this is where the game screws up. When you beat it there's little more to do. They could of done something to make replaying this game a plus, but sadly once the adventure is over, it'll be time to move on to something else (well, atleast for a while, it might be fun to revisit it for nostalgia one day). But replayability, or lack thereof, doesn't matter... it doesn't take away from the fun of playing the game while the storyline last.

Final - 7/10

The game is held back by the strictness of its linear playability. Other than phantom battles (which get old fast), there is no other way to level up characters (if that's your cup of tea)... But again, when trying to decide between this and FFTA, keep in mind these two titles ARE distinctly different. After getting through the first dozen battles or so, leveling up your character will not be your reason for playing, and that's another reason why I think this game stays interesting longer than FFTA. The game is more of a tactics game than it is an RPG. Also, When trying to decide whether or not to invest in this game, don't let replayability be a factor for this game. On my current run through the game I've already invested 25 hours into it (with only about 4 levels left), 25 hours of interesting gameplay, and still wanting to continue playing to the end.

Overall, the game deserves a shining 7. While it's not the best game out there, and eventually something better will replace it, it still certainly holds its own in its genre of games (whatever that genre really is due to its uniqueness).

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/19/05