Summary
- Onimusha, one of Capcom's best franchises, needs a comeback.
- Blade Warriors and Tactics spin-offs were not as impressive.
- Warlords, Dawn of Dreams, and Samurai's Destiny were memorable.
Among the rank and file of Capcom's numerous collection of IPs, perhaps the most distressing omission has been Onimusha. Although the first game got a fantastic high-definition remaster that allowed it to grace new platforms for the first time, it did not sell well enough to convince Capcom to pursue the rest of the series. Despite that, Onimusha was one of the most exciting franchises to debut during the sixth generation of home consoles, as it released some fabulous games on the PS2, PS3, PC, and Game Boy Advance.
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Combining elements of real-world history, mostly taking place throughout Sengoku-era Japan, Onimusha is best described as Resident Evil meets Akira Kurosawa. It meshes the inventory management and survival horror thrills of Capcom's zombie-hunting blockbuster with a supernatural samurai story and does so in spectacular fashion. Onimusha is still a franchise worth revisiting today, as its unique blend of historical figures and samurai action is something in desperate need of a return.
7 Onimusha: Blade Warriors
Smash-Style Fighting Game Features Multiple Onimusha Franchise Characters
- Platform: PS2
- Release Date: March 23, 2004
- Developer: Capcom
Despite being only three years old by the time Onimusha: Blade Warriors launched in 2004, the series was already popular enough to justify fighting game spin-offs. And with Blade Warriors, Capcom channeled their inner Super Smash Bros. By pitting the characters of Onimusha against each other in 2D battle arenas filled with power-ups, perils, and a sense of kinetic speed.
Onimusha: Blade Warriors is a decent Smash-clone, but feels a bit weak in comparison to not just the mainline entries, but other fighting games of the era. Perhaps one of the best parts of Blade Warriors is the unlockable characters, as MegaMan.EXE from the Battle Network series and Zero from the X spin-offs are available. It was fun to see MegaMan.EXE in 3D as opposed to 2D sprites, but ultimately this forgettable fighter is the franchise's lowest effort.
6 Onimusha Tactics
Tactical RPG Set In Sengoku-Era Japan
- Platform: Game Boy Advance
- Release Date: November 11, 2003
- Developer: Capcom
It seems fairly common today to see a popular franchise reworked into the tactical RPG genre, but the concept of Onimusha being used in this style was rather surprising back in 2003. Among the Game Boy Advance's incredible library, it's difficult to rank Onimusha Tactics among the best, but it's still a decent tactical strategy game that's worth checking out.
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Onimusha Tactics is non-canon to the rest of the series but does feature some of the same real-world historical figures from the mainline games and even features Oda Nobunaga as the main antagonist. It doesn't quite work as a great tactical RPG and ultimately misses the mark as an Onimusha game, but Tactics features some fun battles and loose references to the mainline series. It would be a worthy addition to the Game Boy Advance section of Nintendo Switch Online.
5 Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams
Party-Based Action Game Features Fast-Paced Fun
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
After Onimusha 3: Demon Siege effectively ended the ongoing saga of Samanosuke and Oda Nobunaga, Capcom decided to produce a fourth entry that went in a completely new direction. With new Capcom COO Keiji Inafune at the helm as a producer, the fourth Onimusha became Dawn of Dreams and introduced new gameplay mechanics and characters.
With Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Capcom ditched the pre-rendered backgrounds and fixed angles, going for a fully 3D world and camera control. Additionally, Dawn of Dreams introduces multiple playable characters, and the ability to grant commands to AI partners. It was an entertaining game in its own right, but it felt like a franchise that needed a break by this point, as it was the sixth Onimusha game in five years. Even so, Dawn of Dreams has some fun that is worth experiencing, as it did its best to revitalize the series.
4 Onimusha: Warlords
Debut Title In The Series Is One Of The PS2's Best Games
Onimusha: Warlords
In 1997, Yoshiki Okamoto, who had previously worked on the original Resident Evil, expressed interest in creating a ninja version of the survival horror franchise. After beginning development first on the failed N64DD, then the PS1, Onimusha: Warlords was put into proper development for the PS2. In the end, Onimusha: Warlords exceeded expectations, becoming one of the PS2's greatest games.
The 2D pre-rendered backgrounds are a delight to look at, combining all the visual beauty of Japanese architecture with the stark horror of the demons and monsters. Combat is sharp and punchy, as using melee attacks with a fixed camera works far better than it sounds like it might on paper. It was ported to the original Xbox in 2002 as Genma Onimusha, but the 2018 remaster has made this PS2 classic easier than ever to play on modern hardware.
3 Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Spectacular Action Game Transplants Samanosuke Into The Future
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
For the final game in what was planned as a trilogy, Capcom pulled out all the stops by bringing Samanosuke, the protagonist of the first game, back into the fold. He was absent from the sequel but returned in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, in glorious fashion. Capcom also abandoned the pre-rendered backgrounds, utilizing 3D environments with fixed angles, and crafted what is still one of the finest PS2 action games of all time.
Demon Siege takes place at the end of Oda Nobunaga's reign in 1582 and during a time of war, and features a dual story where Samanosuke is sent into the future, while a man named Jacques Blanc finds himself stranded in Japan. The speed and brisk pace of Onimusha 3 is still astounding to this day, as Samanosuke and Jacques feel decidedly different from each other. It was a fitting send-off to the story that started in Onimusha: Warlords, which is one of the best games of its generation.
2 Onimusha: Warlords Remastered
High-Definition Remaster Of Original Game Brings Series To Modern Hardware
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
- Release Date: January 15, 2019
- Developer: Capcom
Announced by Capcom in a blog post in 2018, the remaster of Onimusha: Warlords saw the debut of the franchise get new life on contemporary hardware. It features updated graphics, as the backgrounds have been improved and the performance is a stable 60 fps, a welcome addition for an action game like this.
Additionally, a new control scheme that allows for full 3D movement was added, allowing for the choice between traditional tank controls and a more modern system. The music was also re-recorded and original Samanosuke actor Takashi Kaneshiro returned to re-dub his dialogue, as well as new quality-of-life features for the UI and weapon selection. It unfortunately does not include the new content added to the Xbox version from 2002, but it is easily the best way possible to play this phenomenal PS2 game today.
1 Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Outstanding Sequel Shines As The Onimusha Franchise's Greatest Title
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Developed in tandem with the first game, Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny was revealed the same year that the original was released in 2001. It launched roughly a year later and starred a new protagonist in the form of Jubei Yagyu, a man hunting Oda Nobunaga for revenge after he devastated the samurai's clan.
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Combat has been upgraded from the previous game, as it features a parry mechanic that allows for more strategic battles. Players can feel the series starting to not just take inspiration from Resident Evil, but from Capcom's other hack-and-slash series, Devil May Cry. Everything about Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is an improvement over Warlords, as the combat feels faster and the stoic presence of newcomer Jubei is wonderful. Unfortunately, due to the sluggish sales of the Warlords remaster, Samurai's Destiny remains stuck on the PS2. Even so, it's worth finding a console just to play this fantastic game.
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