new game already has demo available

The Playstation 2 Onimusha series

The Onimusha games began in 2001, with the launch of Onimusha Warlords for the PlayStation 2. The idea was to bring a “Resident Evil of ninjas”, set in feudal Japan, more precisely in the Sengoku era, replacing firearms with swords and shurikens.

Despite this original conception, the game kept a few elements from Resident Evil. More precisely, the fixed camera, collection of key items and puzzles, in addition to the gore and horror theme characteristic of the original series. The main difference was in its greater focus on combat, adding combos, dodges, blocks and parries.

The game also featured, similar to Devil May Cry, fantastic magical weapons, in addition to collecting the souls of your enemies. With this, it was possible to recover your life or mana, and improve your weapons, according to the color of the acquired soul.

Changes that not only guaranteed the success of the game, but also provided sequels. Like Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, also released for the PS2, the following year. The game had all the themes of the original, including its grotesque demons, but now focused on samurai, starring the iconic Yagyu Jubei, often romanticized in Japanese works.

In addition to this change, the game had 4 more playable characters throughout the story, according to the player’s decisions. Each of them had differences in the story and cutscenes, but without significant changes to the main narrative. The goal of this addition, according to Capcom, was to give the game more depth and expand the sense of adventure.

The third game came in 2004, Onimusha 3 Demon Siege. The game featured the main elements of the previous games, but this time with a story that alternated between 2 playable characters. However, even with this addition, it was a game considered too short, but it was still somewhat successful at the time.

Enough success to warrant a fourth game, Onimusha Dawn of Dreams, in 2006 for the PS2 as well. The game brought somewhat radical changes, including a free camera, very similar to what we saw in Resident Evil 4. Furthermore, the game was much more colorful and much more fantasy. However, although these changes were very well received, the game was not a sales success, causing the franchise to remain dormant for practically 20 years.

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There were other releases over the years, such as a strategy game for the Game Boy Advance, mobile games and even a browser game. More recently, the first two games in the series received remasters, with the second being released last year, in fact.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword

After much appeal from fans, and motivated by the success of remakes such as those in the Resident Evil series, Onimusha will receive a new sequel. It was practically a 20 year wait, but it looks very promising with this sequel.

In its demo, already available on Steam, we can try out around 30 minutes of the game (varying according to your skill). Initially, we see a game very inspired by Soulslike, with strong and weak attacks, dodges, blocks and parries, as well as a stamina bar, both for you and your enemies.

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However, the game has additional mechanics, making its combat much more interesting. Perfect dodges allow for a lethal counterattack, even in a sequence, while perfect parries can also be followed by a takedown. There are also blade clashes, in which you and the enemy exchange blows and parries simultaneously, or even the classic contest of strength, common in cinematic duels.

These are elements that not only differentiate the game from a traditional Soulslike, but that reflect this whole samurai theme very well. What we can also see in its aesthetics, which brings all the beauty and grandeur, but full of sadness and suffering, of feudal Japan. Very common characteristics of Jidaigeki, an audiovisual genre that portrays Japan at that time, focused not only on samurai, but also on historical drama.

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However, there are not many details about his story so far. What we know is that we took control of Miyamoto Musashi, now as a demon hunter, but for reasons that have not been very clear so far. Throughout the demo, we face grotesque, somewhat bizarre demons, while some dialogues and “echoes from the past” show us a little more detail about what is happening.

Despite these details, which are quite common in the series, it is still a very promising and interesting game. Its gameplay is very varied, fun and thought-provoking, managing to combine fantastic feats attributed to great Japanese swordsmen with a certain difficulty, without making everything too easy.

Onimusha Way of the Sword appears to be a great addition to the original PS2 series, at least so far. Which leaves us a little excited to see what the full version has in store for us.