Onimusha - The Little Known Gem

Whenever I mention Onimusha to any of my friends, their first reaction is 'what?' Not many seem to know about it, despite it being one of Capcoms highest grossing game series. Starting with Onimusha Warlords, it sprouted three sequels and a couple of spin offs, bringing with it Action-Adventure gameplay in an ancient Japanese Setting. The story also uses historical figures from throughout history, but with a supernatural twist along the way.

The main enemies in the game come from the Genma, demons from another world invading ours with the help of Nobunaga Oda. For the first three games, Nobunaga is the leader of the Genma, despite not being fought in Onimusha Warlords he is still considered the main antagonist. The story initially begins with Samonosuke Akechi and his battle to save Princess Yuki after she is captured by the Genma to assist in Nobunagas ascension to power. He is soon granted the power of the Oni to fight against the demons and save the princess, pretty cliche but it was an early game on the Playstation 2 (which was also originally meant to be for the PS1).

Samonosuke fights through the hordes of demons before coming head to head with the Demon King Fortinbras, saving Yuki in the process. We now wouldn't hear of him until Onimusha 3, as we were introduced to a new Oni in Onimusha: Samurai's Destiny. This time the power fell in to the hands of Jubei Yagyu, a skilled swordsman who's village was attacked by demons leaving him to come back to find his people killed. This game took a detour away from the original, introducing shops and a more adventure feel to it, where you would be able to explore various different areas, gain new skills and earn trust from team members who you would encounter along the story. You would do this by giving them gifts which you would find in chests or purchase from the shops.

In my personal opinion this was by far the weakest entry in the series but Capcom would soon learn from this and introduce us back to Samonosuke in Onimusha 3. This brought about another Oni to team up alongside the original, in an adventure throughout time. Our new Oni Jacques Blanc would be thrown back in time to Feudal Japan, using his Oni Whip to fight the demons and Nobunaga, whilst a young samonosuke would be thrown forward to modern day Paris to fight the onslaught of Genma. He would also come face to face with an old enemy from Onimusha Warlords and finally put him to rest.

This brings us up to the latest entry (and by latest I mean last released back at the end of the PS2 era) Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams. Nearly a total departure from the original but still one of the most impressive games on the PS2, this brought about one of the only two disc games I am aware of on the PS2. Soki fights with two massive blades and collects many more along the way upgrading them however he sees fit. It also introduces us to various characters who are descendants of those previously, like Jubei, who is the granddaughter of Jubei from Onimusha 2. This game was never planned as was a bit of a risk for Capcom, as it was released just as the PS3 entered in to the market, meaning this one didn't do too well in sales. However this brought about over the top gameplay in a way I hope they HD remaster or bring in a sequel one day. Onimusha will always lay as one of my favourite series from the PS2 and if you get the chance, I highly recommend you play it. If you've played Onimusha, let us know your memories of the series below.

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