Genma Onimusha

Weird name... pretty good game.

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The original Onimusha on PS2 is one of the best games on Sony’s black beast. It was among the top three titles, until Devil May Cry showed up, making it look wooden in comparison. This doesn’t mean that Onimusha: Warlords is to be forgotten, no, not at all. The Onimusha legacy deserves more, and it has got it, in the shape of Genma Onimusha, for the Xbox.

Genma Onimusha is more or less the same game that you played on the PS2, with a few changes. Firstly, there is a slight graphical improvement (very slight), then there are new attacks (such as the burst attack, which is rather useful), new areas to explore, new cut scenes (very pretty) and a few new enemies (scary). So do these additions improve an already impressive title, or do they ruin it? Let’s don our body armour and grab our samurai swords and take a look…

First off, how does Genma Onimusha look? Well, aside from a slight improvement in resolution and detail, not that different from the PS2 version. That’s no bad thing, as the PS2 version is very pretty and slick (just look at the shots). The game graphically portrays atmosphere quite well within those temples and such, not to mention the creepy enemies. It’s all well thought out and designed (some nice touches, such as the trails left by glowing eyes!), however I did expect a little more from my Xbox. The hardware has not really been pushed here. The in-game camera is also still annoying (you occasionally can’t see your attacker). Devil May Cry didn’t have the same trouble, why does this? Oh well. Try harder next time guys.

As for the gameplay, Genma plays exactly the same as the original, even the controls are identical (apart from the new moves, obviously). But if you haven’t played the original, it’s best described as a mix of Resident Evil and a generic slash ‘em up. The closest game in terms of style and gameplay is Devil May Cry, only without the guns and mission-based levels. You will find yourself hacking enemies to shreds most of the time, with the puzzles evenly spaced out. It is more action based than Resident Evil, which is a good thing, we feel. You don’t have to keep flipping in and out of menu systems for items like you have to in the Resi games. Thank God.

But the gameplay isn’t that simple, oh no, not by a long way. You have to be intelligent in Onimusha, well that’s me done for a start then. You can’t just simply stroll up to a bad guy and hack them to a bloody death (well, not all the time), these guys are intelligent. They block your futile swings and will even grapple with you, if you miss time or lose a grapple, your head will most probably by removed from your idiotic shoulders by a triumphant demon. Stabbing buttons wildly is not an option. When you finally reach a boss, you will need all of your wits about you. They all fight using different tactics, leaving you to find their weak spot and exploit it fully. Fabulous stuff.

The musical score of Onimusha is well suited to the game. The moody orchestral score sounds excellent and really sets the mood for some demon slaying. You will find the music will change according to your situation and you will soon learn to dread the chilling sounds that come before and enemy onslaught.