Platform: Playstation 2

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1

Shortly after the Playstation 2 first hit the market, Capcom attempted to deliver a fresh take on the survival horror genre. The result was Onimusha.  It didn’t exactly break any boundaries with its Resident Evil style game play, nor did it essentially fit into the survival horror genre even with its spraying blood and hint of gore. But being set in feudal Japan and also having the option of playing the game with Japanese dialog, as opposed to English dubbed, Onimusha did introduce gamers to something a little different. The game however, was a bit too short, something that Capcom admitted to, but claimed that for the most part, Onimusha was a test to see how the gaming public took to it. Fortunately, it seemed that gamers took to the game rather quickly despite the lack of length.

This is one of those titles I managed to avoid the hype for. With the first game, everyone was yammering on and on about how amazing the game was, and while it wasn’t a bad game, I found it to be a bit lacking. It could be completed in no time, and I found myself wondering just where that $50 I’d spent really went to. Although it doesn’t directly relate to Capcom, Virtua Fighter 4 received plenty of prerelease hype about what an amazing game it was, but when it came time to finally see what all the fuss was about, I found that it wasn’t really as great as previously stated. So, with Onimusha 2, I avoided magazine articles, muted the volume on G4, and did everything else in my power to not be in store for a huge let down.

Onimusha 2 is set 10 years after the events of the first game. The threat of Nobunaga and his vile demon horde continues to threaten the Japanese countryside. His lust for power and conquest has led his army to Yagyu village, which is soon decimated by the unstoppable Oda clan. Soon after the villages downfall, Jubei Yagyu returns to the rubble of his home. It is there his path crosses with Takajo, the Oni goddess of the regions Dragon Shrine. Takajo reveals to Jubei both his heritage and destiny, and gives him the means to defeat Nobunaga and his undead horde.

Unlike his predecessor Samanosuke, Jubei has a little help along the way. While Onimusha gave player two characters to control, Onimusha 2 has four additional characters that show up and help from time to time.  Sub characters that Jubei will meet during his quest include:

Magoichi Saiga - A quiet and somewhat secretive man who has come to Imasho for reasons of his own. Magoichi is a member of a renowned gun clan and offers assist to Jubei on many occasions.

Ekei Ankokouji - A monk of the Hozoin order. Although his spear is a great asset in Jubei’s battles, his love of drink and women tend to hamper both his thinking and his loyalty.

Kotaro Fuma -A young chieftain of the Fuma ninja clan who has come to Imasho to determine the next phase of Nobunaga’s plans on conquest. Kotaro unfortunately is a bit brash and head strong, and his actions and words tend to get him into trouble.

Oyu -A mysterious woman who arrives in Imasho at the same time as Jubei. Her goal and reason from coming to the village remain unknown.

Of course, this depends on your friendship level with each of them. During the course of the game, Jubei finds various items that can be used as gifts. In exchange, characters will either give a useful item such as medicine, or another item that can be traded. There is also an item shop located in Imasho where items can be purchased and Jubei can also gain them from talking with certain villagers. Players are given quite a few opportunities to go on side quests, seeking items for villagers and sub characters. None of these quests are too difficult, but it makes the game a bit more interesting and allows for a break from the hack and slash routine.

Onimusha 2 is definitely more story driven than the last game, especially with all the sub characters that you will encounter during your journey. There are also different scenarios that take place depending on the route you choose. However, none of this has any effect on the direct outcome of the game, but it does make the play experience a little more interesting. It also gives you a good idea on what characters you’re on friendly terms with and which you need to work more on. Players will also find some parts of the game that look familiar as they return to the keep from the first Onimusha on a few occasions. You may have seen this trick used by Capcom before, especially those of you that have played Resident Evil 2 and 3. Keeping in mind the time span between games, the developers have presented the keep in total disarray, reflecting the damage it took in the first title and the ravages of time.

The controls remain almost identical to the first game, or those of the RE series, so anyone familiar with those games will be right at home. Sadly, the use of the analog stick as a control for Jubei was overlooked for some reason, however there is an interesting, as well as frustrating, simultaneous use of them during an escape. On the plus side though, critical attacks seem to be much easier to perform than in the previous game and the ability to use special combos is a nice touch.

Of course, you can still suck the souls of your opponents like in the previous game, however this time aside from the blue, yellow, and red souls there’s an added purple soul. Once you collect five of these, Jubei morphs into the Onimusha for a limited time, increasing the power of his attacks and allowing him to shoot a burst of magic energy. Unlike the first game, sub-characters this time are actually allowed to absorb souls as well by the use of a magical bracelet. Once their side quest is completed, this bracelet is transferred over to Jubei allowing him to improve his weapons and armor.

There are plenty of added bonuses this time around. Team Oni allows you to play through with Jubei and any characters you’ve gotten friendly with, but it’s not quite as easy as you’d think. As you progress through each level, your health continues to deplete. You can switch characters at any point in the mini-game however, which doesn’t make it impossible. Of course, there’s new costumes for Jubei and Oyu, but nothing quite as cool as the panda suit from the original. However, it’s not as easy this time as just beating the game. There’s hidden items you need, to find these little goodies. Beat the game on hard mode and you’re rewarded with ultimate mode which gives a samurai just about everything he needs to make slaying demons that much easier. Also, there’s The Man in Black mini-game which allows you to view various scenes from the game with Jubei in a whole new costume, based on a Japanese television series called Detective Story.

Despite all it’s great features, there are disappointing things about Onimusha 2. One of the best features about the original was the option to play the game in Japanese or English. When it comes to Japanese games, most of the time producers bring in some of the worst voice actors imaginable. With Onimusha however, gamers could play the game in Japanese, as it was meant to be, without having to worry about bad pronunciations or bad acting. Those days are gone and behind us however, and Onimusha 2 is only available for play in English. Personally, I found this as quite a disappointment. I’d often applauded Capcom for having the Japanese option in the original, and I’m uncertain as to why this option isn’t available now. Perhaps it has to do with disc storage, but whatever the case may be, I’m sure many gamers will miss playing the game in its original language.

With the original, the game stuck to history quite well, even with the in-game changes. Although there were some mechanical items, it wasn’t done in such a way as to become too unbelievable. Now where, why, and how a mechanical horse even fit into feudal Japan is beyond me. Add in some primitive looking robots and a flying ship and you’re left shaking your head wondering what they were thinking. It seems to me like someone has been watching a few too many Miyazaki films and playing an exceptional amount of Final Fantasy.

Lastly, the game is just too damn easy. I beat the original in over three hours, and I found myself at the end of Onimusha 2 in a little over six hours. Again, I’m wondering where my $50 went. Sure, there’s a lot of extras on the disc, and various paths to get from A to B, but after hearing promise after promise of how this time around the game would be longer, I was expecting quite a bit more. Even with graphic improvements and more cut scenes, as well as the promise of a third (and final) game; I still felt like after two titles, there should be a little more.

It’s not the Onimusha 2 is a bad game or even a terrible game, it’s just not a game that I’m all that impressed with. I’m positive that fans of the original will be impressed with the latest entry into the trilogy, and it’s not a bad game if you want to overlook real strategy for the most part and focus more on slashing everything in site. Although the title is definitely worth a look, I’m sure that it’s not worthy of quite as much praise and hype as it was probably given prior to its launch.

 -mike-