Without a doubt, one of my most enjoyed PS2 experiences last year was Onimusha. After the dull stodge that was Code Veronica it was like a breath of fresh air... at least until Devil May Cry appeared. Onimusha 2 looked great, was far more playable than Resident Evil despite sharing more than a couple of traits and traded off real world weapons for far more interesting upgradeable weapons, and nose-to-nose combat.
In similar fashion to the orignal, Onimusha 2 starts off with an absolutely stunning CG opening. Where the original was a dazzling depiction of hundreds of warriors clashing on a muddy battlefield and the protagonist Samanosuke kicking several bales out of some guards, the second is violent, dark and thoroughly unpleasant. No less beautiful in design or application, just a far more visceral, brutal rush. It depicts Nobunaga and his demon hoards literally tearing the Yagyu village to shreds and within 30 seconds or so Onimusha 2 has earned its 15 certificate, no question.
The Plot:
You play as Jubei Yagyu, young chieftain of the village who was away when demons attack his village. Returning home to find his village in ruins and spotting a dying friend who explains who is to blame for the attack, Jubei decided he's going to have to kick Nobunagas ass himself. After speaking to a mystical floating woman in the village who explains how 5 magical orbs could save the day, you are left on your own to cause all sorts of mischief.
The Gameplay:
Perhaps the most notable thing about Onimusha 2 is while there is no less hacking and slashing Capcom have set out to weave in another layer, adding a more RPG-adventure flavour to the game. Not only do you visit several different places your travels but also there are a huge number of NPCs to pester and wangle information out of. In addition to talking to people there is an odd yet engaging 'Gift system' in place. On your journeys you will meet several key characters that will be of great help to you. As you engage them in conversation you will find out what they like and what they don't and you can normally find these items in the shop or lying around somewhere. As you give gifts you receive items you can use or pass on. Depending on how your trading goes affects the NPCs take on you and your worthiness. Well, if you shower them with lots of gives that they like, they will most likely help you in every quest.
The Controls:
You use square to attack, triangle to use magic, X to use objects and confirm selections and circle for asorbing Souls. The controls are coupled to a good range of movement including full tilt running, nice quick backpedaling and a block motion using the L1 button. It is almost as good as DMC, just that sometimes its difficult to block.
As you wander around powering up and collecting new weapons, you occasionally find an odd scroll for a specific weapon, which basically teaches you a new move.
The Graphics:
The grphics of Onimusha 2 is awesome. On top of the fantastically lavish CG the in game graphics are so detailed and beautifully animated. The motion capture used for Jubei is masterful and his attacks are all handled with an almost eerie attention to detail. The level of detail not only in the clothes of characters but their faces and expressions is incredibly high, even though there is no lip-syncing, the gap between game engine cut scenes and CG is definitely closing. Capcom are definitely masters of the graphical arts.
The Sound:
With no original Japanese soundtrack, clumsy warblings that typify offerings from the Resident Evil stables, Capcom are still lagging badly behind other developers. Some of the demons are acted with a gusto that you would expect, the character speech is both an over and under-egged pudding.
The music is good though, the spot effects are 'spot on' and it really is unfortunate that the speech is so up and down.
Buy IT or Rent It??
Well, the biggest question is, how long does Onimusha 2 last?? The answer is, it doesn't last long. Even though you do every sidequest, giving every gifts possible to every person, it is still not very long. If you enjoyed DMC, I hihgly recomend you to buy this game!
Create an Account
Member Login
