Everywhere on the net, people are singing the praise of Onimusha,
the second game from Capcom to appear on Playstation 2. This game
is a true first hit on the PS2. This massive popularity is
probably the reason I had to try 2 video stores several times before
I was able to get my hands on a rental copy. The hassle to get this
game was, for the most part, worth it.
Onimusha is set in feudal Japan. Two clans, the Oda and Saito
families, are trying to establish their rule on the island nation.
The opening movie, which is spectacular, is a battle between the
forces of these clans. At the end of this horrific battle, Nobunaga,
the leader of the Oda Clan, is killed. He is then resurrected by
an evil clan of demons, with whom Nobunaga signs a pact with so
he could then over the world (Sound familiar?).
Nobunaga and the demon clan then kidnap Princess Yuki of the Saito
to use her in a dark ceremony that is key to making the demonic
plan work. Two human travelers, Samonosuke the samurai and Kaeda
the female ninja, are brought into the conflict by the friendship
that Samonosuke and Yuki share. What goes from there is a story
that could be right out of the pages of oriental mythology.
The game is basically similar to Capcom’s infamous Resident Evil
series, involving attacking baddies, puzzle solving and deep characters.
Being set in feudal Japan, the guns of Resident Evil are switched
out for different types of swords and orbs that allow Samonosuke
to utilize the powers of wind, fire and lightning. As the last sentence
suggests, a truck load of Eastern mysticism.
This weapon swap makes the game itself based more on technique
than in Resident Evil, where players could use a gun to take out
a bad guy/girl before they are close enough to hit them. Now, players
have to master the use of their weapon and the art of dodging to
vanquish the myriad of foes that await them.
The enemies range from low class demons, who have cool little
hats that can be kicked off, to a giant snake-dragon-demon who is
the end boss. Different enemies have different attack styles, making
battle much more interesting. When defeated, their souls fly away
and Samonosuke can seal them to his gauntlet, which he will the
later use to increase the power of his weapons and orbs.
This adds a strategy element to the game as well. Some doors can
only be opened by the orbs and even more advanced doors require
that the orb be on a certain level before access is granted. On
the other hand, players will want to level up their swords so they
can cause more damage to the opposition. It is a fine balancing
act to have the best of both world and get to where you need to
go.
As with most Capcom games, secrets are hidden throughout that
enhance gameplay. A secret panda-bear suit, a mini-game and a trailer
for the sequel, Onimusha: Warlords 2, are among the goodies.
The game has some flaws though...one being the mouth-voice coordination.
The lip syncing rarely matches the words being spoken. Sometimes,
mouths are moving and no words are heard and vise-versa. One possible
explanation of this is that the mouths may have been set to say
the Japanese script, which is available in the game.
That problem is nit-picking though, because the mouth movements
being changed to English on Sega’s Shenmue caused the game to be
a year late so it is a forgivable mistake.
Another woe is that the story does not say what happens to all
of the characters at the end. Some of the cast has closure but other
key members are just completely dropped, leaving a void in the story.
Another weak point in the story, as mentioned above, was it’s dependence
on what comes off as New Ageism (It's Japanese mysticism but since
that's where a lot of new game ideas get their stuff, it comes off
that way to those less familiar with ancient Japanese mythology),
which will turn thousands of people, including myself, off.
Overall, the excellent graphics and unique action will leave most
players a little more than just satisfied. Just rent it before paying
50 dollars though.
Joshua
