Onimusha: Warlords

Review

by Jon Thompson

Onimusha: Warlords may disappoint some die-hard fans of survival horror because of its relatively short length and the way it occasionally trades action for atmosphere. But ultimately, anyone who's grown tired of the stagnant genre and its generic attitude will more than likely be presently surprised by this new take the survival horror world. Some might call it Resident Evil with samurai swords, but it is actually a much different beast than its zombie ancestor, and is a better game for it.

Onimusha is, without a doubt, one of the best-looking titles in its genre. Even though it eschews a move toward a fully 3D world, the high resolution, pre-rendered backgrounds highlighting the sordid side of feudal Japan, are phenomenal. The polygonal characters are designed with such detail, all the way down to their facial movements, that they don't feel too out of place in the immaculate backdrops. The effect is nearly seamless and works quite strongly in the game's favor.

The title focuses heavily on action, despite the other genres to which it owes its gameplay, and it honestly doesn't suffer from this aspect. In the Resident Evil games and others of its ilk, you'll find yourself hording ammunition, avoiding monsters and doing everything you can to stay out of conflict. In Onimusha, the combat is all swordplay, and there are no bullets to worry about, so one can slash to their heart's content.

Although it occasionally means you'll have to wander around, fighting the same enemies over and over, the experience system incorporated in Onimusha is quite balanced. It certainly is better to have to fight your way through things than having to scour and backtrack through the map in some glorified scavenger hunt. Even though combat does often boil down to the simple, repetitive slash technique, monsters become tougher and require more strategy as you get further in your adventure, and the magical power of the orbs certainly becomes more important. Armor upgrades and extra weapons like the bow and its myriad of arrows are a useful and welcome addition, as well.

The plot of Onimusha is one of its weaker points, but it is adequate in a pulp kind of way. The voice acting certainly could have been stronger, but one of the neat features is the ability to play with the original Japanese dialogue supplemented by English subtitles. The music keeps the heavy Japanese flavor of the game alive, while ambient noises and the grunts and groans of approaching enemies is top-notch, creating a truly immersing experience for those who journey deep into the game's world.

One of the saddest things about Onimusha is its length. It is not a long game and can be completed quickly even the first time through. This is mainly thanks to its action roots and the fact that it doesn't rely on players running back through the maps to burn time. Still, the small number of options that open up after completion don't do enough to add to the replay value. While it lasts, Onimusha is a great experience that successfully blends several genres into one competent, entertaining package.