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Onimusha The Demon Warrior

Capcom's long-expected samurai RE game finds a home on PS2.
February 17, 2000

Onimusha has had a wild life. First planned and cancelled as a Nintendo 64 cartridge, the game was then moved over to the original PlayStation. However, development on the game never really came together there either, and the action /stealth/suspense game has finally been given a rightful home on a system that can do the elaborately planned game justice -- The PlayStation2.
The game will now be rendered entirely in 3D, and (with the intense power of the PS2) will have realtime cinemas to tell the story of feudal feuds and samurai shogun spirits. Gameplay has not changed much from the original design of strategic snooping and heated sword battles, but the PS2 power will allow entirely new gameplay experiences and more exacting control (much like the evolution seen in RE: Code Veronica). The pace of the game will also be much more varied and exciting, thanks to the massive ammount of RAM available and the super-fast access time of the PS2. Expect the control to be combat oriented, with more action, sword fighting, and spell casting taking the place of Resident Evil's more exploratory and puzzle based gameplay.

Although some of the footage shown here is from the original PlayStation version of the game (and are thus graphically rough), you can see some of the magic weapons that will make their way over to the PS2. Onimusha, the lead character, handles several kinds of weapons, including a Demon Sword, which is able to cast several kinds of magic spells. At least three kinds were shown in the footage -- huge, spherical, electrical attacks, fire-based projectiles, and energy-based shots that shoot forward in narrow blasts. Onimusha's swordplay is also advanced, leading to combos and strategy of striking. There are at least three (surely more) sword attacks -- a down-motion vertical swing, a horizontal attack, and a gut-bursting upper vertical attack.

At least two new bosses have been seen so far, each of which is rich in detail and fresh in design. One boss stands twice the size of Onimusha, and looks like a powerful troll or ogre. In addition to the boss battles and sword play, there are puzzles littered all over the game, including classic challenges such as the swinging ax, as well as new puzzles that take advantage of the polygonal nature of the environments and objects (one puzzles has Onimusha dragging a cannon to an incline, then letting the heavy weapon roll down until it crashes through a wall.

Also new to the PS2 design is an iitem called the Demon Head, a magical tool which works as both a weapon and a shield. More weapons, including several blades, knives, and possible projectiles are being added to the mix, but the balance of the gameplay will determine how many of those new additions will be seen -- with the Demon Head and the Demon Sword, Onimusha is already a specter one shouldn't mess with.

Onimusha is still quite a ways off, and while it has been designed and reconceived quite a bit over the past few years, the game will not be ready to be part of the PS2 launch. The conversion of the 2D maps to 3D is not terribly difficult (though Capcom is enhancing the resolution by quite a bit to take advantage of the PS2), but the balance of the gameplay and the depth of the experience is being reworked and revised so that the game will be distinguished as one of the first great second-generation PS2 games. Already, the game is very promising, so hopefully it's just a matter of time and effort before Capcom has yet another genre-defining masterpiece in its collection.

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Once believed to be the answer to Resident Evil 1&2 for the Nintendo 64, Capcom's ninja-style Resident Evil game was unofficially canned last May. But lo and behold, the title, called Onimusha The Demon Warrior, has risen like a phoenix - and onto a different system, this time PlayStation.

As if PlayStation fans couldn't get enough survival-horror (or survival panic) games with Resident Evil Nemesis and Dino Crisis already on the way, the third-party Japanese developer and publisher announced in Japan this morning the game's arrival on PlayStation. A 3D action-adventure game with more emphasis on action and fighting, Onimusha The Demon Warrior takes place in archaic Japan, the civil war time ruled by Nobunaga.

Capcom Entertainment's official response to its Japanese counterpart's announcement was one of enthusiasm: "While it's the same engine as Resident Evil 2, that's where the comparisons end. It's totally different. Onimusha will arrive on PlayStation, but not this year, probably in mid-2000. Who knows, it could be next year's big E3 title."

Although Capcom made no official statement about its arrival on future systems, IGNPSX speculates that Onimusha may arrive on both Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 sometime next year.

Taking on the role of a samurai ninja, the player's role is to rescue a gorgeous (and not surprisingly helpless) princess who's been swept away by Nobunaga. Using classic ninja weapons, such as swords, katana, and shrunken, players will find that fighting takes the center role here. "It's a sword fighting game with way more emphasis on action -- and a lot of fighting moves," said the Capcom representative.

Using the Resident Evil 2 engine Onimusha places players in highly detailed prerendered backgrounds that blow away even Resident Evil 2's graphics. Refined wood carvings, exquisitely realistic flames, fantastic bridges, streets, and archaic buildings make up the much of the richly textured backgrounds. And of course, high quality CG movies will permeate the game's introduction and storyline.

Utilizing the Resident Evil control system, Onimusha enables players to access two weapons at once, a significant breakthrough over its survival-horror brethren. Central character Akechi Samanosuke can use a katana, and a unique glove-style weapon called the "Demon Hand." Deadly in its touch, the giant claw-like glove slices enemies into bits. The glove will also enhance your Katana. New special abilities, such as a more powerful attack, and special moves, are just a few of them.

Additionally, once players are properly trained, they can execute combo attacks and super moves with the katana, and counter attacks and special moves with the Demon Hand. The Demon Hand is also usable by a number of bosses.

Onimusha translated into English means demon or devil and warrior (thus the second part of the game's name, The Demon Warrior), and is a one-player game due for PlayStation in the year 2000.

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