Genma Onimusha

The first release of the Onimusha legacy debuted on the PS2 as Onimusha: Warlords early in 2001. It was received well amongst the gaming community, with perhaps the only complaints being that the game was either a bit too short or a bit too easy. Still, the game's presentation and gameplay garnered it a high overall rating; a testament to the overall appeal of the game. Now, some months later, Onimusha returns in a new incarnation know as: Genma Onimusha  for the Xbox entertainment system. Meant to be an enhanced port, Genma Onimusha claims many improved features, including twice the game-length, an increased difficulty level, audio and visual improvements geared for Xbox capabilities, and several new gameplay elements. 

The actual settings of pre-rendered backgrounds of Onimusha contribute to the overall feeling of authenticity to the title. The story of Onimusha places the player in 16th century Japan, but with a fantasy influence and an ominous feel. The creators attribute the highly prolific, and legendary, Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) who was responsible for a huge list of film credits in Japan, including the Japanese writing for the 1960 version of The Magnificent Seven. His list of writing and directing positions is long and impressive, and undoubtedly, Onimusha is not the only work that has been inspired by his work. The Onimusha team has achieved an interesting blend of the more commonly addressed Eastern backdrops with the less likely partner of a "horror/macabre" theme. The opening cinematics have a mercury like look to the metallic armors and the lighting is impressive. Gameplay graphics receive a noticeable upgrade, with 10,000 polygons per character providing for a much smoother texture overall. 

The most obvious changes to gameplay Genma Onimusha won't take long to "smack you in the head." What I mean is that Genma Onimusha not only brings you more enemies, but enemies that pack a more powerful punch. As Samonosuke, the samurai hero of Onimusha, you will start off with only your katana. However, as the game goes on, you will collect not only different kinds of weapons, but you will also need to acquire various orbs to allow you to unlock various seals. Health and magic meters are replenished ala Soul Reaver, with Samonosuke needing to find a quick and convenient moment to suck up the souls of his vanquished enemies. Not only will you need to do this to charge your weapon and replenish your life, but the number of souls you collect will also be important to upgrading your weapon. At save points (magic mirrors, in Onimusha), you will be able to pour any collected souls into your upgrade gauge. Important note: Blocking and evading becomes immensely more important to your survival than the PS2 version!

Now, for something completely different.... Okay, well not completely different, but still it adds more fun to the fray of Onimusha combat. There are two main new elements to Genma Onimusha. The first is the fact that you can hold and charge your weapon for a slightly more powerful attack. It will charge from yellow, to red, to an "electrified" red (for the lack of a better term). This ability, however, takes time (that you might not have when you're being surrounded) and expires on first swipe. Next, are the Green Soul Orbs. If you thought you already had enough to keep track of, you, or the demons, can play tug of war with Green Souls. If they get it, they become super powered. If you get enough to fill your meter - you will have a helpful resurrection that will prevent you from getting the ominous "Died" splattered in blood like fashion across your screen. 

Which brings me to the controls. I can confidently say that the button controls are quite logically and comfortably situated, even if you're not quite as used to the Xbox controllers as you might be with other platforms. What does pose a bit of a learning curve is the fact that all of your movement (including the direction you face) is confined to the directional pad. The automatic camera angle does painlessly compensate for this awkward movement most of the time, but once in a while, you find yourself in an bad angle visually and before you know it, you're getting hammered by enemies you can't see. It's hard to describe the kind of restriction you feel with being limited to one control pad, but with a little work, it can be done. 

Puzzle solving in Genma Onimusha does exactly what it's supposed to do in an action title. The puzzles in Genma Onimusha slow you down just enough to recall the plot and the setting of the title, but aren't so involved that they lose the interest of the hardcore action gamers. The difficulty levels of the puzzles are a step above "gimmies" and usually you will figure them out fairly quickly. Amongst the brain teasers are both physical puzzles and thinking/reading puzzles. There's also a mini game that can be unlocked will allow you to gain some extra bonuses. In addition, you can also unlock addition costumes.

While the Xbox version of Onimusha does deliver the promised double-length gameplay, it's still easily a game that can be won during a typical rental period. The plot itself, while added to, isn't where most of the changes were made - so gamers who have played the PS2 version probably won't find any surprises if they give the Xbox version a go-round. What PS2 gamers will notice is the undeniable increase in the number of enemies and the much harder time they will have in killing them. The addition of the few new features does kind of balance out all of the changes, and it does breathe a little new life into the game if you are replaying. I would, without a doubt, recommend giving the game a shot if you haven't already. However, for those of you who don't tend to replay games once you've conquered them, you will probably only want to rent this one.

Graphics: 8
The increased poly count gives Genma Onimusha a smoother and more intense palette than it's PS2 predecessor (which was impressive to begin with), but it still doesn't feel as if it pushes the limit the Xbox capabilities. The opening cinematics are beautiful, especially the way any metallic shades seems to flow and shine like liquid precious metals. 

Sound: 9
If you've seen my review for the score of Onimusha, you'll know exactly why I feel that the music aspect of Genma Onimusha is superior - especially with that Xbox Dolby 5.1 to enhance the experience. If you haven't, let me just say that Capcom put forth extraordinary consideration in taking into account the importance a powerful score can have for a fulfilling game experience. With a magnificent blend of traditional Eastern instruments and the power of a full oprchestra, the music does a wonderful job ion adding to the ambience of Onimusha. Voice acting and sound effects were average.

Concept: 7
Genma Onimusha is a nice upgrade from the original, but it toes the line when considering whether or not it's worth buying again if you have the PS2 version. The boasted "twice the original gameplay" is mostly due to an increased quantity and strength/power of the enemies. The storyline itself does not change, but there are a few added areas and cut scenes. The action and audio/visual aesthetics really drive the game more than the plot itself. 

Overall: 8
Genma Onimusha accomplishes exactly what the package claims. Genma is more difficult, twice as long (although still overall short enough for a rental), visually enhanced, a few new twists on the combat system, and enjoys some great sound capabilities for those of you who have your Xbox Dolby 5.1 ready to fire up. While the story itself isn't entirely unique/captivating, it has fast paced action gameplay and an interesting dark twist on the Eastern action setting.