Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (2002)

The second entry to the Onimusha franchise is a remarkable sequel that successfully expands on the foundation laid by the original entry. Set once again in a dark, demon-infested version of feudal Japan, the MC this time is called Jubei Yagyu, a wandering samurai seeking revenge after his village is destroyed by the forces of the demonic warlord Nobunaga Oda. From the opening cinematic, it sets an intense tone, combining historical fiction with supernatural horror and stylized action in a way that feels distinctly cinematic for its time.

Gameplay revolves around tight sword-based combat and puzzle-solving in richly detailed pre-rendered environments. The combat system is simple but satisfying, timing parries and using elemental weapons against demons feels fluid and rewarding. Jubei can also absorb the souls of fallen enemies to upgrade weapons and items, a system that gives a light RPG flavor to the otherwise linear progression. One of the major additions in this sequel is the ally system, throughout the story, Jubei can interact with several supporting characters, and his choices, gifts, dialogue, and actions, influence who will join him and how the story unfolds. This feature adds replayability and emotional depth rarely seen in early 2000s action titles.

Visually, the game is stunning for its era, with gorgeously designed backdrops, expressive character models, and cinematic cutscenes that still hold up in terms of atmosphere. The haunting OST and high-quality voice acting enhance the game’s dramatic tone. While this game retains the fixed camera angles and tank-style movement of survival horror titles like Resident Evil, these elements can feel dated or clunky by modern standards. However, they also contribute to the game’s tension and visual storytelling, framing scenes like moments from a film.

Overall, this sequel is a worthy continuation of the series, deeper, more ambitious, and more emotionally resonant than its predecessor. It’s a blend of action, atmosphere, and mythic storytelling, and it remains a must-play for fans of samurai epics and classic PS2-era action games. I tried to finish this in the original hardware back in the day, but bad resource management and hard boss fights prevented me from doing so, not to mention I didn't quite understood the ally system, which can make or break your playthrough.

Having greatly enjoyed the remaster of the original Onimusha, I got myself a copy of the sequel to get more strategic demon slicing action. Even though the core gameplay remains the same, the tone and identity of the second entry are pretty different. Instead of a lonely and foreboding quest, we get light horror wrapped in action movie corniness.

Initially I struggled with the controls. Since the remaster implemented the analog stick, I was surprised to find that the original PS2 games control with the D-Pad resulting in a tanky movement that makes it hard to steer. Dodging was difficult because controls were mapped to the direction the character was facing instead of the direction of the camera.

After braving these inconveniences though, I was happy to find a combat system that benefited from this tankiness. It is thoughtful, methodical, and rewards your mastery of it. The Ihssen techniques (similar to parrying mechanics were you react right before being hit by the enemy) add a great layer of risk reward for players that want to truly master the way of the samurai.

This was highlighted to me by the boss fights, which I found challenging and engaging. Many of them are recurring (similar to Devil May Cry) which allows you to notice your progression and increase in confidence as you advance. Some of these encounters deserve to be remembered as landmark gaming boss fights.

Regarding the story and characters, I found it very entertaining and endearing. Introducing a gift giving mechanic, you can make gifts to several other warriors. You have to figure out their likes and dislikes, as well as take into account the rivalries they have between each other. Everyone is characterized well enough to make it intuitive to figure out what objects will deepen your friendship with them. This leads to branching paths were you will get the help or even get to play with the people you befriended.

The characters are very fun/funny and have a semi-good semi-bad voice acting that works really well with the corniness of many scenes, where machines show up in a feudal setting for no reason and villains have petty arguments over the right to fight you. I really enjoyed the casual interruptions in the adventure to see the interactions with allies and enemies. My favorite one was Magoichi killing Ginghamphatts in seconds with a bazooka. It was anticlimatic and hilarious.. I disliked however how Oyu's warrior badassness was downplayed to make her a damsel in distress romantic interest.

If you are expecting more of the horror atmosphere from the first game, you might be disappointed as this is not fully delivered here. For me, the tone change to action was refreshing and makes the game stand on its own as a unique entry. This is a wonderful game deserving your attention.

P.S. The section where you have to rotate levers really fast with the analog sticks is a sure way to get carpal tunnel. My partner helped me beat it with each of us rotating one of the sticks. Hands were in pain after that. Fuck that sequence.