what i liked:

• the atmosphere in onimusha: warlods hits the right nerve and is delivering a smiliar vibe to resident evil. the sound design is excellent, improving the immersion by a lot. the feel of fighting through endless hordes of demons in a dying world due to an devious demon assault is on point.

• the level design is excellent, with a lot of connectivity and metroidvania kind of gated doors. the game is kinda linear at first, but there will be backtracking at some point to reach new areas with special abilities or obtained keys later on.

• the amount of secrets for a game this small and short is quite something. exploring is intriguing and definitely paying off with worthy consumables, new weapons, armor, lore books, and more. some secrets are very well hidden and takes a decent amount of curiosity to solve.

• interesting boss fights. from a modern standard they're kinda plain and not that hard, but the difficulty is increasing over the course of the game. the bosses are quite diverse and got some interesting and unique encounter designs.

• combat is playing out very well and smooth for such an old game. the gameplay provides a lot of different combat mechanics like normal attacks, different special attacks depending on equiped weapon, blocks, parry, counter attacks, backstabs, finishing blows and some sort of 1vs1 duel. the game doesn't even feel that clunky, so they did a pretty decent job on improving the controls.

• a lot of lore drops and flavor texts to be found all over the place, which provides a decent worldbuilding experience.

• i'm simply enjoying the early 3d retro graphics. if you're enthusiastic for these kind of retro artstyles and graphics, onimusha defintely delivering.

• impressive looking cutscenes for that time of age.

• the story was fine and kept me intrigued enough to keep playing. at the end of the day it wasn't anything particuarly ground shaking or overly complex, but decent enough nonetheless.

• well made reworked version for pc with a decent amount of optimization and improvements.

what felt debatable to me:

~ two characters to play, altough the second one feels kinda bland and more like a side kick. she is mostly there for some two character puzzles or if the main character is trapped somewhere and in danger. otherwise she's kinda weak in combat with almost no upgrades or special attacks, so it's mostly advised to skip all combat parts since there isn't any value to kill a single enemy.

~ the camera angles can get a tad bit confusing and unintuitive at times.

~ can't swap weapons while moving which leaves you vulnerable to enemy attacks in the small areas while switching weapons.

what i disliked:

• windowed mode always comes at the cost of immersion and i really disliked being forced into this setting. it hurts the games well crafted atmosphere a lot.

• there is no option to skip cutscenes which makes certain parts of the game unpleasant to play since there is a high chance of dying and being forced into watching some cutscenes and scripted events multiple times.

8/10

Ok, saying it's just like Resident Evil with swords is unfair to the game, but you can't help but notice Onimusha's roots. Tank-based movement, fixed camera scenes, grotesque enemies, cryptic puzzle boxes... yeah, sounds like Resident Evil, all right.

And yet this game feels more playable and enjoyable than the older Resident Evils. The game has you play the demon slayer Samanosuke, saving Princess Yuki and an orphan from the evil clutches of the Genma in a dark and spooky Japanese castle.

And what a gorgeous castle it is. The fixed camera feels rough for movement, but the set pieces and music are incredible to take in, even at its short length. As for gameplay, the player slashes at enemies (with a more prepared stance in case of focusing on an enemy) and absorbs souls from kills, ranging from experience to powerup swords and orb-like keys, magic for special magic attacks, and vitality for health. It's a system that encourages more action and less resource-hogging like Resident Evil, along with unlimited saves (thank goodness).

The system can feel a bit antiquated to those used to less tank controls in their action, but it's a morsel that's too good to pass up, especially for Resident Evil fans looking for a little more flexibility and combat.

Onimusha: Warlords is a game I have been interested in playing for a very long time. So I finally got around to playing it and god damn it I should have played this sooner. Onimusha: Warlords is a short dose of greatness straight out of the golden era of gaming. 2001 just keeps on giving.

Onimusha: Warlords borrows a lot from the survival horror games of the time. It has tank controls, pre rendered backgrounds, fixed camera angles, puzzles, a bit of back tracking and using items to unlock your way through the game. But instead of being a survival horror it uses these elements to make an action game. So you could kind of say it falls somewhere between Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. However it doesn’t have as well designed locations and puzzles as the best survival horror and the action isn’t on the same level as a Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden.

First of all I want to address the controls. There is the option to use the stick but don’t do that. Use the direction buttons that controls like this were made for, it’s just better. I know there are probably plenty of people that will see fixed camera angles and tank controls and say things like ‘outdated’ or ‘slow and clunky’ or ‘needs modernising.’ To these people, please take a small amount of time and effort to learn to play it. Games should not have to bend to your comfort zone, low effort and taste. It shows a lack of understanding for how things like specific input methods, restrictions or limitations can create amazing gameplay experiences. Videogames were more interesting when we didn’t have standardised controls and it allowed for more unique experiences. The controls in Onimusha: Warlords are excellent. After a brief time getting comfortable with it you will find yourself running smoothly through the environments and weaving your way past enemies without getting touched. Then when you use R1 to lock onto enemies the controls change. Now the directions do quick forward/back/side steps. Perfect for dodging attacks, creating space or closing the distance. It works really well and you’ll be dancing with these demons in no time.

The combat is a bit on the simple side but it’s satisfying and I didn’t tire of it across multiple play throughs. Combined with the controls I just explained you use a sword for basic combos and there is a block, thrust, kick, ground stab and upward slash. You can also perform counters if you attack or block at just the right time. The other attacks you have are magic which is great for tough enemies or dealing with groups but it does run out. Finally you have your ranged weapons, the first one being a bow, which is great for the floating enemies or just attacking from a safer distance. At first I found weapon swapping to be annoying as you can’t do it while attacking or moving but then I remembered this is an old game and you just pause to use the menu to instantly swap equipment or use items. Occasionally you’ll switch to another character which while similar to control is geared more towards evading enemies as they can flip over their heads and they don’t have an incentive to kill enemies.

There are also some other interesting things going on that I liked. First there is the risk/reward constantly in combat. The enemies drop souls when they die which is your currency for upgrades, or health and magic depending on the colour. They float around for a while before disappearing and you need to absorb them. This means stopping and being defenceless during battle or just letting them go but obviously you really need them. Then there is health. Herbs fill some health but medicine works way better. But upgrading an herb to medicine costs souls you need for upgrades. Some upgrades are actually required to unlock some doors as well. Once you are good enough you can actually play through the game without using any health items and without upgrading many things. Despite progression appearing simple and straight forward they found a way to make it interesting and give you more challenges on further play throughs once you’re more skilled. Speaking of further play throughs, I love the way this game progresses. You fumble your way through the first time and then get better and better and faster too with each play through. Then there is also an unlockable mini game, Oni Spirits, and another difficulty unlocked after that.

Onimusha: Warlords is set in 1500s Japan but with horror and demons, so of course it looks cool. It’s also one of the strongest looking early PS2 games and as far as I can tell they’ve done a good job with this remaster. It has great looking backgrounds, characters and enemies and the atmosphere is superb. I have to give a shout out to the CGI cutscenes as well, these would have blown me away back then and are clearly a bit ahead of their time. You play as a samurai, Samanosuke, and a ninja, Kaede, working together to defeat some demons and rescue a princess from becoming a sacrifice because her blood will make Nobunaga, who has an agreement with the demons, much more powerful. It is a solid enough story, with good characters, that is really well paced. It’s fleshed out further by reading the documents found throughout the game. The voice actors do a great job and the soundtrack is good too. I played in Japanese as that just felt right but the English has its own charm as well. By far the biggest problem here is that most cutscenes are not skippable. This is a huge sin in a highly replayable game and could even harm a single first play through if you die too often. I don’t have a problem with the cutscenes but I didn’t need to see them this often and it was frustrating.

Onimusha’s biggest problem though is the length. There is just not enough here. Your first playthrough will likely be less than six hours possibly even less than five. Then further playthroughs will probably be three or under. It feels like a short, small game much more so than the Resident Evil’s of this time. Onimusha: Warlords really needed more everything; more locations, more weapons, more puzzles, more enemies, more documents, more items, more upgrades and more unlockables. I think a couple of hours longer would have been the sweet spot but at least it’s really replayable and it is fun to blast through in one sitting. It is a bit of a shame because Onimusha: Warlords isn’t that far off of standing alongside the GOATs. If only there was more to it, skippable cutscenes and more impressively designed locations and puzzles.

I’m so glad we got this remaster and I hope to see the next Onimusha game get the same. How has this series not been fully revived, remastered and remade? Onimusha: Warlords may not quite be one of the all time greats but it’s still fantastic and not far off. Let me make things really simple. I am off to order an original copy of Onimusha: Warlords and the sequel, Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, which I am really looking forward to. If this game looks appealing to you I would recommend you do the same.

8.7/10

(This was retro game club game #5 on the Grouvee forum.)

Onimusha is a game I figured I would probably like, and I'm pleased to say that indeed turned out to be the case. This is a fun horror hack-and-slash adventure set in the samurai era of Japan. It could be considered an offshoot of Capcom's more famous Resident Evil series, but Onimusha definitely leans more into the action side of things than survival horror (though the haunted setting filled with monsters certainly captures that sort of atmosphere). The story is a simple one -- demons have been unleashed, and you're a samurai trying to rescue a princess.

The game uses fixed camera angles and tank controls, a combo that worked for the original Resident Evil games but may come off as a bit more cumbersome here. (If you buy the re-release of this for modern consoles, you can play with more modern free-roam controls.) Overall I felt movement in the game worked well enough, but I can understand some finding it painful. I did appreciate the way your character automatically attacks toward enemies though, so aiming isn't usually too big of an issue. It's not perfect but I found myself enjoying combat for the most part.

The main gimmick for this one is your ability to absorb souls from fallen enemies. These souls only stick around a couple seconds, and you're left defenseless as you're vacuuming them up -- so it's a game of risk/reward. Red souls are used for weapon upgrades, blue souls recover MP (for special elemental abilities), and yellow souls recover health. You'll really want all of these, but if there are other enemies in your vicinity you'll have to be careful. Get too greedy and you're in for a world of hurt.

At times there are puzzles to solve, and at times you'll play as a ninja friend (with different abilities but no soul-absorbing) -- these segments are nice for giving the game a change of pace, and I still found them enjoyable. The game is not long, but it offers unlockables that encourage multiple playthroughs. One other thing I'll note is that it's a very good-looking game! The level of detail is impressive for its time, and I think the dark and moody environments hold up even now.

Onimusha's first installment is well-worth checking out, and I hope Capcom will re-release some of the sequels one day to make those easy to access too. (It's nice to be able to play with the Japanese voices, if nothing else.)

This is a stylish action-adventure game that mixes fast-paced sword combat with the atmospheric tension of survival horror, which at the time was a very unique design choice, while not very surprising since it was Capcom making the thing. The MC is Samanosuke Akechi, a skilled samurai battling demonic forces in a dark reimagining of Sengoku-era Japan. The game features fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds, echoing the visual style of Resident Evil, but swaps firearms for elemental katanas and magic attacks, while this not making much sense at first glance, it is really easy to grasps once you start playing.

Combat is simple yet satisfying, with light RPG mechanics allowing you to upgrade weapons and absorb souls to power up, though with a very soft touch to it, not very deep or strategic, kind of like the God of War series. While the tank-style controls and short runtime (about five hours) show the game's age, its cinematic presentation, moody soundtrack, and sharp pacing helped define early PS2 action games. It remains a cult classic that laid the groundwork for more ambitious titles like Devil May Cry and Nioh, not to mention it has a few hidden inspirations in the past with very obscure games such as Soul of the Samurai on the PlayStation 1 platform.

Outside its combat, the game also shines in how it blends historical fiction with supernatural horror. The eerie castles, foggy courtyards, and candle-lit corridors create a constant sense of unease, reinforced by clever sound design and sudden enemy ambushes. Puzzle-solving plays a steady supporting role, often tied to environmental exploration and item management, helping to pace the action and prevent combat fatigue. While none of these puzzles are particularly challenging, they contribute to the game’s deliberate rhythm and reinforce its survival-horror roots in a way that feels cohesive rather than tacked on.

What really elevates the experience is its strong sense of identity and restraint. This title knows exactly what it wants to be, delivering a tightly focused adventure that feels polished from start to finish. Its cinematic flair gave the PlayStation 2 an early showcase title with real personality. Even today, whether played via the original release or the later remaster, it stands as a reminder of how Capcom excelled at taking familiar ideas and refining them into something stylish, confident, and influential well beyond its modest length.