Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Mar 7, 2006
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
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  1. 1UP
    70
    Dawn of Dreams is a solid action game with a lot more play in it than its predecessors. More importantly, it's a title that shows that Capcom isn't afraid to mess with the formula.
  2. Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
    70
    Will appeal to first timers, butthe changes made will alienate many of Onimusha's staunchest fans. A grower, but vintage 'Musha it ain't. [Apr 2006, p.97]
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  3. GameShark
    67
    Onimusha definitely has what it takes to be a fun game, but I think the developers dropped the ball in a couple of areas - especially with the absence of any kind of multiplayer, and the lack of graphical enhancements.
  5. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    62
    Dawn's unlockable goodies will give "Street Fighter" fans a surefire boost, but anyone simply looking for an evolution in Onimusha will leave feeling shortchanged. [Apr 2006, p.103]
  6. Edge Magazine
    60
    For a reinvention, it has an almost parodical lack of surprises: You’ve seen every abandoned village, sacked castle and anachronistic laboratory before, with the more striking imagery suggested by the game’s plague of tainted cherry blossoms all but ignored until the final stage. [Apr 2006, p.80]
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  7. RewiredMind
    60
    While it is playable – Onimusha enthusiasts will still probably enjoy it – there isn’t a huge amount here that you won’t find in previous instalments. And that’s it; ultimately there just isn’t anything here that hasn’t been done better by another game.
  8. Eurogamer
    60
    The combat's fluid, relatively deep and involving once it gets going, but it's also a wholly repetitive game that's been surpassed in so many meaningful ways that you can't simply be content with 'more of the same' anymore.
  9. Boomtown
    60
    It’s horribly unbalanced (you can walk out of one boss fight straight into another with no save ability in-between). It’s still a goof game on a purely destructive level – where the hacking and slashing is as good as the series has to offer.
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  10. 3DAvenue
    60
    There comes a point in playing Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams when you realise that it's been somewhat lengthened via regrettably cheap tactics -- things like recycled game bosses, repetitive game sections and even some backtracking for the sake of making each of the game's chapters longer.

Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Best PS2 Game of 2006
45
#45 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2006
42
#42 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 103 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 103
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 103
  3. Negative: 4 out of 103
  1. ChrisP
    Oct 26, 2009
    10
    This is one of the best games in game history. I love how the missions can start of as easy then moderate and very difficult. I hope capcom This is one of the best games in game history. I love how the missions can start of as easy then moderate and very difficult. I hope capcom make some more games of the onimusha series.… Full Review »
  2. VAIOSONY
    Mar 18, 2006
    10
    THIS IS ONE OF MY FAV GAMES YOU KNOW WHAT MY FAV GAME I LOVE THIS GAME TO A POINT WHERE I WILL PAY UP TO A $100.00 IF THATS THE ONLY PRICE ITTHIS IS ONE OF MY FAV GAMES YOU KNOW WHAT MY FAV GAME I LOVE THIS GAME TO A POINT WHERE I WILL PAY UP TO A $100.00 IF THATS THE ONLY PRICE IT WILL STAY AT THIS GAME IS GREAT GUYS WHO EVER DID NOT PLAY THIS GAME NEED TO GET YOUR HANDS ON IT AND PLAY IT BUT YOU WANT MY WORD TRY TO PLAY 1 2 AND 3 BY THEN THE NEW ONE WILL BE CHEAP IF YOU PLAY 1 AND 2 THEY ARE THE BEST I REALLY LIKE THEM 3 WAS GOOD TOO BUT I CANT WAIT TILL I GET THE 4 I THINK 4 IS GOING TO BE NICE BUT TO BAD THE REAL HERO IS NOT ON BUT THATS WHY ITS CALLED DAWN OF DREAMS BUT SOMEHOW ONIMOUSHA 3 IS INVOLVED IN THIS ONE TOO ANYWAY GUYS GO GET 1 2 AND 3 AND PLAY THEM TRUST ME YOU WILL NOT BE SICK OF THIS AND YOU WILL JUST KEEP ON PLAYING =)… Full Review »
  3. AlienSpaceBats
    Mar 26, 2014
    6
    Capcom clearly went for mass market appeal here; characters straight out of a Final Fantasy game, complete with sub-par, "annoying anime"Capcom clearly went for mass market appeal here; characters straight out of a Final Fantasy game, complete with sub-par, "annoying anime" voice-overs. The survival horror tone from the previous games has given way to hack & slash and hack & slash action. Puzzles remain, but they're pathetically easy; in their place we have irritating time trials (ie: perform 5X finisher moves in 4 minutes). Enemies feel cheap and sh!tty, especially later on, and have nasty habits like ganging up on you and spamming knockdown attacks. Dawn of Dreams also has a really crappy habit of giving you a big boss monster to fight RIGHT AFTER you've just fought a (smaller) boss, and used up all your health, potions, etc. For the most part, these are time consuming, annoying, frustrating and require little skill, much like the rest of the game, it's Mash X to win (square, if you're being picky)... An OK game, but not recommended.… Full Review »
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