Onimusha: Warlords

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 139 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 112 out of 139
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 139
  3. Negative: 7 out of 139
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  1. DunnieDash
    Feb 13, 2013
    10
    A truly revolutionary game for its time, Onimusha firmly created a hybrid of a cinematic experience in games. With breath taking graphics, good controls, and a classic, epic story, Onimusha is a classic Among PS2 games.
  2. AlienSpaceBats
    Mar 26, 2014
    8
    Resident Evil meets samurai in Sengoku-period Japan. More hack and slash than survival horror, combat is decent, if limited; but was impressive for its time. Features one almost game-breaking puzzle (THE WATER TRAP) and some less threatening demonic entities - easily sliced. Lots of fun, great atmosphere.
  3. Jouna92
    Dec 26, 2013
    8
    If you are in any way slightly interested in Resident Evil style games or action games, Onimusha is a must-have. Very nice features like weapon upgrading system. Gamepay is brilliant, graphics really good and the score is amazing. Where the game does fall down a bit is in its length.
  4. StripperRex
    Apr 16, 2017
    8
    I completed this game yesterday, and is incredible how short it is and how satisfactory is his poor length game. In terms of history is good, but nothing outstanding, is easy to follow, the characters are well made but they haven't deep writing on them. Talking about the gameplay, it's basically Resident Evil with katanas, if you haven't experienced a gameplay like that, it can be rough atI completed this game yesterday, and is incredible how short it is and how satisfactory is his poor length game. In terms of history is good, but nothing outstanding, is easy to follow, the characters are well made but they haven't deep writing on them. Talking about the gameplay, it's basically Resident Evil with katanas, if you haven't experienced a gameplay like that, it can be rough at the beginning but you will adapt with no difficulties. Finally the best point in my opinion is the level design, only saying that i was very impressed looking how complicated and well made can be made a map that is only a mansion, how distinct are the areas between them and how well made are the enemies in terms of complexity and quantity per level.… Expand
  5. AKthaBeast
    May 14, 2018
    9
    Great story and excellent game however coming from playing games using the joysticks it was hard to revert back to the game pad....
  6. JamesDrawsThngs
    Aug 10, 2020
    8
    Resident Evil with samurai. That basic idea alone is what sold me on playing Onimusha, and man am I ever glad that I got to experience it. Considering how many hit titles Capcom released on the PS2, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this series until much later. Better late than ever, because this has instantly become one of my new favorites for the system.

    You play as Samanosuke Akechi,    Resident Evil with samurai. That basic idea alone is what sold me on playing Onimusha, and man am I ever glad that I got to experience it. Considering how many hit titles Capcom released on the PS2, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this series until much later. Better late than ever, because this has instantly become one of my new favorites for the system.

    You play as Samanosuke Akechi, a wondering samurai that is on a quest to save princess Yuki from demons planning to use her for a sacrificial ritual. The plot is simple and to the point, with characters that get introduced only to never get closure in this game and are simply left as sequel bait, which honestly is disappointing. The English voice acting is deliciously B-Grade, giving it a campy, old-school samurai dub feel (complete with dialogue hardly every matching the lip-syncing). The soundtrack, though, is legitimately excellent with pieces that range from bombastic and triumphant to earie and atmospheric. Visually the game looks. Much like the first handful of Resident Evil games, it utilizes pre-rendered backgrounds with 3D models and it has aged very gracefully. Some of the humans look a bit weird, but the monster designs look excellent.

    If you have ever experienced an old-school Resident Evil game, you'll be immediately familiar with how Onimusha is structured. It's an action game where you fight various enemies, collecting key items, solving puzzles and defeating the occasional boss. The game utilizes tank controls which, while cumbersome at first, don't take much time to get used since the game was designed with those controls in mind, pairing well with the game's fixed camera angles. The game offers a good variety of enemies with different attack patterns and behaviors, and many of the late-game mooks can put up a good fight. The combat is rather simplistic, but can be very satisfying, whether its from striking down a powerful enemy, using magic to mow down a crowd of them, or just enjoying the juicy slicing of your sword through flesh (I swear I don't have problems). The game is very short too. If you know what you're doing you get beat the game in a few hours, which makes it very replayable to go through as you'll want to see if you can beat the game in a faster time and get the highest grade possible.

    As you defeat enemies you can absorb different colored souls. Red souls are currency, allowing you to upgrade your weapons attack power as well as being able to break certain sealed doors. Red souls can also be used to upgrade items, like turning herbs into medicine or regular arrows into fire arrows. Yellow souls are for health and can become a precious commodity in the late game and blue souls refill your magic meter. You can often get these souls by utilizing the magical properties of your weapons. One neat detail that I like is that each elemental sword you obtain has their own separate magic meter, making it ideal for bosses and crowds of enemies. While most of the main puzzles you experience in the game are very light, you will come across the occasional trick box that only allow you a certain number of moves to unlock it, and a couple of them can leave very stumped.

    The game is not without its blemishes. For starters, I really don't like how each weapon has two separate upgrades for general weapon strength and seal strength. In order to access certain doors in the compound you'll need to have the seal strength up to a certain level depending on how many there are on the door, forcing you to prioritize that over upgrading your weapon strength, which will cause you to have to grind a bit in order to fully upgrade everything, and you'll need those stronger weapons for some of the late game challenges. It can also be very easy to be overwhelmed by enemies, which can lead to you getting stun-locked or in a position where it's difficult to gather the souls left behind by enemies. The enemies can also knock you back and end up turning you around, causing you to forget your position and moving or swiping the wrong way. You are also given several different maps in the game, but I found them to be ultimately useless. Not just because I thought it was rather simple to memorize the general layout of each area since the compound itself isn't too big, but because the map doesn't offer a legend for any of them that tells you what each color-coded item represents.

    Onimusha can have its moments of frustration, but that ultimately doesn't change the fact that I think this is an excellent game, one where not only RE fans get a kick out of but also for people that absolutely dig the feudal Japanese setting and lore.    … Expand
  7. ZiggyStardust
    Jan 15, 2002
    4
    Yik! This game left a very bad taste in my mouth. A grand total of 3 hours of gameplay and the fun is over. Let's see, that's comes to 44 cents (Canadian) per minute. Damn it, why don't i flush my money down the toilet while I'm at it (sorry for the dramatics).
  8. AnonymousMC
    Aug 13, 2002
    4
    onimusha is ridiculously short. it took 3 hours (actually 3 hours and 11 minutes to be exact; but it would take a lot less on my 2nd time through i bet) to beat; and i was taking my time. it was very fun while it lasted though. very good story. not a lot of replay value since it has a lot of long movie sequences which you are forced to watch every time you play. it's alsoonimusha is ridiculously short. it took 3 hours (actually 3 hours and 11 minutes to be exact; but it would take a lot less on my 2nd time through i bet) to beat; and i was taking my time. it was very fun while it lasted though. very good story. not a lot of replay value since it has a lot of long movie sequences which you are forced to watch every time you play. it's also super easy to beat which i hate in games. you basically just go through the motions and you will beat it automatically. the control also is a little simple and button mashy in style. so in summary, if you don't mind a no challenge, no skill, and ultra short game, this game absolutely rules. … Expand
  9. ArkonBlade
    Jan 6, 2011
    7
    take resident evil set it in ancient japan with demons instead of zombies and switch the guns with swords and you get this game. the games story is fairly decent the charicters are just ok i guess and the voice acting is bairly passable . the game is alot of fun though . the sword play and boss fights are great . there are some good puzzles to the game . i really liked the water puzzle .take resident evil set it in ancient japan with demons instead of zombies and switch the guns with swords and you get this game. the games story is fairly decent the charicters are just ok i guess and the voice acting is bairly passable . the game is alot of fun though . the sword play and boss fights are great . there are some good puzzles to the game . i really liked the water puzzle . the graphics where great in there day . the real downer of this game is just how short it is . its easily beatin in just 3-4 hours which is just way to short . i do feel abit screwed just abit payin $50 for a game that can be beatin that fast. still its a fun game and the start of a solid new series.… Expand
  10. Tubie
    Oct 3, 2010
    10
    Even with all the hype this game delivers, great graphics and extremely engaging story makes this game a must have for any PS2 owner. Just come with no expectations and let the game be what it is.
  11. Genek13
    Nov 20, 2019
    8
    Somehow I played this game on my PC XD Didn't realise that there is only a PS2 version.
    How ?? No IDEA XD
    But game was great back in 2002 when I first played on my PC.
    Great combat, story and atmosphere.
  12. RobertB.
    Jun 12, 2001
    8
    Sort of a combination between "Zelda" and "Resident Evil" (and, IMO, far better than the latter). Spending a weekend with this game gave me another good reason to get a PS2 before "Metal Gear Solid 2" comes out.
  13. SimonB.
    May 7, 2001
    10
    It's the greatest PS2 game.
  14. ArranH.
    Jul 4, 2001
    10
    I think that this game is the 2nd best down from "Resident Evil Code Veronica" definitely.
  15. KevinB.
    Jul 7, 2001
    10
    I did not emerge from my room to see the light of day for a few days while playing this game.
  16. Sasha
    Apr 18, 2002
    9
    This is an excellent game. Great story, freaky demons and awesome weapon upgrades. Only bad thing is that its very short, I beat it in 5 hours.
  17. RyanM.
    Jul 25, 2003
    9
    A super fun hackinslash, in-depth, game with enjoyable cinematics and graphics that hold their own. This is a great game with an awesome weapon system, and great plot. get this game and you won't regret the couple hours of enjoyment you get.
  18. SamonuskeNobunaga
    Apr 24, 2004
    6
    The hack & slash becomes easily boring. Don't expect fluid slashes like Devil May Cry. Even though you get new weapons, it immediatly feels repetitive when you hack & slash enemy's. Guess i am more used to Devil May Cry. Anyway, the puzzles are really fun. Some are kinda difficult but for the rest... just plain fun. The storyline is interesting. The game is quite short. It The hack & slash becomes easily boring. Don't expect fluid slashes like Devil May Cry. Even though you get new weapons, it immediatly feels repetitive when you hack & slash enemy's. Guess i am more used to Devil May Cry. Anyway, the puzzles are really fun. Some are kinda difficult but for the rest... just plain fun. The storyline is interesting. The game is quite short. It beated it in almost 7 hours. The pre-rendered graphics really annoy me A LOT. Sometimes i did not had a clue where i should go. Or the slow transitions from a pre-rendered area to other pre-rendered area really tested mine patience. In the end...... it is a decent game. Onimusha 3 looks more interesting though (but i have yet to play Onimusha 2).… Expand
  19. Chris
    Jun 24, 2001
    5
    One of the most overrated games on the PS2. I finished it in 3 days.
  20. AnonymousMC
    May 11, 2002
    5
    onimusha is ridiculously short. it took 3 hours (actually 3 hours and 11 minutes to be exact; but it would take a lot less on my 2nd time through i bet) to beat; and i was taking my time. it was very fun while it lasted though. very good story. not a lot of replay value since it has a lot of long movie sequences which you are forced to watch every time you play. it's alsoonimusha is ridiculously short. it took 3 hours (actually 3 hours and 11 minutes to be exact; but it would take a lot less on my 2nd time through i bet) to beat; and i was taking my time. it was very fun while it lasted though. very good story. not a lot of replay value since it has a lot of long movie sequences which you are forced to watch every time you play. it's also super easy to beat which i hate in games. you basically just go through the motions and you will beat it automatically. the control also is a little simple and button mashy in style. so in summary, if you don't mind a no challenge, no skill, and ultra short game, this game absolutely rules. … Expand
  21. VarunB.
    Aug 12, 2005
    9
    More than a good game, it's great...gamers will be amazed by the graphics and cinematics, while being engrossed in the story. The level up feature is pretty cool as well. The fighting system is easy to learn, and requires great timing to master. The game is quite short, but has some replay value...a good buy for the PS2.
  22. Rox22
    Mar 29, 2013
    8
    I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this game. Going in I really had little idea what to expect, all I knew was that it was supposed to be a Devil May Cry wannabe set in ancient Japan. Boy was that a bit off mark. While it is a slasher in a similar sense to DMC it is more of a horror game. The action is good, the visuals are pretty and the overall design something really differentI was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this game. Going in I really had little idea what to expect, all I knew was that it was supposed to be a Devil May Cry wannabe set in ancient Japan. Boy was that a bit off mark. While it is a slasher in a similar sense to DMC it is more of a horror game. The action is good, the visuals are pretty and the overall design something really different and new. However it did feel a little basic and simple at times. Overall: I had a blast with this game and was pleasantly surprised just how much I grew to like it.… Expand
  23. abraham_b
    Feb 9, 2014
    8
    The game looks and plays beautifully. The cinematic experience you get with this game was something new to the time and the camera angles actually fit in and work pretty well, despite them being criticised.
  24. SAV
    Jul 2, 2015
    8
    Inizialmente previsto per la prima PlayStation, Onimusha: Warlords uscì infine sulla seconda console da salotto di casa Sony. Trattasi di un riuscitissimo hack and slash in cui, nei panni del prode samurai Samanosuke, dovremo avventurarci nel misterioso castello di Inabayama per salvarlo dall'invasione delle truppe demoniache capeggiate dal loro re Fortinbras. Divertente, graficamente benInizialmente previsto per la prima PlayStation, Onimusha: Warlords uscì infine sulla seconda console da salotto di casa Sony. Trattasi di un riuscitissimo hack and slash in cui, nei panni del prode samurai Samanosuke, dovremo avventurarci nel misterioso castello di Inabayama per salvarlo dall'invasione delle truppe demoniache capeggiate dal loro re Fortinbras. Divertente, graficamente ben fatto e dotato di fascinose atmosfere da Giappone feudale, Onimusha: Warlords é certamente uno dei più grandi classici dell'era PS2. Peccato solo per la longevità molto ridotta che si aggira attorno alle 6 ore.… Expand
  25. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Sep 23, 2021
    8
    This samurai-themed action-adventure is in the tradition of Resident Evil. It's a fantasy take on a historical story featuring demons instead of zombies. The game also kicked off a sub-genre of action titles which included Devil May Cry, God of War and Ninja Gaiden. Featuring superb graphics, challenging combat and numerous puzzles, Onimusha was a must have for any PS2 owner at the time ofThis samurai-themed action-adventure is in the tradition of Resident Evil. It's a fantasy take on a historical story featuring demons instead of zombies. The game also kicked off a sub-genre of action titles which included Devil May Cry, God of War and Ninja Gaiden. Featuring superb graphics, challenging combat and numerous puzzles, Onimusha was a must have for any PS2 owner at the time of release. I would rate this with an 8.4 out of 10.… Expand
  26. Haoumaru
    Oct 2, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. História consistente boa jogabilidade, tempo de gameplay considerável e muito divertido um clássico do Playstation 2!… Expand
  27. KingTaku97
    Jul 18, 2020
    8
    Pros:
    Authentic environments of Sengoku period Japan
    Fantastic Combat with a Resident Evil style to it and customization options
    Great Puzzles

    Cons:
    Character Models really show their age and are dated
    Only 6 hours of total playtime

    Overall. a very good game from the PS2 era
  28. AmadeusSavoy
    Apr 12, 2021
    2
    После прохождения классической трилогии DMC в этот кусок каловой массы просто невозможно играть. Больше скажу, в неё в принципе играть невозможно, из-за максимально корявой боевой системы, имеющей в себе 2 удара и блок. Постановка камеры - моё почтение, каждые два пикселя угол камеры меняется, по этому любая битва (особенно если она против босса), превращается в эпилептическую рулетку. НеПосле прохождения классической трилогии DMC в этот кусок каловой массы просто невозможно играть. Больше скажу, в неё в принципе играть невозможно, из-за максимально корявой боевой системы, имеющей в себе 2 удара и блок. Постановка камеры - моё почтение, каждые два пикселя угол камеры меняется, по этому любая битва (особенно если она против босса), превращается в эпилептическую рулетку. Не имею ни малейшего понятия, каким образом эта игра стала сколь угодно культовой, когда рядом стоит DMC, даже убогая вторая часть которой уделывает любую онимушу буквально во всём.… Expand
  29. Txuso
    Feb 27, 2023
    8
    Clasicazo que veía en la revista play2manía y me preguntaba de qué iría... Buenísimo ver como un Resident Evil de zombies puede ser implementado de forma tan divertida... una pena que solo dure 4 horas.
  30. Warrior_of_Doom
    Jul 19, 2023
    9
    The overall score is based on how much fun I personally had with every component of the game
    and the overall experience.
  31. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    7
    It was fine. I dont remember beating it, but I liked the ambiance and the fighting

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PS2 Game of 2001
26
#26 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2001
28
#28 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Happy Puppy
    80
    The fact that you get sent back to the original load screen every time our friend Samanoske meets his untimely death is unforgivable, but it's not something that should keep you away from an otherwise first-class game.
    Read full review
  2. Cincinnati Enquirer
    88
    It may not be a lengthy adventure, but it sure is an intense and gratifying one.
    Read full review
  3. Daily Radar
    75
    Fits like a familiar old glove (or gauntlet), but smoother, better-fitting and lined in fine, Japanese, brocaded silk.
See all critic reviews »