Onimusha: Warlords

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 85 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 85
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 85
  3. Negative: 21 out of 85
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  1. Imm0rtal
    Jan 23, 2019
    8
    As a lifelong fan of the series and rating the 'Genma' Onimusha port of this game on the original Xbox as one of my favourite games of all time, I can say this PS4 edition has more than a few shortcomings albeit a great experience and joy to play.

    My first gripe is the lack of a simple skip implementation to the cutscenes, which would've enhanced the overall flow of gameplay - it feels    As a lifelong fan of the series and rating the 'Genma' Onimusha port of this game on the original Xbox as one of my favourite games of all time, I can say this PS4 edition has more than a few shortcomings albeit a great experience and joy to play.

    My first gripe is the lack of a simple skip implementation to the cutscenes, which would've enhanced the overall flow of gameplay - it feels like a chore having to repeatedly revisit a cutscene which takes place before a challenging sequence or boss fight that resulted in your death. This is a game that begs for your full attention and so there is a certain rhythm to the gameplay that is lost having to re-watch cutscenes every time you screw up.

    Newcomers might argue that tank controls are a little outdated and thankfully, the developers foresaw this issue implementing the option to use the left analog stick for movement. I personally feel the strafe mechanics of the game are clearly designed around the use of the D-pad which allows for flawless control of Samanosuke during combat.

    Fixed camera angles are what help define the atmosphere and much like in early Resident Evil titles, the claustrophobic nature of set pieces are a constant reminder that danger lurks around every corner and enemies will be sure to mow you down if your guard isn’t up. Understandably so, here this can seen as a negative, as enemies can potentially pin you to the corners of the screen, overwhelming you as a result which can feel like bad game design. Nevertheless, it’s a minor detail when compared to the overall fluidity of combat as the controls feel especially responsive for a game that requires split second reaction timing in the heat of battle.

    As for visuals, the graphics are what are to be expected from a 2001 release being upscaled for the PS4. Granted, it hasn’t aged as well as other remasters of the sort, and despite the evident pre-rendered background contrasts, what takes centre stage in Onimusha has always been the gameplay, and let’s not forget - this is an 18 year old PS2 game.

    Whilst the action is definitely one of the better strengths of Onimusha, there is also great pacing between solving puzzles, finding chests and deciphering secrets which are plentifully and cleverly scattered throughout the course of the game. You’ll often come across locked doors each with their respective seals giving the player incentive to backtrack to earlier sections once they’ve upgraded their arsenal. Some areas, whilst not all too clearly represented in the game’s lootable maps, could easily be missed during an initial playthrough providing replay value for completionists and trophy hunters alike. In addition to this, an Ultimate difficulty mode becomes available once you have completed the game on any difficulty.

    Given, this is a retouch of the PS2 version of Onimusha, but the aforementioned Genma edition introduced so many new features which, in my opinion, elevated the game’s quality and replay value drastically.
    There was a much higher level of challenge with the inclusion of tougher enemies, bosses and areas to beat. More notably so, were the combat additions which granted players the ability to perform charged attacks and absorb Green Souls -rendering Samanosuke invincible for a short time. These were welcome features which balanced out a heightened level of difficulty by providing a much needed edge when encountering deadlier enemies.
    Exploration, whilst still very present in this PS4 remaster, was also more rewarding in Genma, with more treasures & challenges to seek out and master such as the unforgiving Ogre Tower - an optional detour to the main narrative, where players could test their durability against unrelenting hordes of demons. Luckily, the similar yet inferior Dark Realm segment, also included in Genma, is available in this remaster.

    Hardcore fanatics (myself included) will rejoice at the re-recorded japanese dialogue hidden in the options menu behind the god-awful english dubbed version.
    An all new beautiful score has also been composed in replacement of the original. While it’s a worthy tribute, it makes one wonder what lead them to re-compose what was an already masterful and beloved soundtrack. Compositions like ’Samanosuke’s Theme’, ‘Gale’ or ‘Waterfall Mountain’ amongst other classic and memorable tunes are completely missing which in my humble opinion, really set the tone in Onimusha, making the journey all the more worthwhile.

    Ultimately, I believe this reworked remaster of an absolute classic still delivers today and however much I wish that Capcom would’ve given us a more wholesome game to enjoy, what's left is a gratifying and treasured experience for both old and new audiences willing to play.    … Expand
  2. EddieMaiden
    Jan 30, 2019
    10
    I want you to bear in mind this is one of the first game from the playstation 2 catalogue before reviewing this game.

    -The series originates in Yoshiki Okamoto's 1997 idea to create Sengoku Biohazard, a ninja version of Capcom's own 1996 Resident Evil (known as Biohazard in Japan), set in the Sengoku period and featuring a "ninja house" filled with Booby traps, similar to the mansion    I want you to bear in mind this is one of the first game from the playstation 2 catalogue before reviewing this game.

    -The series originates in Yoshiki Okamoto's 1997 idea to create Sengoku Biohazard, a ninja version of Capcom's own 1996 Resident Evil (known as Biohazard in Japan), set in the Sengoku period and featuring a "ninja house" filled with Booby traps, similar to the mansion from Resident Evil, where battles would be fought using swords and shuriken: "The house will contain hidden doors behind walls, ceilings that fall down to you, scrolls and ninja magic, and many other ninja techniques." The project was originally intended for the Nintendo 64's 64DD.

    Onimusha: Warlords was originally being developed for the original PlayStation, but the project was eventually moved to the PlayStation 2. The half-finished original PlayStation version of Onimusha was then scrapped and never released.-

    Pros:
    +This version has fixed the stale controls, you no longer walk like Resident Evil 1/2/3 or Silent Hill 1 from the playstation one era.
    +The graphics were also greatly improved, especially the face models.
    +The game runs at 60 fps in all consoles , the switch version is no different.

    Cons:
    -The original game has a horrible voice acting and the story is really generic and stupid. (There is no way to fix that)
    -The game is very stale for this era, even after all the fixes and that is why lots of new players will prefer to pick anything else instead of this tittle.

    What makes onimusha series great is how they develop the story of japan with the genma and magic in the middle.

    That supernatural and fantastic part of this series is what makes it great.

    Onimusha series is more oriented to the action genre, instead of the horror and survival from the Resident Evil series.

    The series became great from the 3rd game onwards, when they stopped developing this horror/survival side and improved the action side of the series.

    *Play this game if you want to see where everything began on the Onimusha universe.

    *If you already played this then you will surely enjoy this again as the fixes really make a difference.

    Onimusha 3 and Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams are the best this series has to offer, but for that we need to support this game, so they can make an HD collection or even work on the remaining tittles.    … Expand
  3. MrFutago
    Jan 16, 2019
    8
    The game has surely aged but it did so very gracefully. There are some things that could have been added to it to make it more enjoyable, like skippable cutscenes or the content from Genma Onimusha but none of this distracts from the fact that this game was and is still a very enjoyable experience.
    The biggest new addition to the game are the analogue controls that can be a bit of a two    The game has surely aged but it did so very gracefully. There are some things that could have been added to it to make it more enjoyable, like skippable cutscenes or the content from Genma Onimusha but none of this distracts from the fact that this game was and is still a very enjoyable experience.
    The biggest new addition to the game are the analogue controls that can be a bit of a two edged sword, on the one hand it can make moving around and avoiding attacks from enemies much easier and faster but on the other hand the constantr camera changes can really mess with this style of controls. Overall it works fine, it just needs some getting used to.
    Graphically it still looks like a game from 2001 with upscaled resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, not much else to say here, what you see is what you get.
    One big change to the game however is the soundtrack which was completely changed from its original score, this is obviously highly subjective on whether or not you like the new soundtrack, personally I really enjpoyed the new one, it fits right in with the game and sometimes surpasses the original.
    Combat still feels great, attacks are weighty giving a really satisfying sense of impact, dodging can be a bit iffy with the new control scheme however.
    For level design, it's basically Resident Evil 1, you are in a big house and need to find your way around it to get where you need to go, so lots of backtracking is involved, however that is not a bad thing here. The game does a really good job at givng you directions and even if you get lost, going around the place improves your familiarity with it until you know the castle like the back of you hand. It gpoes a long way to make Ianabayama castle feel like a real place rather than just a series of corridors.
    So in conclusion, you can do a whole lot worse for 20$. Recommended.    … Expand
  4. s1bryant019
    Jan 21, 2019
    8
    Onimusha Warlords holds an extraordinary place in my heart based on my love of samurai lore and PS1/PS2 Capcom products. With that out of the way, I still think that Onimusha holds up as a bite-sized gaming experience. First of all the story is fun action movie schlock. Think of how Capcom handled horror for Resident Evil (RE), the same can be said for Onimusha and samurai films. Over theOnimusha Warlords holds an extraordinary place in my heart based on my love of samurai lore and PS1/PS2 Capcom products. With that out of the way, I still think that Onimusha holds up as a bite-sized gaming experience. First of all the story is fun action movie schlock. Think of how Capcom handled horror for Resident Evil (RE), the same can be said for Onimusha and samurai films. Over the top, terrible but excellent voice acting, and streamlined narrative with little to no deviations.

    The gameplay is still top-notch, and the sword switching and magic are fun to mess around with during combat. The ranged weapons (bows and muskets) are set up like traditional RE games with L1 reading the gun and another to shoot. This is great in RE, but for Onimusha, where the action is quick and punishing, it can be bothersome. I did not use any ranged weapons until I was forced to do so.

    The "remaster" ing is very light, and the game shows its age. The cutscenes and backgrounds all look pixelated and were not optimized. While very impressive for the time they show age and the remastering might as well be an upscaled backward compatible version.

    TL:DR: Overall the game is still entertaining to play but is not a lengthy experience. The action is fun, fluid, and unique to Onimusha. The campaign is cheesy in the best ways, and the upgrades for the remaster are borderline non-existent. For $20 bucks though its great to have Onimusha on a new console. I hope this means the series is back.    … Expand
  5. Kaprawiec
    Jan 15, 2019
    10
    Of course its not a 10 game, but hell I wanted to play onimusha again so much, that I am giving it higher score than it deserves (its about 6,5/10 game) because I want more from this series.
    The question I have is why Capcom decided to port only the first title instead of trilogy OR Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams? This series was getting better with each new part so either 3 or DoD would be    Of course its not a 10 game, but hell I wanted to play onimusha again so much, that I am giving it higher score than it deserves (its about 6,5/10 game) because I want more from this series.
    The question I have is why Capcom decided to port only the first title instead of trilogy OR Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams? This series was getting better with each new part so either 3 or DoD would be perfect for newcomers or to scratch nostalgia itch. Well, its a bit shame because DoD looks better than this "remaster" and DoD was released in 2006...    … Expand
  6. Pouwilli
    Jan 15, 2019
    9
    It's a good game and a good portage. It's onimusha, the resident evil like, but with a katana in japan.
  7. hamedbanaderi
    Jan 16, 2019
    8
    A well-established title that started with one of the best franchises, especially for the PS2 console owners, but today, the PS4 console, and a remix that could be better than that.
  8. Elite_Soldier
    Aug 20, 2021
    8
    I hated how the Chinese culture was put in play as it should have been the American culture. Free America! suuu on the haters. George Washington should have been introduced as the main character, giving a feel on how free America is. Instead, ching chong wala was introduced with his dog eating powers and subtle language choice.
  9. kibowman
    Mar 27, 2020
    8
    A good remaster of a good classic. Every feature that you expect from Capcom is here.
    There's nothing really bad, and there's nothing really stands out in this port. A must buy for ones that played the original.
  10. Metanonymous
    Mar 31, 2019
    10
    This is not so much a review but a wish request. I hope Capcom will not be dissuaded by these scores. Us fans really want to see this series come back. The scores would have been better if it was an HD collection. Release Genma Onimusha, Onimusha 2, and Onimusha 3 on the same disc for $40 and it will sell. Maybe have Dawn of Dreams on the same disc, and unlocked after completing theThis is not so much a review but a wish request. I hope Capcom will not be dissuaded by these scores. Us fans really want to see this series come back. The scores would have been better if it was an HD collection. Release Genma Onimusha, Onimusha 2, and Onimusha 3 on the same disc for $40 and it will sell. Maybe have Dawn of Dreams on the same disc, and unlocked after completing the first 3 games. Or just have it selectable from the start. At least have the other 3 games.

    Then release a brand new game starring Samanosuke. We never knew what happened to him between the 1st and 3rd game. There is a whole story about how he met Gargant that hasn't been explored. Gargant could be the main antagonist. Either that or show us what happened between part 3 and Dawn of Dreams.

    New Oni weapons: Marcellus' Sword and Shield - good for defense, combos with shield bashes. Twin swords - speedy, high combo potential that allows new movement like a ninja. Large heavy broadsword - lower combo count but breaks defense and does severe damage. Allow for real time weapon switching so different combos from different weapons can be used to open up bosses or fight varied groups. Upgrading the weapons unlocks new moves.

    New Armors - 1. updated version of the red armor. 2. The ninja suit from Onimusha 3 opening. 3. New heavy western armor. 4. Actual demon armor that looks demonic. Using different combinations of armor with different weapons unlocks new moves for those weapons and increases effectiveness (ie. ninja suit with twin swords, or sword and shield with western armor).

    Environments - Have whole buildings to explore like the keep from part one but also large, open environments that are interconnected like the Dark Souls games. Bring back puzzle boxes and lock and key exploration.

    The RE engine looks fantastic with DMC5. Use it! Please make it happen Capcom! We really want to see the series come back!    … Expand
  11. James2020
    Jul 12, 2020
    8
    A good remaster to relive the old days. The only problem I see is that this had to be released in a collection format, using Onimusha 1, 2, 3 and dawn of dreams. It did not cost them anything to do if we talk about games that came out for Ps2
  12. Fanian
    Aug 20, 2021
    9
    Onimusha Warlords is action hack-and-slash adventure game released for the PS2 in 2001. I played the HD Remaster on PS4 which is available on all modern consoles.

    Think of a fusion of less complex Devil May Cry combat with Resident Evil puzzles. The game itself is on the shorter side for it's genre, but a very fun game to run through. Combat is pretty simple: use your swords to defeat    Onimusha Warlords is action hack-and-slash adventure game released for the PS2 in 2001. I played the HD Remaster on PS4 which is available on all modern consoles.

    Think of a fusion of less complex Devil May Cry combat with Resident Evil puzzles. The game itself is on the shorter side for it's genre, but a very fun game to run through. Combat is pretty simple: use your swords to defeat ememies and absorb souls in which you use them to make your weapons stronger. The game has fixed camera angles and is an early PS2 game, so don't expect too much detail. But this is a case of less is more because I really enjoyed this game. Story is okay in a sense that you need to rescue the princess kind of deal, but it keeps you engaged as you explore the game. I love the setting which take place in the Sengoku period. The soundtrack is another highlight of the experience. It was actually a scandal in which composer Mamoru Samuragochi who claimed he was totally deaf took the credit for the ost. It was later revealed that he had a ghostwriter named Takashi Niigaki who composed Onimusha and the "Directors Cut Dual Shock Ver." version of the first Resident Evil. Niigaki stated Samuragochi was "posing as a deaf man to generate a mystique around his image as a composer."

    My first playthrough was just under 4 hours, but like the Resident Evil games, the more times you go through it, the faster you get. Minor nuances like not being able to skip cutscenes and not including the extra content in the Original Xbox version "Genma Onimusha" are about all I can complain about. This game inspired mechanics in the first Devil May Cry and was designed to be a "ninja Resident Evil". There are 4 games in the Onimusha series and I plan to play them all. Some better than others, but all fun action-adventure games. Since the remaster didn't meet sales expectations, it seems like we won't be getting any more ports. Back to the PS2 we go!

    8.7. Five and above, give it a shove!    … Expand
  13. MasajaMasta
    Apr 4, 2023
    9
    That's my score. The game is short and sweet. I know it's 2023 when I write this but this game is exactly what I wanted. I like it even more than the second one (first of the series that I played, this is the second one for me) which I didn't expect at all. I guess it is more focused and condensed. I love it.

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019
90
#90 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 26
  3. Negative: 1 out of 26
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 11, 2019
    60
    It was pleasant to relive the birth of one of the most important franchise of the PS2 era... but it’s Resident Evil 2 that shows how one should remaster an older game these days. [03/2019, p.51]
  2. Games.cz
    Feb 25, 2019
    70
    The only thing that’s changed in those 18 years is the resolution. Nevertheless, Onimusha: Warlords still offers very solid gameplay in fantasy medieval Japan. The obsolete game design and camera controls are a bother, but what would you expect from the year 2001?
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Feb 12, 2019
    80
    Playing fast and loose with historical fact, Onimusha: Warlords remains a PlayStation classic. Even some of its questionable design choices can’t dampen the fun. [Issue#159, p.92]
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