In the first game of the series, Onimusha: Warlords, Samanosuke Akechi received a letter from his cousin Princess Yuki asking him to rescue her from imminent danger. She observed that most of their servants are disappearing and strange events have been happening in the castle. Samanosuke was too late however. And what was supposedly a rescue mission turned out be a quest to rid the world of a much greater threat.
The objectives of the first game are quite easy to follow. The player also has to remember everything he sees in the castle (doors to be opened, puzzle boxes, etc.) as some of these will help unlock items needed in the game.
The boss fights aren't difficult as long as the player remembers the pattern of the enemy's attacks. Surviving the Dark Realm was much more challenging if you ask me, but I recommend the player to complete the Dark Realm levels because the prize will be pretty useful in the final boss fight.
Samanosuke will also meet other characters here, including a ninja, Kaede, who will help him find the princess.
I loved the puzzles. It's the thing I enjoyed most in this series. The only thing I didn't like in the first game was not being able to skip the cut-scenes.
In this game, Samanosuke doesn't get to fight Nobunaga yet.
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
This game is a continuation of the first but the player meets a new character.
Jubei Yagyu, leader of the Yagyu clan came home to find his people massacred by Nobunaga's army. It was through this tragic event that he met his mother, the oni Takajo. Takajo compelled him to stop Nobunaga's plans. Being a part of the Oni clan, Jubei was given the power to absorb the souls of the Genma to help him in his quest.
One of the features I like in this game is gifting. Jubei will meet three heroes in Imasho, Ekei Ankokuji, Kotaro Fuma and Magoichi Saiga, whom he will befriend. Depending on the level of friendship, one of the characters will help Jubei in certain situations. Friendship can be improved by gifting and making sure the character is happy with the gift. I found Magoichi the hardest one to please.
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| From left to right: Magoichi, Ekei, Kotaro, and Oichi. |
These characters will also determine the path of the scenario in the game. Another feature that wasn't in Warlords.
The player can also upgrade Jubei's armor. Conversations with other characters and bystanders is also important here. By talking to people, the player can get items or gold.
The Dark Realm has a bigger area than the first game and is slightly more difficult.
I enjoyed fighting with Gogandantess (before I acquired the flute) although it was quite obvious after a while that I can't defeat him yet.
The player will finally get to fight Nobunaga for the first time. The last boss fight was pretty awesome.
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
You guessed right. Nobunaga didn't die yet. Well, he did but he was resurrected again by the Genma. In this game however, the stakes are higher and the enemy has found a way to travel through time.
In the second game, it was implied that Samanosuke has been missing for years ever since he defeated Fortinbras. The opening scene of this third installment however shows that he's been pursuing and trying to stop the Genma all along.
In the second game too the player is given a chance to play other characters but in this game, Jacques Blanc isn't just a supporting character. He was also granted the power of the Oni to stop the Genma from destroying the modern world. The player will have to juggle between two characters and different settings. Jacques had no choice but to cooperate to stop the demons from traveling through time and destroy his family and everyone around him.
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| Samanosuke and Jacques |
Time travel is possible through a Tengu named Ako. She will also help in acquiring items. Her vests will also be of great use during combat. I recommend using the White vest in the Dark Realm. This will help conserve the medicines and herbs. The player will also get to fight machines made by Guildenstern, and the scientist himself, for the first time as well as fight alongside an army in the later part of the game.
The difficulty of the bosses are quite the same as the first two games but the player has to watch out for the three-headed guard dog. It was easy to defeat Nobunaga using the Bishamon sword acquired from the Dark Realm so I recommend them to go through that.
The puzzles are trickier, though I wish there were more of those puzzle boxes with patterns on them that you have to complete like in the first game.
***
Overall, it's a pretty good series. I've played all three games more than once, something I don't do in most games. Collecting the items, weapons, armor, and solving the puzzles were some of the things I really enjoyed in this game.
The story however does not differ from most games (save the world plot) and Nobunaga, as expected, is portrayed as a villain. But players who like fighting undead and monsters will like this game.
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| Oda Nobunaga |
The combos are pretty easy to remember, just make sure to use the right weapon for different types of enemies. Samanosuke, Jubei, and Jacques also have different strengths and techniques so I don't think the player will get bored so easily. There are also different characters in the game with different weapons and fighting techniques.
The three main characters' physical appearances are based on real actors. Samanosuke was based on Takeshi Kaneshiro, Jubei on Yusaku Matsuda, and Jaqcues on Jean Reno.
I like the twists in the game and getting to fight the bosses more than once. Meeting them again and again created more tension and urgency in the story.
I recommend this game to those who like samurai, undead and monsters, and those who are interested in the Warring States period. I'm giving Onimusha Essentials a 10 out of 10 rating.
