Samanosuke, your Princess is in another castle…
As power-hungry warlords battle one another for control of feudal Japan, a young princess is kidnapped. Now, one lone swordsman, Samanosuke, boldly volunteers to rescue and avenge her. An entire legion of demon warriors stands between you and the princess, so you’ll need all your weapons and magic to break through. The world of Onimusha: Warlords comes alive with waterfalls, wind effects, insects, and weather, but in order to triumph, you must stay focused on your mission.
I never played the original Onimusha Warlords, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to other than watching footage of the original and comparing the two. The gameplay is quite dated compared to games today, what with the fixed camera angles that feel like classic Resident Evil/DMC, cheesy cutscenes and somewhat rigid combat. It does also seem odd that Capcom have only released the first game in the series, so I wonder if they are testing the waters and if it sells well, they’ll work on remasters of the other games in the franchise or perhaps a reboot.
The remaster has widescreen support or standard for those looking for the classic feel, while everything from characters to environments have been given the HD treatment. You can also use the analog stick to move if you wish, but you can still use the D-Pad like the original if you wish. Easy Mode is also unlocked from the get-go for those who aren’t too confident. The remaster is also £16, which is a bargain for what’s on offer and the amount of detail gone into this remaster of a 17-year old game.
The Verdict
Onimusha Warlords may have slipped me by back in the day, but I’m glad I finally got to see what all the fuss is about. The remaster is cheap and while the game may not have aged as gracefully as others from its era, it’s still a highly enjoyable one and one that deserves a look.