Onimusha Warlords

🎮 PlayStation 2 ⏳ 10 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Samurai Survival Action #

This is a stylish action-adventure game that mixes fast-paced sword combat with the atmospheric tension of survival horror, which at the time was a very unique design choice, while not very surprising since it was Capcom making the thing. The MC is Samanosuke Akechi, a skilled samurai battling demonic forces in a dark reimagining of Sengoku-era Japan. The game features fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds, echoing the visual style of Resident Evil, but swaps firearms for elemental katanas and magic attacks, while this not making much sense at first glance, it is really easy to grasps once you start playing.

Influential Cult Classic #

Combat is simple yet satisfying, with light RPG mechanics allowing you to upgrade weapons and absorb souls to power up, though with a very soft touch to it, not very deep or strategic, kind of like the God of War series. While the tank-style controls and short runtime (about five hours) show the game’s age, its cinematic presentation, moody soundtrack, and sharp pacing helped define early PS2 action games. It remains a cult classic that laid the groundwork for more ambitious titles like Devil May Cry and Nioh, not to mention it has a few hidden inspirations in the past with very obscure games such as Soul of the Samurai on the PlayStation 1 platform.