Review | Onimusha: Warlords Remastered

A short review

Onimusha: Warlords, known in Japan as Onimusha, is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 2. It is the first entry in the Onimusha series. An updated version, Genma Onimusha, was released for the Xbox in 2002. The original Warlords version was also ported to Microsoft Windows, though it was only available in China and Russia. A remaster for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One was released in 2018, with a Windows version following in 2019. Capcom originally wanted to release the game for the original PlayStation but the close release of its next generation version resulted in the project being scrapped at the point.

This version of the game runs at 1080p60, has full widescreen support, a new soundtrack (re-recorded due to controversy with the original composer, Mamoru Samuragochi), weapon switching without needing to enter the inventory, and both tank controls and full 3D movement options—the last two weren’t in the original release. However, it doesn’t include any features from Genma Onimusha, such as certain costumes from that version. The original model for Samanosuke, Takeshi Kaneshiro, returned to redub his lines.

The English dub is... okay, I guess, but not really that great. It’s an old game—you might want to stick to the Japanese.

Remember one of the first games on the legendary PS2. It still looks decent, but for sure it's miles away from the modern development.

Story and the characters

Who doesn’t love Samanosuke? Do you still remember that he’s going up against Nobunaga? I still remember all these names—even some plot points. I was a big fan (and still am) of the Onimusha series, though the titles after the third installment weren’t exactly ideal, if you ask me.

The game's plot is set during the Sengoku period and follows the samurai Samanosuke Akechi as he fights against the forces of Nobunaga Oda. After Nobunaga’s death in battle, Samanosuke embarks on a quest to save Princess Yuki from demons working alongside Nobunaga’s army. The player controls Samanosuke and his partner, the female ninja Kaede, in their fight against these demons.

While the game borrows elements like puzzle-solving and a fixed camera from Capcom’s own Resident Evil survival horror series, it leans more toward the action genre. Samanosuke wields multiple weapons, which can be upgraded by defeating enemies and absorbing their souls.

It’s weird replaying the game now—it feels outdated in so many ways. Games that relied too much on technology at the time, without focusing on other aspects, aged poorly. I don’t think that’s entirely the case here, but…

Of course, I also don’t think there’s much to discuss story-wise, even though Samanosuke is like a legend in my eyes. The whole game is short (about three hours), so there aren’t any huge plot twists—it’s mostly about slaying demons and controlling two playable characters. Still, I love the nostalgia, and I appreciate seeing how things were done back then. But that fixed camera and old static design, where the camera shifts on its own? Yeah, that part is really bad.

Resident Evil with swords? Sure. It's weird exploring locations with such technology, you just have no idea what is interractable, what isn't. This will feel weird for the modern audiences

Game design, exploration

The whole game revolves around exploring the castle, uncovering secrets, killing demons as you go, and upgrading your arsenal. It’s a pretty linear game. I love the 3D movement with the sticks, but if you prefer tank controls, you can still use the D-pad. Even with 3D movement, some fights can be frustrating because the camera is stuck in that PS2 era—so expect it to switch angles at the most inconvenient moments, like during boss fights.

I think this one aged poorly. Even though the combat is still fun, it’s limited, clunky, and just weird. There’s no tutorial—good luck figuring out how to counter enemy moves. The timing feels off, so you don’t really know when to parry or when to strafe behind an enemy to land that critical move. Some rooms intentionally hide enemies with bows—I hated that. There’s always something working against you that you can’t really control. You can’t improve when everything feels like it was designed differently. I hate aiming and trying to avoid getting hit by tilting the sticks—it just doesn’t work when the camera shifts every couple of steps.

The puzzles are okay; it’s mostly about finding keys, doing some chores, and backtracking to access newly opened paths. I always love games like this, and this one is no different. It’s just old.

I remember when such graphics killed it back in days. Now it's just pixel on pixel on pre-rendered backgrounds.

Combat

Eh, now for the most frustrating segment. I died so many times because of the archaic movement, camera, and combat mechanics. The auto-aim does whatever it wants, and both the dash and parry require perfect timing—you have to know exactly when to press the buttons. When it comes to combat, I was more frustrated than I was having fun.

I do love the three different swords, each with a unique special move that works wonders. You can upgrade them, along with your health and mana, but beyond that, there’s not much else to do. If you find the secret creature twice, you can challenge the optional realm and unlock the best weapon later. That one is awesome. Still, the game suffers from poor camera and level design in ways that will kill you more times than you’d like.

Boss fights are especially frustrating. They usually take place in narrow areas where the camera goes all over the place. The worst fight was definitely the one against the other Samanosuke—you can’t even predict his moves because you can’t see him half the time.

I really wish they would remake this series. A remaster just isn’t the right approach.

I just hate fighting myself, I'm my worst enemy. Believe me, you will think the same about that fight in this remaster.

Side Content

Side content is just a section in this review that I won’t spend much time on. Since the game is so short, the side stuff mainly comes from replaying it, finding all the hidden stones, fighting in one optional realm, and unlocking a mini-game by discovering all the secrets.

I do think two playthroughs are a must, and that’s not a big deal considering how short the game is. You might also want to unlock some achievements, which could take some time—especially if you try to finish the game without upgrades or healing. I had my share of fun, but man… the camera. It killed me.

What is with not being able to skip scenes? Only cinematics are skippable. There is just something about waiting for scene to be over when you fail a boss fight. 

Conclusion

Onimusha: Warlords is a game I still have a lot of love for, but man, it has issues. The combat is fun but clunky, the camera is a nightmare, and some design choices just feel outdated. Still, there’s something about its atmosphere, swords, and simple but satisfying gameplay loop that keeps me coming back. It’s short, replayable, and nostalgic—but it really deserves a proper remake, not just a remaster.