Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Capcom
Initial release: February 26, 2004 (Japan)
Platform: Sony PlayStation 2
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| images c/o Mobygames |
Capcom’s Onimusha series has something of an identity crisis: it can’t seem to make up its mind as to whether it’s a survival horror or a straightforward hack and slash. I'm a big fan of the original, but the sequel wasn't for me. Onimusha 3 tries to blend the two games' approaches, but the truth is, it's far more akin to the sequel than to the original, and I don't think that's for me either.
Set in 1582, 20 years after the first game, Samanosuke Akechi (hero of the original game) returns after a long period of training for what will be the final (and real-life historic) battle against Japan’s most notorious warlord, Nobunaga Oda. Unfortunately, nothing is ever simple in this series. Apparently the Genma -- that is, the evil demons who serve as the series' central threat -- have figured out time travel. More cynically, Capcom wanted to appeal to westerners using a then-well known actor, Jean Reno (the guy from Léon: The Professional and the 1998 American Godzilla movie), and so we have Genma invading Paris in 2004, 400-some years after the battle of Honno-ji temple — at the same time as said battle. Sort of. Jean Reno’s character, Jacques Blanc (really?) winds up getting transported into the distant past while Samanosuke appears in the present-day, and with the aid of a fairy (technically a tengu) named Ako, the two of them have to do something about the Genma’s latest fuckery. I dunno it’s dumb.
Gameplay-wise
it follows on from the previous game, which is problematic for me
because I’m really done with this mid-00s-era trend of adding
unnecessary RPG elements to a clunky combat system, especially one
that’s still managed to be clunky after a swap from pre-rendered to 3D
environments. I’m
honestly just not good enough for games like this, and the focus on
nonstop action after the more restrained first game necessarily
precludes my interest. I quit after dying twenty times to an early boss
and just watching the game on YouTube. I admit to this as a reminder that sometimes it's okay to say a game isn't for you. The original version of this review was a lot more direct in its criticism of the game's moving away from the survival horror elements of the original; would I say the same now? Chances are, I might actually just be a better player.
It
does have some upsides at least. Despite the switch to 3D environments
it’s quite the gorgeous game, especially the lovingly-rendered Paris
sections. the music is also pretty good. Jean Reno (when he’s actually
voicing his own character) has decent VA chops.
Ultimately though if you're a fan of samurai games with a high skill floor and some jRPG bullshit for spice, you can't go wrong with Onimusha 3. If you're looking for a remaster, though, you're out of luck.