| Onimusha | |
|---|---|
 The logo ofOnimusha: Warlords, the first game in the series. Subsequent titles use similar logos. | |
| Genre(s) | |
| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Creator(s) | Yoshiki Okamoto |
| Platform(s) | |
| First release | Onimusha: Warlords January 25, 2001 |
| Latest release | Onimusha: Warlords HD remaster December 20, 2018 |
Onimusha (鬼武者, 'Oni Warrior') is a series ofaction-adventurevideo games developed and published byCapcom. It makes use of the historic figures that shapedJapan's history, retelling their stories withsupernatural elements. Most of the games are of theaction-adventure genre, a combination ofthird-personhack-and-slash combat andpuzzle elements. The player protagonist wields the power of theOni, enabling them to fight theGenma, the main enemy in the series. As of June 2024, the series has sold a total of 8.7 million copies worldwide,[1] making it Capcom'stenth best-sellingfranchise, behindResident Evil,Monster Hunter,Street Fighter,Mega Man,Devil May Cry,Dead Rising,Dragon's Dogma,Ace Attorney, andMarvel vs. Capcom.
Ahigh-definitionremaster of the first game,Onimusha: Warlords, was released in December 2018 for theNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4, andXbox One. AWindows version was released in January 2019.
| 2001 | Onimusha: Warlords |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Genma Onimusha |
| Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny | |
| 2003 | Onimusha Tactics |
| Onimusha Blade Warriors | |
| 2004 | Onimusha 3: Demon Siege |
| 2005 | Shin Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness |
| 2006 | Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams |
| 2007–2011 | |
| 2012 | Onimusha Soul |
| 2013–2017 | |
| 2018 | Onimusha: Warlords (remaster) |
| 2019–2023 | |
| 2024 | Onimusha VR: Shadow Team |
| 2025 | Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (remaster) |
| 2026 | Onimusha: Way of the Sword |
The series originated in 1997, withYoshiki Okamoto's idea to createSengoku Biohazard, a ninja version of Capcom's own 1996Resident Evil (known asBiohazard in Japan), set in theSengoku period and featuring a "ninja house" filled with booby traps, similar to the mansion fromResident Evil, where battles are fought using swords andshuriken.[2][3] The project was originally intended for theNintendo 64's64DD.[2]
Onimusha: Warlords began development for the originalPlayStation, but the project was eventually moved to thePlayStation 2. The half-finished PS1 version ofOnimusha[4] was scrapped and never released.
The central character of the series, Samanosuke Akechi, is modeled afterTakeshi Kaneshiro, who also voiced the character.[5] People were used as models for other characters in the series, includingYūsaku Matsuda inOnimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny andJean Reno inOnimusha 3: Demon Siege. Character movements throughout the series were created usingmotion capture.
The series was initially planned to be only a trilogy, but a fourth installment,Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams was released in 2006.Keiji Inafune said thatOnimusha 3: Demon Siege is the end of the Nobunaga storyline, andOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams is a new storyline.
Shin Onimusha: Curtain Of Darkness, a mobile phone game, was released in Japan in 2005.[6]Onimusha Soul, a browser-based game, was released on June 28, 2012.[7] The game was also released for mobile phones in July 2013 and forPlayStation 3's PlayStation Network on February 25, 2014.[8][9][10] The mobile version was shut down on May 13, 2015.
Onimusha VR: Shadow Team, the first VR entry in theOnimusha series, was shown at Amusement Expo 2024.[11]
Onimusha: Way of the Sword was announced at The Game Awards 2024 event in December, with an estimated release in 2026.[12]
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Although the protagonist changes in everyOnimusha title, he is always a skilled swordsman who embarks on a set mission which involves slaying demons and fearsome enemies during the waning years of theSengoku period of feudal Japan. In each game, the protagonist has the ability to absorb Genmasouls from defeated enemies, which help to restore health, infuse power in weapons and armor, and provide power for the elemental attacks of special weapons.
The player controls their character using theD-pad (although later games such asOnimusha 3: Demon Siege andOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams introducedanalog stick control) and travels in a fairly linear method, able to rotate slowly with the input of an opposing direction. Characters tend to move slowly and can only slightly increase their speed with thedash maneuver by tapping twice in any direction. Actions common to many action-oriented games, such as jumping, grabbing, and climbing over obstacles, cannot be performed inOnimusha games.
Onimusha is action-oriented with an emphasis on combat, and employing some horror elements. The player has an arsenal of weaponry, ranging from katana to elemental-based broadswords. The player possesses a limited supply of spiritual energy which can be used for magical attacks. These magical attacks, which vary depending upon which weapon is equipped and other offensive attributes, can be improved throughout the game by accumulation of souls from defeated enemies.
Based primarily throughout the JapaneseSengoku period,Onimusha: Warlords starts with the feudal lordNobunaga Oda being killed during a battle. One of the prominent fighters, Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi, receives a letter from his cousin Princess Yuki who is concerned about servants from her castle disappearing. Samanosuke joins with the kunoichi Kaede to rescue Yuki and discover demonic creatures known as Genma. In order to defeat the Genma, the Oni clan grant Samanosuke powers from their kind. Across his fights Samanosuke discovers the Genma have resurrected Nobunaga into serving their needs while intending to sacrifice Yuki and an orphan named Yumemaru to grant him more powers. Samanosuke manages to save Yuki and Yumemaru and kills the Genma Lord, the God of Light Fortinbras. Samanosuke's group then takes different paths.
The sequel,Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, has Nobunaga using the Genma in his forces to unify Japan, wiping out Yagyu village whose clan are Genma exterminators. The clan's only survivor, Jubei Yagyu, goes on a quest to avenge his clan while learning he inherited Oni powers from his mother as he uses them alongside the Oni's five orbs to battle Nobunaga's soldiers. Across his journey, Jubei meets several allies who also seek Nobunaga's life. Jubei manages to infiltrate Gifu castle and confronts Nobunaga alone. Although Jubei kills Nobunaga, the warlord's soul escapes and later reconstitutes himself. The spin-offOnimusha: Blade Warriors has the cast fromWarlords andSamurai's Destiny in a new battle against Nobunaga's forces.
The third game,Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, has Samanosuke's clan attacking the Oda forces again. Before confronting Nobunaga, Samanosuke is transported to Modern Paris as a result of an experiment made by the Genma scientist Guildernstern to enable his kin to conquer more lands. In the meantime, service agent Jacques Blanc is a victim of Guildernstern while transported to Japan's Sengoku period. There, Jacques is granted Oni powers by an Oni who tells him to join forces with this timeline's Samanosuke and defeat Nobunaga if he wishes to return home. While Jacques aids Samanosuke in the past, in the future Samanosuke is helped by Jacques' family to investigate the Genma. In the end, the two Oni warriors are successful in stopping the invasion and returning to their respective times. Samanosuke manages to slay Nobunaga and seal his soul within the Oni Gauntlet to avoid another resurrection.
The fourth game,Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, had Nobunaga's servantHideyoshi Toyotomi unified Japan with the Genma whom he supported in their actions. His illegitimate son, Hideyasu "Soki" Yuki, goes on a quest to defeat Hideyoshi and stop the Genma. He is aided by several other warriors, including an elder Samanosuke who recognizes him as the Black Oni, the God of Darkness. After mastering his Oni powers, Soki joins with his friends to defeat Hideyoshi's army. In the aftermath, it is revealed that Hideyoshi was a mere puppet of the Genma Triumvirate who wish to resurrect Fortinbras at his full power as the Genmas' God of Light. Although the Genma Triumvirate and Hideyoshi are defeated, Fortinbras resurrects with Soki using the Oni Gauntlet to destroy the Genma and restore the country's peace at the cost of his life. Soon after, Samanosuke embarks on a quest to seal away the Oni Gauntlet to prevent Nobunaga from being released.
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Samanosuke Akechi (明智 左馬之介 秀満 Akechi Samanosuke Hidemitsu), later also known under the moniker Tenkai Nankōbō during his appearance inOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams, is the main protagonist of the first and third installments in theOnimusha series:Onimusha: Warlords andOnimusha 3: Demon Siege. He also appears as a supporting playable character in the fourth gameOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams, and as one of the combatants inOnimusha: Blade Warriors. He is loosely based on the historical figure, Akechi Hidemitsu. His in-game model is based and voiced byTakeshi Kaneshiro. Samanosuke is the only character to appear in all four mainlineOnimusha games. He appears inOnimusha 2 in a flashback drawing.
Jūbei Yagyū is the main protagonist ofOnimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. As the first leader of the Yagyū clan seen in the series and originator of Shin-in style sword combat, he was born as Sougen but later given the name Jūbei as a child, a tradition which would continue as seen with his granddaughter. His father was the late Head of the Yagyū clan, who was seduced and had a child by a woman who disappeared shortly thereafter. Jūbei never knew his mother, but does meet his mother during the events ofSamurai's Destiny. His in-game character is modeled after late Japanese actorMatsuda Yusaku.
Hideyasu "Sōki" Yūki is the main protagonist inOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams. He is the biological son of Ieyasu Tokugawa and a warrior who possesses the dark power of the Oni. He goes by many names besides Sōki and Hideyasu Yuki: Blue Demon and Oni of the Ash. Having Lamentation, his prized broadsword he learned about Hideyoshi's insidious scheme, he sets out on a journey to burn the Genma trees and defeat the Genma running rampant across the land. He is the firstOnimusha main character to not be modeled after an actor. He is also the only main character to be killed, dying at the end ofDawn of Dreams after sacrificing himself to destroy the Oni Star. Soki has appeared as a playable character inTatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.
Jacques Blanc is one of two main protagonists (the other being Samanosuke Akechi) inOnimusha 3: Demon Siege. Working as a policeman, he is the first Westerner who wields the Oni Power, originating from France. He is modeled after French actorJean Reno.
Nobunaga Oda (織田信長) is the main antagonist in the first threeOnimusha games, in particularOnimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny andOnimusha 3: Demon Siege, where he is the final boss in those two games. In real world history, Nobunaga is viewed culturally as both a hero and as a villain for respectively trying to unite his nation during the Sengoku Period and the horrific lengths he took to achieve his goal. In this timeline he forms an alliance with the demons for power and to conquer Japan. Despite being killed at the beginning ofOnimusha: Warlords, he returns as a demon. He battles Jubei at the end ofSamurai's Destiny but due to Jubei not having an Oni Gauntlet to seal his soul, his death was only temporary. He returns inDemon Siege after being revived by the demons again. He is finally killed by Samanosuke and sealed in his Oni Gauntlet.
Fortinbras (フォーティンブラス), also referred to as the "God of Light", is the king and most powerful of all Genma. He appears as the final boss inOnimusha: Warlords andOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams. InDawn of Dreams he is revealed to have two forms, a human form and a serpent form. He is finally killed by Soki after Soki sacrifices himself to stop the Oni Star.
Hideyoshi Toyotomi (豊臣 秀吉) is an antagonist who has appeared in every main game of theOnimusha series. Historically, Hideyoshi is the most famous peasant-samurai in Japan as he rose from being a vassal of Nobunaga Oda to the man who united Japan with his short-lived reign as regent. He is the main antagonist ofOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams.
| Game | Metacritic |
|---|---|
| Onimusha: Warlords | (PS2) 86[13] (Xbox) 83[14] |
| Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny | (PS2) 84[15] |
| Onimusha 3: Demon Siege | (PS2) 85[16] (PC) 69[17] |
| Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams | (PS2) 81[18] |
TheOnimusha series has received overall positive reviews with most of the main games on thePlayStation 2, receiving average scores of more than 80%. As a comparison, most spin-offs from the series have not been as successful. The titles have influenced other games from the company includingDevil May Cry,Shadow of Rome andResident Evil 4.[19][20][21] The samurai gameGenji: Dawn of the Samurai was cited by Inafune as an "Onimusha clone" although its designerYoshiki Okamoto denied such statement.[22]
The series has often been compared with theResident Evil series and has been praised for its focus in action.[23][24] The first two games, however, were criticized for forcing the player to use the Directional Pad rather than the left analogue to make the playable character to move.[25][23] This issue was solved with the third release which generated a good response.[26][27] Another subject of criticism is the length of each game with opinions sometimes differing due to the replay value they offer.[28][24]Yoshinori Ono acknowledged the third game's short length and thus madeDawn of Dreams become the series' longest title.[29]
The original game was a major hit on the PS2, becoming the console's first game to sell over a million copies.[30] WhileOnimusha 2 was also a best-selling titleCapcom noticed how it did poorly in European regions.[31] The third and fourth titles received less favorable sales withKeiji Inafune addressing people's concerns about how the former game did not feel like a samurai story while various gaming journalists noted the latter was overshadowed by next generation consoles. As of June 2024 the series has sold 8.7 million copies to date.[32]
In May 2003,Paramount Pictures, Davis Films and Gaga Productions announced its joint venture to adapt theOnimusha game series into a $50 millionlive-actionfeature film. According to Paramount and Davis Films'Samuel Hadida: "It's samurai fighting against demons – it's very close to this simple pitch. There's also a love story woven in. It's a big adventure movie with lots of special effects". He also proposed the possibility of a film franchise.[33]
In December 2006, directorChristophe Gans said that he hadOnimusha lined up to film.[34] The film, budgeted at over $70 million, was to begin production in China in February 2008 for a December 2009 release.[35]Takeshi Kaneshiro was rumored to be in the film, reprising his role as Samanosuke.[36] Hadida had to delay the filming ofOnimusha, which has resulted in the film's Japanese cast working on other film projects during the delay, and being unavailable to start filmingOnimusha. These factors meant that Gans would direct an adaptation ofLeo Perutz's novelThe Swedish Cavalier first.Satomi Ishihara andTsuyoshi Ihara remained attached to the project. There has been no further news regarding this film since 2007, and any plans for a live-action film were quietly canceled.[37]
Ananime series adaptation was released in November 2023.[38] It was produced by Sublimation and directed by Shin'ya Sugai, withTakashi Miike as chief director. The main character,Musashi Miyamoto, is modeled afterToshiro Mifune and voiced byAkio Otsuka, who previously portrayed Nobunaga Oda in the video games.[38][39]
