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Being my first step into the Onimusha
fray, my disparagement over the route the series had taken was drawn merely from others
impressions of the franchise. While some may believe that pre-rendered visuals are a
limitation placed upon games due to the rather lesser complexity of previous consoles
chipsets, I however see a place for them still. With such incredible worlds created seen
in the likes of Baten Kaitos and Final Fantasy X-2 otherwise impossible still, it
becomes apparent that pre-rendered backdrops are often used more as a gaming device,
rather than a limitation to be worked around.
So, eight months after receiving my promo-copy of Onimusha 3, I decided that with the ever-impending
presence of Resident Evil 4 on the horizon it
was time to delve into the series that’s often known as it’s sister, and see if
Jean Reno and Takeshi Kaneshiro could banish any preconceived ideas I had managed to
formulate.
The story plays between two characters, within two timelines. Jean Reno takes on
the role of French cop Jacques Blanc and Takeshi Kaneshiro returns as Akechi Samanosuke,
both transported through time, their stories intertwine as you fight the evil Nobunga. As
engrossing a storyline as you could imagine follows and puts many of the Resident Evil titles to shame. Your path throughout
this journey, however, does not actually become dictated by your actions as each character
directly, but as you travel between the times with your Navi (of Legend of Zelda fame)-esque fairy.
The action within the set-piece levels consists of both puzzle based gameplay and
hack-n’-slash combat. Obviously, much of the Resident
Evil comparison is drawn here, as the usual collect-this-and-put-it-there rules apply
on numerous occasions and, bar a rather unruly difficulty curve, generally add a
much-needed moment of brain-taxing. The combat is no fly-in-the-ointment however,
comparable to even the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles, which is an entire game based on this principle. Defeating enemies will allow
you to collect health and magic power-ups, as well as Oni. Collecting Oni is basically a
simplified version of a levelling-up system; gain enough and you can increase the level of
either your armour, ability to collect Oni or your weaponry. A cleverly devised feature
that will please many hardcore gamers out there without deterring the casual gamer by
using lots of stats.
Jean Reno and Takeshi Kaneshiro are mapped brilliantly onto the PlayStation2.
During both gameplay and cut-scenes both have been animated with skill and given
distinctive character. The enemies may seem a bit identi-kit at times and the water
effects are, well, shoddy to be honest, but the lighting effects used for some of the
special moves and Oni transformations are fantastic. The games’ soundtrack is fluid
and unobtrusive, but the decision to dub the fabulous Jean Reno’s voice with an
American during cut-scenes where the character is speaking English is unforgivable.
The title does have the effect of improving the reputation Capcom’s B-List
somewhat, with the likes of P.N.03 and Viewtiful Joe proving innovation in abundance, Onimusha 3 proves that they can also still work
with what they’ve got. The changes from previous editions shouldn’t put Onimusha fans off, and the puzzle sections are
orchestrated so the most casual of gamer won’t take too long to figure a way forward.
A good game for one and all, that doesn’t appear to ever strive for anything more. 
Kev J.
Reviews Score Table
Interpretation.
01/02/05
Return to the PlayStation2 in-depth reviews archive here.
Each of these articles has been written either
independently of Electronic Theatre or by an external viewer. The opinions
discussed in these articles in no way reflects the opinions of Electronic Theatre.
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