I have what can only be described as a “vague” memory of the first onimusha game; a particular camera shot in a bland room with 6 pots and a zombie/ghoul between me and the exit. It’s hardly the stuff of masterpiece storytelling, but it’s all I could produce from my mind’s eye. On an emotional level however, I can pinpoint an exact feeling of peril. I was low on health, one of the pots held a box which in turn had a healing herb within. The enemy was one hit away from kicking me back a good twenty minutes to the last save point. I only had my sword and my wits to see me through and I was faced with 3 choices; skip the enemy and dash for the exit, engage him then heal, or attempt to break the pot and hope he didn’t land a killing blow before I could heal.
This scenario sums up the game quite succinctly for me: tension. A jarring mixture of Resident Evil static cameras and controls, with a persist and and challenging set of enemies. When it first dropped on the PS2 in 2001 people went ballistic for it; selling over 1 Million copies in Japan alone and going Platinum within its first month in this region, it seemed to be the game that catered for a massive audience. A survival horror game set in feudal Japan starring all time bad boy Nobunaga. Even if you don’t know anything about the N.man his name alone sort of sums him up. Seriously, just say it slow. No.Buuu.Nah.Gahh. it’s like the exhale of a demon (spoiler: he is).
Enter Samanosuke, a stoic warrior who is out to stop Mr N. and save his cousin Princess Yuki (why is it always a princess?). Along the way he encounters horrific enemies, massive demons and challenging puzzles. In short it’s Resident Evil in japan, and it’s amazing, possibly even better than I remember it from years gone by.
I replayed the game on the Xbox port rather than the ps2 version and therefore have a plethora of new features added to this experience. At first I thought that this was simply limited to a few new areas and the like, but I was surprised to read that they had completed revamped the combat system; In a way I feel like I’m actually playing a totally different game to that of my past, it’s that big a change.
To put this in context let us play out a hypothetical scene. 2 enemies, one large, the other small, both looking to end me. On the Ps2 I would be looking to “kite” them, bringing the quicker enemy forward and away from his slower team –mate, each hit on him would have to be considered against where the big guy was. The outcome on this fight would be based on evading damage at all cost, whittling and retreating where necessary; therefore you can see how the tension and fear comes in when facing larger groups.
This guy is an asshole…period.
Skip to the Xbox version and the same scenario; this time I plant my feet and use the new charging system to power up my sword. The smaller enemy rushes me but before he can attack I have lacerated him with a stunning blow that knocks him down and away. He releases a green orb (new feature) which I then attempt to suck into my gauntlet. Collecting 5 of these allow me to enter an invincible state for a short time. Suddenly the orb begins to drift away, the large enemy is attempting to draw it upon themselves, if this happens, his defence will skyrocket and he will be a much more imposing threat. I enter a “tug-of-war” with the beast, mashing “a” to pull the orb towards me. The smaller enemy cuts me and I lose the battle. Now I face a greater challenge than would have been present in the pre-port, but I have more tools at my disposal.
The Green Orb beckons.
This change in the fighting mechanic permeates the games overall feel. It now focuses on a more aggressive approach to the enemies, surging forward and tearing power from them; this is in stark contrast to the original which is a guerrilla warfare hit and run game, constantly asking whether you should engage or run through. This unfortunately has an impact on the games aesthetic choice as what was once the horrific approach of several zombie samurai is now viewed as just more sword fodder.
Don’t get me wrong, the game is still outstanding, a tight and focused experience that will leave you clamouring for more. The games visuals still hold strong and the environments have that psudo-photoshopped look that was pioneered in the Resident Evil design. Enemies are varied and have a wide array of special attacks, some challenging while other cheap, but enough to balance this out so that you don’t constantly die at the hands of the same baddy every single time. Boss fights are entertaining although sometimes you have to ask if their removal would make Nobunaga’s true form much more of a shocking reveal. The music is great and manages to modernise a feudal score, while the stock clashes and scraps of swords can get in the way (the Dolby 5.1 edition for the Xbox has enhanced these unfortunately so get used to them!). The story is very little more than a backdrop to show some, er, backdrops, but this again should be overlooked as it comes together nicely at the conclusion which provides some nice turns at the close.
I picked a copy of this up for £1.50 at CEX and I honestly feel like this is worth at least £20 go out and grab a copy because experiences like this are very rare outside it’s trilogy. I would love to find out if this has maintained its atmosphere in the subsequent games and if I can locate a copy of each I will provide reviews and thoughts.
My friend Luminum and I have compiled some play through footage of the game which will be on our YouTube Channel shortly, just search for Retr0mance and if you like our vids, subscribe and comment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/JRetr0mance
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