Review – Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny

Originally released in 2002 for PlayStation 2, it returns in 2025 in a re -mutated version, bringing with it the promise of modernizing a classic without losing the essence that has won fans over two decades. The game comes to the new generation with high definition graphics, enhanced controls and a series of extra resources, but the big question is whether the proposal of this return justifies the search for jubei Yagyu’s revenge on the fearsome Nobunaga Oda.

At a time when Resident Evil seems to have found his way and Capcom nothing in an ocean of praise, it is always good to remember that the relationship between Onimusha and Resident Evil goes far beyond simple inspiration. The zombies are part of Capcom’s samurai DNA DNA, after all, since its conception, Onimusha has been thought of as a kind of “medieval resident evil”, set in feudal Japan and full of elements inherited from the survival classic. Of all of them, the best known are the fixed camera system and the movement with tank controls.

A journey of conflicts filmed with fixed cameras

From this point, we can begin the analysis with the problems of this remaster, because even with the improvements brought by Capcom, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is not free of failure. The fixed camera, although part of the game’s identity, can be frustrating for players used to modern cameras and still has an extra challenge mainly in combat against bosses, making vision difficult and disrupting events.

The gameplay was significantly modernized, allowing the use of free movement analog controls and abandoning the old tank system of classic Capcom games. Exchanging weapons can also be done in real time without pausing the game, and the transformation into Onimusha is manual, giving more control to the player. Combat is fluid and satisfactory, with emphasis on timing and scam strategy.

As a result, the combat in Onimusha 2 requires more than simply pushing buttons, bringing the Issen system as the best way to reward the player who hits critical attacks at the exact moment, eliminating instant enemies and rewarding with extra magical orbs. Imagine facing a horde of demons and, by hitting a perfect parry and performing the ISSEN, Jubei sets out a fulminant blow, paving the way to advance the scenery. In addition, each weapon has unique magic skills, creating an extra strategy, for example, when we understand that using a fire sword against element enemies, damage can be higher, encouraging conscious use of available arsenal.

After the challenge of getting used to combat, even with improvements in controls, we have a weak plot, which rests on simplistic clichés and motivations. The plot is inspired by classic Samurai films and keeps the shadow and epic tone of the series, but, in revisiting the game in 2025, it is evident that the story suffers from poorly developed characters and dialogues that reflect the context of the release season.

Another search for revenge

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny takes place ten years after the first game events, when the Yagyu clan is exterminated by the demonic army of Nobunaga Oda, who now commands the Genma in his search for the dominion of Japan. The protagonist, Jubei Yagyu, returns to his devastated village and, motivated by revenge, leaves on a journey to defeat. Nobunaga.

Along the way, he discovers his oni heritage, receiving supernatural powers and the mission of collecting five sacred orbs, which are the key to stop the advance of demons. As the narrative advances, Jubei faces increasing challenges, including battles against demonic bosses and clashes with betrayal and moral dilemmas in a sequence of struggles for his desire for justice.

Jubei finds in Oyu, Kotaro Fuma, Magoichi Saiga and Ekei Ankokuji, important allies in the fight against Nobunaga, each with his own reasons. This base acts as an affinity system, in which the player’s choices offer exclusive dialogues, unpublished scenes and even change the outcome of certain clashes, making each game experience different.

Even with a great factor of randomness and not making much sense to history, this system comes with new modes of difficulty, such as the infernal, where any blow received is fatal, and the easy, ideal for those who want to focus on the narrative and even rejoice to unlock all extra content from each ally.

As a news, the minigames the man in black, UNI team and ghost kingdom are also available from the beginning, offering extra challenges and rewards for those looking to explore beyond the main campaign. The gallery mode has been expanded, including over 100 sketches and concept arts, as well as the full original soundtrack, with a digital selection with all the original tracks and an orchestral album, allowing the player even greater immersion in the franchise universe.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remaster is a competent and respectful version of the 2002 classic, showing that Capcom has hit once again by bringing a proposal with the modernization of graphics and controls, making the game more accessible and pleasant to new players, without losing the charm and atmosphere that won the original fans. The enhanced combat, even with its limitations on the camera and the binding between the bosses, the remarkable soundtrack and the extra resources make this remaster a great opportunity to discover or revisit the Jubei Yagyu saga, even in the midst of the dated narrative.