There has never been a better time for Onimusha’s return
There are many exciting announcements at Game Awards 2024including the profits of some franchises that have long been dormant. Capcom has dusted off not one but two of its beloved old IPs, announcing new installments in both Okami And Onimusha series. the Okami The sequel seems to be getting a lot more love and it’s probably not hard to see why. While Okamiden It’s such a good game on its own, fans have been wanting a full sequel for nearly two decades. That game also saw Hideki Kamiya return to work with Capcom, reuniting the director with the work he left off.
It’s certainly exciting news. With that said, I think Onimusha: The path of the sword will certainly surprise many people. At this time, we know very little about it. Capcom announced the game with a type of teauh trailer and some basic story details through the game belong toofficial website. We see a samurai armed with the signature Oni Gloves fight a variety of small and tall monsters, absorb soul energy, and question his own humanity. Standard Onimusha stuff, really. More information from Capcom tells us that the setting is a twisted version of Edo-era Kyoto, where Genma creatures roam and Malice clouds flood the streets. This also checks out.
Capcom will no doubt continue to tease more about the game between now and its 2026 release, but the footage we saw has left everyone speculating. What kind of game will it be? Will any characters from previous games return? Why Onimushaand why now? Time will reveal most of those answers, but I believe there’s no better time to do it. Onimusha to make its return. This was a hugely influential series at the time, and it could very well do so again. The key will be to solve one of the problems that led to its original demise: what is OnimushaActually?
Onimusha was first envisioned by series creator Yoshiki Okamoto as nothing more than a film with a Japanese flavor from the Warring States period Resident devil. Instead of a spooky mansion, players will explore a ninja house filled with deadly traps and ruthless enemies. It was originally planned for the Nintendo 64DD, then partially developed for the PlayStation, but was eventually released for the PlayStation 2 early in the console’s life.
This proved to be a huge boon for the game, now known as Onimusha: Lord. The PlayStation 2 was an instant hit, and these new owners were hungry for fun games that showed off the console’s power. With Resident devil otherwise occupied, Onimusha: Lord seeks to scratch that itch in a way that no other contemporary game can. The main character Samanosuke Akechi, modeled after real-life actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, looks amazing. While the game opts for pre-rendered backgrounds instead of real-time 3D, this simply allows its visuals to shine even more. It feels like a true next-gen game, even if in most respects it plays like the PlayStation games it takes inspiration from.
Onimusha: Lord was a huge success, becoming the first PlayStation 2 game to sell one million copies. This was followed by a sequel, this time starring the late actor Yusaku Matsuda as the new protagonist, Jubei Yagyu. Perhaps in response to some criticism of the original game’s brevity, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny offers a broader adventure. Although it received a warm reception in Japan, its performance in the West left something to be desired.
This leads to Onimusha 3: Demon Siegebrought back original hero Samanosuke Akechi and paired him with a French officer portrayed by Jean Reno. This chapter also marks the transition to a full 3D engine, bringing it in line with the latest Resident devil game. Although quite successful, Onimusha 3 cannot achieve the same high sales level as the original game. However, a fourth entry was developed for the PlayStation 2 and released in 2006, but it was much less eventful. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams‘ Weak sales seemingly spelled the end for a franchise that had been so important to Capcom for years.
What happened? Maybe players are exhausted from this series. Counting a few spin-offs, there have been six separate movies Onimusha game and a remake were released over a period of five years. It may be so Onimusha: Lord were in the right place at the right time and profits would inevitably decline. Some might say it just happened in series. After all, this is hardly the only franchise that failed to make the leap from the PlayStation 2 to the next generation of consoles.
However, I think there’s something else going on. Obviously so Onimusha: Lord has at least resonated with players. As the generation continues, I believe Onimusha found himself increasingly losing his purpose to both Capcom and the players. If you want one Resident devilCapcom-style gaming on your PlayStation 2, the real deal is coming soon. Meanwhile, Devils can cry is taking the melee action in a much more stylish and engaging fashion. Onimusha found itself caught between two other in-house successes, and the Jack of All Trades approach left it in a difficult position that even stunt casting couldn’t escape.
It probably doesn’t help that the two most defining elements of the franchise seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. OnimushaIts strong Japanese historical themes may have become a burden as the global market entered a period where Western themes were more popular. Its signature gameplay element, Issen, is a flashy parry move that requires split-second reactions. It is highly technical and challenging to master. Unfortunately, the general sentiment towards difficult games is also entering a low phase.
It’s been a long time since 2006 and trends have changed significantly since then. the Dark souls series and the many games inspired by it have shown that players enjoy tough, precise battles against deadly monsters of all shapes and sizes. Japanese-themed games have no trouble finding a global audience, as Sekiro, Ghost of TsushimaAnd The Rise of Ronin proving that the samurai scene is hotter than ever. Resident devil has a strong focus on its horror elements, and Devils can cry seems to be on another vacation. The path is once again clear.
Maybe, Onimusha: The path of the sword will not be overly tied to the traditions of the franchise. The footage shown tells us that we won’t be dealing with pre-rendered backgrounds or fixed, cinematic camera angles. There was no obvious sign of Jean Reno. However, we will be facing a lot of Genma creatures, and Issen’s parrying move will definitely be up there. It’s unclear whether the game will take on a more open-world style or return to the linear style of older games, but either way there’s some real potential. Even if people are exhausted from the game, 20 years is still a long time for one to yearn for a comeback.
While Onimusha once found itself without a place in the gaming world, this is a medium where things are constantly changing. There’s always another chance to come back. Opportunity for old attacks to be retrained, stronger and sharper than ever. If everything continues as it seems, Onimusha: The path of the sword could be poised to bring the series back to the top of the gaming world in one swift blow when it launches in 2026.
Onimusha: The path of the sword It is expected to release in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
