Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny Review (THE RTN)
I’ve actually avoided Onimusha: Warlords Remaster because it looked kinda "eh." I have issues with most of Capcom’s remasters, and I truly believe most of them are lazy af. Onimusha 2 is definitely crisper, but I’m unsure if it’s a must-buy at its current price.
The series as a whole has been in a awkward state. It’s been absent for nearly two decades, and Onimusha 3 has been selling for over €500 for the last four years or so (which means it needs a remaster to return to Steam). Meanwhile, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny was missing for a long, long time. And then there is the 4th. I hope we'll get all by the time Way of the Sword releases.
Shame about the costume, Capcom is always bizarre with these decisions, especially if you consider SF/DD. I don’t know if it has a CERO D rating in Japan, but globally, it’s an M-rated game, that part of the discussion should be clear enough to highlight why it shouldn't have been brought up as an issue. Oh, and yes, it has Denuvo.
Aside from that, it’s still the Onimusha you once loved — probably. If you’re a veteran, you’ve likely already bought it. If you’re a newcomer, I honestly can’t say there’s any reason not to wait for a sale (which is what I’m doing with Dead Rising, a better repackage, imo).
The game still has that X360-era clunkiness, which isn’t necessarily a complaint. I actually like (and missed) that feel. The textures look outdated, but it’s still an HD jump. There are two (well, technically one) difficulties: "Hell" and "Easy." In the original, you had to die three times to unlock Easy mode, a common way for games of that era to "shame" players. Now, it’s available from the start. "Hell" is a new mode where a single hit means instant death. Sounds fucking nuts.
The analog-based movement might throw you off due to the fixed camera angles. I stuck to the original tank controls (like most reviewers did). If you don’t, you might end up juggling between rooms or accidentally warping somewhere else mid-fight. Onimusha form is better as you can now trigger it when you want to as long as your gauge is full, it was auto back then. You can swap your arsenal immediately. New QoL updates keep the flow going on. Cutscenes are entirely skippable.
And these wraps it up. Good to have an Onimusha 2 port here but it's nothing too crazy.
(I believe those fucking annoying ''Jubeiiii... Juuuubeii'' from the first chapter is ''Jasooon''-like memeworthy, I guess the game has never gained enough attraction *sighs*)