Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny hands-on preview: Cult classic action Resident Evil

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I can hardly contain my enthusiasm for the 2026 release of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but with time on our side, I was thrilled to jump into the recently remastered version of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny. As a novice when it comes to Onimusha, I wasn’t sure what to anticipate from the PS2 cult favorite. However, I certainly didn’t expect an action-packed experience reminiscent of Resident Evil before Resident Evil shifted towards action!

Similar to the classic Resident Evil games of yore, Onimusha 2 employs a fixed camera angle and places emphasis on intriguing puzzles, unlike its predecessors which were more open-ended. Unlike those early RE games that required meticulous inventory management and strategic movement through the environment, Onimusha 2 leans more towards the action game genre as it is played today.

In simpler terms, Jubei Yagyu is an expert swordsman who effortlessly targets and maneuvers around slower enemies. Instead of counting your shots against a zombie, you’ll be swiftly slicing through hordes of demonic creatures that continuously spawn, making every quest for a key item nerve-wracking. The game rarely gives you chances to slow down, which keeps the tension level high, even when combat is relatively straightforward on the normal difficulty setting.

In 2025, the pre-rendered backdrops have been enlarged, and although they’re quite prominent, they create a nostalgic visual appeal that generally looks appealing. However, there are some minor inconsistencies, such as 3D smoke billowing from a 2D bonfire, which can be slightly distracting.

There’s a captivating old-school feel to this game’s design, where you need to actively engage with an item before using it instead of having it done automatically. For instance, if you want to open a door that requires a key, you have to go to your inventory, select the key, and then see the results only after exiting the inventory. This simple process encourages thoughtfulness, as it makes you consider what you’re interacting with and how different items in your inventory can affect those interactions. For example, a key and lock are straightforward, but imagine dealing with a ring bearing an emblem or a hidden rope ladder and a hole in the castle wall. While it doesn’t require exceptional intelligence to make these connections, the manual interaction makes the solution all the more rewarding.

There’s plenty more to explore and experience in Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, and if you’re keen on revisiting the world of Onimusha before the release of Way of the Sword in 2026, or simply craving a classic action game to savor, then Samurai’s Destiny could be an ideal choice for you.

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2025-04-23 01:16