Capcom will remaster or remake just about anything, and I'm glad they chose to resurrect an eventual anime.

A few decades later, seeing these influential and oddball games alive and well through a remastered preservation effort is fantastic. Of course, you're undoubtedly wondering if the series is still worth playing. Well, it depends on your tolerance for old-school action.

The Onimusha System Is Still Fun To Play Around In

Slashing Demons Never Gets Old

Against all odds, the remaster of Onimusha 2 is finally here, nearly seven years after the original game was remastered and released in Japan. It's been a long wait, but now you can try the sequel out for yourself, which builds upon the foundation of the first entry, for better or worse. To cut to the chase, Onimusha 2 contains a lot of similarities to the original, including fixed camera angles, some similar weaponry, and even shared locales.

Because of this, and the introduction of the completely new protagonist, Jubei Yagyu, it's oddly a good starting point for the series. While many motifs, locations, and themes connect to the original, this is mostly a standalone game that works as a complete story. The catch here is that, unlike the original hero Samanosuke, Jubei will get by with a little help from his friends.

One of the big hooks of Onimusha 2 is teamwork and camaraderie, fostered by a collective of personality-driven NPCs hanging out in the town of Imasho (which acts as a hub of sorts). Certain NPCs will gain enhanced gear depending on who you develop a friendship with, and some may even help you out directly during boss fights and in the general overworld. It's a deep and complicated system, complete with narrative trees, all governed by how you choose to interact with the citizens of Imasho.

It certainly had a different feel from most of Capcom's other action games at the time, and much of that uniqueness shines through in the remaster. Given how packed Onimusha 2 is with secret nooks and puzzle boxes, it immediately differentiates itself from its predecessor and adds a lot of charm to the game. Weird jokes (most of which are preserved) and silly exclamations are tantamount to adding a campy feel to the proceedings, too.

Samurai's Destiny Is Built Around Replayability

Gift-Giving Is An Esoteric And Interesting Feature

On your first playthrough, it's a blast to go willy-nilly with gifts, giving them out based on how you perceive each NPC's tastes and wants. A muscular monk might like food and drink, a well-read marksman wants books, and a ninja companion loves odds and ends you'd find in an antique shop. Giving gifts is as fun as receiving them in return, especially since you get added dialogue and interactions as a bonus. This core game loop provides the foundation for Onimusha 2's uniqueness.

On top of all the aforementioned replayability in the base game, this new remaster also contains a "Hell Mode" difficulty option (where the player character dies in a single hit), a bigger and higher resolution gallery with more art, 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios, skippable cutscenes, auto-saves, and hot weapon swapping (without needing menus) similar to modern Devil May Cry games. It's not new per se, but the remaster of Onimusha 2 also allows you to select easy mode by default.

It's not a massive suite of new content, but for a remaster, it's more than enough. The vast majority of the original is untouched, and both newcomers and hardcore fans alike can dive into the experience they want from the beginning, with the option to skip cutscenes if they just want to speedrun the game. It is fun to speedrun, too. The new controls and visuals are very sharp (though they don't drastically alter the core of the original), and combat is snappy, especially using the analog stick for modern movement (a stark contrast to the "tank controls" of many retro 3D Capcom games).

Swapping weapons on the fly adds a new twist to the action, especially since all of Onimusha 2's weapons have their own magic meter. You're heavily encouraged to swap weapons constantly and use the best tool for the job. The powerful Dokoutsui hammer (capable of smashing enemies into the ground in one hit) is not just effective, it's also hilarious to see in practice.

Some Of Onimusha 2 Doesn't Hold Up

Reused Content Could Be An Issue For Some

While retreading through some of the original game's old locations won't be as evident to some players, you will immediately notice the reused bosses within Onimusha 2. Given that the sequel doesn't have many big-ticket encounters as it is, it only hurts some of the more explosive moments in the game, especially if you've saved up a ton of items for tough fights. As you enter an obvious boss room, you're greeted by the same few foes several times (Ginghamphatts and Gogandantess).

There's a tenuous amount of story sense as to why you'd fight these two repeatedly, but it grinds the momentum to a halt when the mechanics are mostly the same. This goes for the reused areas from the first game, too. In some cases, the retreading is done with gusto, with big reveals that are meant to be fanservice-esque. That impact loses its luster a bit now that the series has been around for ages, not to mention that some of that retreading isn't as excitingly laid out as meticulously as it could have been.

In a 10-hour action game where nearly every location and big boss needs to count, it hurts the game overall compared to the other entries in the core trilogy. Still, there's plenty to sink your teeth into, especially if you venture into the higher difficulties and square off against stronger versions of those bosses.

Onimusha 2's Remaster Isn't A Reinvention, & That's OK

It's Still Worth Playing

If you have an open mind for old-school action, give Onimusha 2 a try. Its sins are as plain as day, but there's plenty here to dig into and latch on to, even compared to many other modern genre staples, which can be filled with bloat and open world exploration. This is a simple tale of good versus evil, with a ragtag band of misfits coming along for the ride. It's a vibe, and still has the look and feel of some of the best aspects of the original Onimusha​​​​​​.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, despite its shortcomings, is still worth being placed in the pantheon of classic PS2 action. Hopefully, if he needs to, Jean Reno signs off on a potential remaster of the third game. Having the entire trilogy on hand on modern platforms would be a really fun way to experience it all over again.