Capcom is easily a top three developer. Known for huge franchises like Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Devil May Cry to name just a few. Amidst these giants is a series that doesn’t get enough praise. Onimusha took place in feudal Japan, mixing horror and fantasy together to give the players something great. Now, over 22 years later, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is back. Considered the best in the series, it has been remastered and given some important quality-of-life improvements. If you never played it in 2022, now is your chance.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny 2 follows Jubei as he attempts to wipe out a demon army led by fearless Japanese Daimyo. Along the way, he learns of his heritage and the ability he has to harness the power of the oni. Previewing this classic reminded me how impressive the lore is here. It’s story blends the historical with the supernatural, and there’s a lot of story that fleshes out the world and the people that inhabit it. It’s Capcom through and through, and it doesn’t take long before you’re hooked.
Some old games come back and feel dated. I won’t lie, there are aspects of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny that do feel dated. Firstly, the static camera angles are a pain. Moving from scene to scene and having that all too familiar movement sending you in a different direction if you let go of the route you’re moving in is frustrating. Get used to it, and you’ll start to adapt. However, it takes time to remember how awkward moving anywhere was in the original. Secondly, some of the enemies take too long to kill, particularly the bosses.
Now, get those out of the way and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is such a good game. Combat is pretty fluid for an old game. Unlike faster fighting games like Devil May Cry, this requires patience when swinging your sword. You can chain strikes together to dispatch enemies quickly, making combat more measured and realistic. It takes a bit of time to get used to the various types of demons you’ll face, but having such a range of attacks and weapons to utilise make these dalliances with the devil a damn pleasure.
All enemies release orbs when they die, and the different colours offer Jubei something to help him progress. Red offer experience points; yellow offer health; blue regain magic powers; and purple will charge up your Onimusha power, a special ability that turns you invincible for a short time. At the various save points, you can enhance your weapons and your armour to make them more powerful. There are also various scrolls to be found which unlock new attacks for you to slip into your arsenal.
While I only got to preview the early hours, there’s some improvements that make a big difference. Weapons can be switched in-game, meaning you’re approach to fighting can be changed on the fly. Blocking a strong attack and swinging your spear can transition quickly into a long-range attack with a bow by pressing the D-Pad, and it’s such an important feature. If you’re playing on tougher difficulties, cut-scenes can be skipped so that you’re not rewatching the same boss fight intro a handful of times before being able to fight.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny has remastered visuals, and while it still looks older than most current titles, the sheen gives it a clear improvement. A new difficulty mode pushes players to the max, and while I am clearly not good enough to play through at this higher difficulty, it’s great for those amongst you that want the extra challenge. However, if you are wanting to enjoy the story and not struggle, easy mode is available from the start. Capcom has tried to make it more accessible, and it feels like a victory there.
Playing Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny in 2025 wasn’t something I thought I would be doing, but that’s why we love video games, right? We get the chance to re-experience classics and forgotten gems. This is no different. While those dreaded camera angles are frustrating, it’s approach to improved abilities and grounded yet clever combat helps it to stand out over two decades later. The story is great, the world is interesting, and it gives new players a chance to experience one of Capcom’s best games.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch on May 23rd.
