Onimusha 3 Review

/ thegamingbritshow

[@TheCrescentKnight]

Interesting note: Jean Reno was supposed to voice his English dialogue as well; however, scheduling conflict forced him to cancel his recordings for the English portion and thus Capcom had to hire Leon Kennedy to fill in the role.

[@amosdeguzman9980]

Paul Mercier did a great job of being Jacques. But you can hear Leon in his voice, so sometimes the cutscenes feel strange.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

where did he go...Bingo

[@jasond.valentine5931]

Onimusha 3 has one of the most, if not THE MOST memorable intro of my teenage years along with Tenchu 3 and Tekken 3.

[@TechniqueSan]

Onimusha 3's CG intro is EASILY the best one out of the entire PS2 library.

[@BranSnakes]

We wait 8 years for the Onimusha 2 review, then get 3 a month later. Epic.

[@morbideddie]

I really hope he does Dawn of Dreams to finish off the PS2 era. A complete departure but a great game in it's own right. It's a crime that these havent been ported to modern consoles.

[@KnightElSneed]

@@morbideddie If he does Dawn Of Dreams I hope he reviews the Japanese version (which has English audio and subs) because the EU and NA versions have bloated HP of bosses and intentionally loweved red souls counts per drop in order to facilitate grinding.

[@morbideddie]

@@KnightElSneed interesting, I never knew that. I’m from the UK so I played the PAL versions with the alterations you mentioned applied. I did remember it being pretty grindy at times, probably forgot a lot of it though because I was a kid with a lot of free time.

[@amosdeguzman9980]

I hope he also reviews Onimusha Blade Warriors. That was a very interesting spin-off game.

[@Bestgameplayer10]

@@KnightElSneed Yeah… back then I guess Americans preferred harder games

[@neonfatum]

You kinda lost me with this one. It barely even feels like a review of the game, and more like a rant about what the game supposedly is, rather than what it actually is, and how it should just be a different game altogether. Onimusha is cool precisely because it isn't Ninja Gaiden or DMC. Because sometimes it's cool to play a slower-paced and simple, but challenging action game where you play a stoic, cool and pure hero and can have standoffs with undead samurai and demons, where you don't do flips all over the place or pointlessly juggle enemies forever and other stupid shit. It's also not really more action-focused than 1 and 2. It has the one part with the most enemies on-screen in the series, and it's less claustrophobic overall, but it really is mostly the same. That's really the worst you can say about it, I think. It's a very iterative sequel. I also feel like you're making it out to be much more of an attempt at a "cinematic Hollywood experience" than it really ever tries to be, like it was trying to be the TLOU experience of its time. Because it has Jean Reno in it? It's no more or less "cinematic" than the two previous games, or most games from around the same time, including DMC3. The game's still about Japanese demons invading modern France. Like, seriously, it's one of, if not the single weirdest story concept in a AAA videogame ever. And yeah, it's not the greatest and it's sort of directionless, but the story has never been Onimusha's greatest strength anyway, and it's fun, and has cool, funny and heartfelt moments just the same. All of these games take inspiration from and reference classic samurai and martial arts films, down to probably even the terrible, forced romance between Jubei and Oichi in 2. Now that shit was truly cinematic, I think. lmao I also couldn't disagree more about the music. It's got the most videogamey music in the series up to that point. And to be fair, it's a bit less consistently great than the previous two soundtracks, but it's still pretty decent overall and it has plenty of standout tracks like the main character themes and Sakai Village. But I definitely wouldn't call it more "film-like". I hope this doesn't come across as antagonistic or anything, cause it's not meant like that... lmao I just felt the game was being treated pretty unfairly. But I can also totally understand that if you're ever gonna get burnt out on the series, 3 is probably when it's gonna happen. It isn't even my favourite necessarily, mostly because the first three games are all about equally fantastic. And 4 is great in its own right. Also, on the topic of openings, I kinda like Onimusha 1 and 2's openings better. 3's is cool and all, but it's just a random, meandering action scene of Samanosuke being cool and destroying a bunch of shit. 2's opening tells a tragic backstory and introduces all the main characters, with gorgeous visual artistry and a beautiful score. It's well-paced, iconic and one of those classic openings you can watch an infinite amount of times, I think.

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

So basically Onimusha is actually worse Sekiro and not worse Ninja Gaiden. In all seriousness I think every Oni game past 1 is more action focused. The only oni game that felt like a survival horror adventure was the original I mean just compare the antagonists of that game to the goobers in 2.

[@neonfatum]

​@@MILDMONSTER1234 In terms of atmosphere Onimusha 1 is unmatched in the series for sure. It's one of the best ever. I don't think the antagonists of any of them are much better or worse though to be honest. They're all pretty silly. lmao But all of the games have a survival horror challenge to them, as enemies hit pretty hard and healing items are strictly limited. Although I think in 4 and maybe 3 you could grind to get as many as you want.

[@thisWinglessAngel]

God i miss these games. It's a shame we only got onimusha 1 in HD recently.

[@Szczauqa]

Demand must've been low

[@amosdeguzman9980]

Onimusha: Warlords didn't really sell that well when comparted to other remasters Capcom did. A leaker said rereleases for 2 and 3 were cancelled, but that leaker is unreliable, so I don't believe him.

[@goranisacson2502]

​@@IRONDIO444 I heard the "didn't sell well" rumour too, but not this. Where did this info come from?

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

capcom is an idiot when it comes to simple remasters, like bruh just port over your library and gain recommendations and a loyal fanbase

[@JcgLounge]

@@IRONDIO444can we at least get a Dawn of Dreams remaster?

[@pedrodanielvegagarcia3862]

I like the fact that you can play with all the Onimusha1 weapons once you beat all the Dark realm floors, it's a really Nice touch

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

i played with nothing but the base sword for the authenticity

[@Ergeniz]

@@MGrey-qb5xz There's nothing authentic about that

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

@@Ergeniz COPE

[@jaysanj152]

@@MGrey-qb5xz Wow,You got my respect especially considering the base katana isn't all that good with certain enemies. Unless you're a pretty good at counter which of course straight up one-two shots everything.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

@@jaysanj152 exactly 💯💪

[@clashmanthethird]

15:33 bro went to the PS2 memory card screen

[@mikeoakeshart3823]

This is just a DMC3 analysis video in disguise.😆

[@NailStrafer]

Shame you didn't like this game, since for me it's probably my favorite one in the series. I love it for the ridiculous premise alone, and I even keep around the OST to listen to from time to time. I would love to see this one get a remastered release at some point. You do make a lot of good points though, and perhaps the 'person out of time' storyline could've been taken further rather than both protagonists acclimating to their timeline pretty quickly.

[@greenhowie]

Yeah this is a very silly game and if you are in the right mood it is a lot of dumb fun.

[@PierDaken]

Also, she can Issen just like any other character. Doing oneshots with guns is always fun.

[@ElectricBarrier]

Yeah 3 is my favorite too. I'm pretty sure it's nostalgia though, I think I played it before the other two.

[@Horatio787]

Onimusha is the only franchise I've found where everyone has a different favorite. There's no consensus other than 4 is the worst one, but I still hear it's some people's favorite. Also, "could've been better" isn't a good criticism because I could just point at every game and say that until we hit RE4 at the top.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

what you expect, the guy is a cringe boomer

[@milosmisic89]

Hmm strange to hear this negative review. Since this is generally regarded as the best, most popular and most played.

[@billyboleson2830]

Actually the first game is still the most popular

[@bonehead156]

this is like the one review of yours I don't actually like. Onimusha 3 was great and your just jaded.

[@WisteriaNerium]

It's basically him complaining it wasn't DMC 3

[@bonehead156]

​@@WisteriaNerium pretty much yeah

[@TheExFatal]

You completely lost me at "generic film-like score", I'm out

[@Alastor343]

Charlie is one of the first people I've heard of disliking this one. Now I'm curious how he will feel about Dawn of Dreams. The one everyone (but me) hates

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

It’s interesting since most people seem to have this as their favorite

[@SiberianFenek]

4 is my favorite too. Never realised it was hated.

[@Alastor343]

@@SiberianFenek A kindred spirit! I really love that one but every time I've ever heard or seen anyone else talk about it it's with such contempt

[@alastor8091]

People hate it? I played it when I was like 4. Loved it even though I couldn't beat it or even come close.

[@AsherReigns]

4 was the only one I played. Loved how it was the first one to try and marry the op scenes with the actual game.

[@Nhileishere]

You used to have intros and much more personality in your reviews way back when. Shame to see the passion and flair of that gone. The dmc3 and oni comparison is a bit apples and oranges too, like i get theyre both by capcom but the styles of combat are different for a reason

[@jellybalboa100]

The most memorable intro ever, in the history of action games , I absolutely loved this game, I scored it a perfect 10

[@8Bitorbust]

It's Dark Realms are awesome!

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

onimusha 3 did difficulty select perfectly, all easy (my favorite since it makes the game extra flashy), medium and hard invite different playstyles by effecting not only the enemy AI and their placements but also your mechanics. Easy is my go to but working up to hard was sweet

[@billyboleson2830]

I hated how devilish difficulty was locked behind issen mode like what shouldn’t it be the other way around

[@pockystyx4087]

That point about the premise being so underutilized and boring really is the biggest issue with the direction they took with Onimusha. While I've no love for 3's gameplay; I imagine it would've been far more memorable if it really went as crazy with the time travel shenanigans, instead of this very milquetoast plot. I bring up Nioh 1 & 2 a lot as my personal replacements for the Onimusha-fix; but It still saddens me that the series really never recovered after 3.

[@RainD4]

Man, that Ekei PTSD scene still lives rent free in my head to this day

[@8Bitorbust]

2 got you as well I see. If you haven't unlocked all the scenes then you're in for a treat for a few other rent free scenes almost as dark.

[@RainD4]

​@@8Bitorbust I don't remember if I unlocked everything or not back in the day, but I sure as hell was shocked to see that finishing Kotaro's story would actually end up with him dying!

[@8Bitorbust]

@@RainD4 I was not prepared for that or having to kill Ekei. At that point it kind of felt like too much was lost but you'd come too far. But holy ****!!! It explains the ending because truthfully, the only character who got anything close to a happy ending was Magoichi and that's because he loved war! It was like Christmas was everyday for him. If I'm Jubei I off Nobonaga and I'm joining him because nothing got better that's for sure.

[@goranisacson2502]

​​@@8Bitorbust I mean teeechnically ~Gogandantess, grrreatest swordsman of aaaall the demons~ got the acknowledgment of his One True Rival that he WAS supercool, so he got to go out on top. I for one see that as a happy ending!... of sorts.

[@8Bitorbust]

@@goranisacson2502 My god you're right. He's such an underated villain and boss battle. Thanks for that reminder.

[@mortvia]

May sound silly but I actually got into Mozart because of Dies Irae used for Guildenstern.

[@wolf89535]

That's a good music taste 😁

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

The way you unlock the higher difficulties always irked me, you have to beat critical mode (the mode where you can only kill enemies with issen) to unlock devilish difficulty but shouldn’t it be the other way around?

[@ragnarok314]

I really liked onimusha 3.

[@diabetus1217]

Honestly the language bit feels like a bad take. It's not "one speaks french and the other japanese" When you look at it from how it was originally made before localizing it's "one speaks the known language and one speaks the unknown language". What is english was japanese and was intended to be understood while the french was only to be understood if that player happened to know french. If we want to be this critical of games as a medium then we should also be willing to view the concepts with more a more abstract approach

[@Kriss_ch.]

I appreciate the comparison to other action games. Of course looking at a game's merits on its own is relevant, but I think placing it in the context of series releasing in the same era that still have big name recognition shows why Onimusha isn't that talked about anymore, and demonstrates that they could have done more. A streamer I watch is big into Dawn of Dreams, so I actually ended up ordering it after watching him play. I dunno if I'll find it as rewarding as him, but I'm somewhat hopeful.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

3 and 4 are the only ones worth playing really.

[@LeTheGenD]

I think you're being a little too harsh on this game. You criticized everything new the game brought yet also criticized it when it was similar to the older games.

[@darrylrobson4376]

Yeah boiiii. This game has the best opening cutscene OF ALL TIME.

[@Ali-fs7ze]

Say what you will about the action in this game, but the whips feel a lot more Whip-y than ANY of the 3D Castlevania games.

[@realamericannegro977]

The PS2 and PS3 Castlevanias. I think the N64 ones felt like a whip

[@DeepWeeb]

Charlie can't help himself from relentlessly seething at the idea of games trying to be like movies by casting famous actors and their likenesses

[@Comkill117]

Which is a weird complaint to have now three games in after 1&2 did it too.

[@KarmodF]

"They are speaking gamer" Somehow Brit pulls some of the best jokes in terms of yt videos and he is supposed to be a serious reviewer.

[@xxxprince_charmingxxx8940]

Him being a serious reviewer is a more recent development. He used to make lots of jokey videos along with the serious ones

[@xxxprince_charmingxxx8940]

If you want an example watch his original onimusha video

[@yungmuniestakz]

If you had all this to say about 3 which I enjoyed, I can only imagine what your dawn of dreams review would sound like 😬

[@billyboleson2830]

I mean at least it tried to innovate the combat unlike 3 so who knows

[@liamwynne566]

I miss when games blended great gameplay and dumb as hell story together. I'm surprised you weren't that into this game, I genuinely loved playing this for the first time in 2015.

[@Gustavozxd13]

when you look back after playing DMC Bayonetta and other action games with goofy/dumb stories though, Oni 3 just feels very basic and uninteresting.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

@@Gustavozxd13 booooo u suk

[@billyboleson2830]

I love how this game has the same premise as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3

[@NucleaRaptor]

oh god 🤮

[@sugarsmile7852]

The thumbnail be like "Mom can we have onimusha at home" "Oh honey we have onimusha at car" onimusha at car:

[@rouge939]

I’m curious for the review of the next game. I couldn’t beat it because it was so grindy and the enemies were complete damage sponges

[@taylic6869]

God damn this game got roasted. I’ve been absolutely dying to play this game again. I just replayed the first cause it’s the only one you can easily get, and it’s fun sure but WAY to short, blew threw it in just under 4 hours so I can’t say it’s my favorite. I replayed 2 a few years ago cause I found it on sale at a convention. Also pretty solid but I don’t think just giving items to people can be considered “RPG mechanics”. And that scene with the guy having ptsd is a nice touch, but that scene alone carries the fun factor of the “RPG mechanics”. The other the plot lines are meh. With all that said for years I’ve always thought 3 would be my favorite for two reasons. Having 2 characters lets you use way more weapons(in total 11 special weapons I think), and that the game is an alright length. In a vacuum where you don’t have to compare it to “the big three” games coming soon from other IP’s I’d say it’s a pretty fun game

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

True and also Easy , Normal and Hard aren't just different difficulties they are different play styles that massively increase replayability

[@UGOTNUKED]

3 is where the series lost me. Despite all their gimmicks, present day France, Jean Reno, time travel, etc. the game feels like it has no actual passion or ideas. Like management dictated the setting and the devs weren't behind it. Like it's mentioned in the video, nothing about it gets taken advantage of. The game feels so stiff in it's character interactions.

[@billyboleson2830]

That’s basically what happened, the series kept going in wildly directions past 1 for a reason

[@TheOutlawed1000]

Every time he mentions Devil May Cry I think of something Kendrick said. “Devil May Cry is a good series but it is not your savior.”

[@alastor8091]

It legitimately is though.

[@Gustavozxd13]

after 5? It absolutely is. Although credit where credit is due, Hi-fi rush is pretty sick.

[@GerardoFirestorm]

you are rigth, im happy that he talks about dmc 3 only on action/gameplay focus because in scenarios, enemy and level design tends to be very poor

[@shionsonozaki5730]

why is it always dudes with policenauts pfp's being really annoying

[@TheOutlawed1000]

@@shionsonozaki5730 Becaue you made just made that up, Higurashi high school anime girl profile. Policenauts being popular enough to have a stereotype. What an idea.

[@RomanCzachor]

This was great, I hope we get a dawn of dreams review too, i feel it did the action aspect of the series much better

[@8Bitorbust]

It kind of went for a Street Fighter kind of vibe and some serious ability to over power your character.

[@1Synner]

It's kind of a shame you didn't like it, but I kinda get it. That said, it was one of my favorites growing up, and still is today. O1 is a classic, sure, and O2 was an interesting RPG experiment, but there was something about O3 that just kept me wanting more of it. Maybe it was the insane premise. Maybe it was Jean Reno. Maybe it was the odd choices of settings. Maybe it was the very B-movie plot that was less interested in taking itself as seriously as the first two games. Maybe it was all its little quirks and flaws that seem somewhat "boring" and baffling compared to its successors that would come out a year or two later. Or maybe it was that sick-ass intro that's still better than most CG cutscenes to date (in visuals and presentation). Or maybe I simply just have a soft spot for it, regardless of reason. No matter what it is, though, it still remains as my 22nd favorite game of all time.

[@michaelburleson2687]

DMC 3 reference in first 4 minutes, oh yeah, this is a TGBS vid

[@muffinzetta3670]

couldn't disagree more

[@SatansBestBuddy1]

This is the only Onimusha I'd played, and gotta say, your review is really making me consider going back and trying the first two. I also wasn't all too impressed with the game outside of that GCI cutscene, but somehow, didn't consider that maybe, the game's legacy wasn't being lived up to.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

you can still play it on pc, with fan patches it works flawlessly

[@genuinesaucy]

Did you ever play Shinobi on PS2? Seems like the kind of game you'd be interested in.

[@NucleaRaptor]

Love that game so much I'd fuck it. Best character action of all time, as far as I'm concerned.

[@billyboleson2830]

People like to compare to ninja gaiden but it’s more like a 3d version of mega man zero

[@DouglasWatt]

Part of why Onimusha 3 took so little risk compared to 2 is because of corporate control. Onimusha 2 was very expensive to make & market. In particular, Onimusha 2 got a massive marketing campaign in Japan tied in with a new single from Tomoyasu Hotei and a whole bunch of other things that cost a lot of money. But Japanese businesses have to make money in Japan first. Domestic sales need to cover all costs with the foreign sales being a "bonus". Unfortunately, Onimusha 2 did well enough to allow Onimusha 3 to get greenlight, but not enough that the risk taking seen in Onimusha 2 was allowed again. So Capcom basically forced Onimusha 3 to move in a more bombastic, safe "Hollywood" direction. The hiring of Jean Reno was basically done to try and shore up sales as Jean Reno was a major international star who also had large domestic draw.

[@goranisacson2502]

Huh, did not know that Capcom scrimped on 3 due to those reasons, but I also know precious little behind the scenes stuff Onimusha. Where did you learn all this?

[@DouglasWatt]

@@goranisacson2502 Some of the issues at Capcom were made public in comments after the financial failure of Dawn of Dreams, which was in turn shifted to appeal to a younger (and wider) audience after Onimusha 3 failed to bring in the older audience. Basically Capcom from around 2003 to basically the end of the PS3 era went through a period where they stopped getting concerned about creative impulse and quality and about what they thought would do well in the market. A few gems made it through, but there's a marked difference in what Capcom did before and since that period. But also, I work in the games industry in Japan and have heard certain things.

[@Dirik619]

"Onimusha 3 is not good because DMC3 is better" dude cmon. Onimusha 3's gimmick of time travel is awesome

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

I’ve seen the whole “move this object in the past to change the future” gimmick done better. Cryostasis and Singularity come to mind not too original, though it’s the only one with Jean Reno so there’s that at least

[@NihilisticIdealist]

@@MILDMONSTER1234 There's also Titanfall 2.

[@morkgin2459]

Soul Reaver

[@GerardoFirestorm]

he said that dmc 3 is better gameplay wise, wich is true

[@amosdeguzman9980]

I feel the biggest problem Onimusha 3 has is that it went bigger in everything except gameplay. Bigger areas, bigger enemy counts, and a bigger story. But compare Samonsuke in his 1 and 3 versions. They play the same. I don't even think he has anything new in his base moveset. He has different weapons in 3 sure, but most of his weapons share the same purposes as his weapons in 1. I wouldn't say it ever became a pure action game like DMC 3, but I do agree they should have taken inspiration there. So Brit, you echoed my problems with this game. But I still liked it better than 1, because I liked the variety of levels better. I also really liked the cast in 3 better than in 1, simply because we spent more tie with them. I do miss Kaede though. I wish she wasn't killed off screen, and we actually saw her romance with Samanosuke more. I hope you review Onimusha Blade Warriors as well! I haven't gotten a chance to play it since I'm currently busy with other games, but I would like to see your thoughts on it.

[@amosdeguzman9980]

@@IRONDIO444 Charge attacks were in Genma Onimusha, so it's not a new mechanic. 10 Point Slashes were an interesting concept, but I barely ever saw a need to use it. A new Bow System is cool, but in practice you'll rarely use it because of the camera.

[@WisteriaNerium]

" I wouldn't say it ever became a pure action game like DMC 3, but I do agree they should have taken inspiration there" Onimusha 3 came out in 2004, and DMC 3 in 2005. None of you know what you're talking about.

[@amosdeguzman9980]

@@WisteriaNerium DMC3 and Onimusha 3 were concurrently developed by Capcom. DMC1 literally took inspiration from Onimusha while in development. You're the one who doesn't seem to understand things.

[@WisteriaNerium]

@@amosdeguzman9980 Yeah I know, it was a bug that inspired juggling, but that's when both products were still part of the Resident Evil. Both DMC as a RE4 prototype and Onimusha as a PS1 Biohazard set in Japan. After both series released their first game, there was little reason for Onimusha to take inspiration from DMC because it was its own thing. Especially because Onimusha 1 and 2 were still designed with the PS1 in mind. They wanted to play it safe after Onimusha 2 had bombed, and frankly adding too many mechanics after two games not changing much would've been jarring. I rather liked how the whole trilogy played, the game didn't *need* to be some DMC 3 copy as both games had grown beyond being Resident Evil prototypes. They had their own identities, and the teams wouldn't have been as close because of that.

[@amosdeguzman9980]

@@WisteriaNerium Well, that's a reasonable opinion with some good thought put behind it. I just feel that the game didn't improve much on gameplay and didn't even really innnovate beyond 1 basic combo.

[@jaysanj152]

"Onimusha 3 is not good because DMC3 is better" With a stupid takes like that,It's no wonder you hate this game just because your favorite game is better. and You're like the ONLY person i know who hates this game,Almost everyone i know who played this enjoy it just as much i did. If you take the game way too seriously ofc you'll dislike it...I ENJOYED it for the very same reasons you disliked it for.

[@GerardoFirestorm]

then you are blind, you have to be able to see the good and the wrongs of everything, the only hack slash that has son little wrongs is god of war, think about it

[@TheAnimatedGamer]

@Gerardo Firestorm but I think what the comment is saying that you can't also entirely compare it to games like DMC since both go for different things. Besides DMC3 had to damn near soft reboot itself after how 2 went and onimusha was just doing what already worked before (mostly) They probably didn't want to completely take the plunge into more action game mechanics because they also had DMC right there

[@PrideOnInsightGamer]

And here I was, jokingly, thinking that we'd be getting this review on Valentine's Day, 2030.

[@Rorschach1195]

Great video as always. While I agree on the OST, I think the main theme/Samanosuke's theme and its variations played throughout the game, like Route to Deliverance and the small piano varient section used during the credits are pretty good, and considered "his theme" while only being used for the one game. When I think of this series it is the track I always remember. They brought it back for Onimusha 4 which is a game im very curious to hear your take on.

[@antelasic1950]

Man, it's so nice having tgb become a regular part of my sub box, thou the longer deep dives are always on another level. Speaking off the actual video, it's funny that growing up I never played 3 but always heard it being regarded as the best one, but now watching the video it paints a whole new picture of the game for me. Guess I'll just have to play it to find out if it's the best or not.

[@GozuTennai]

What a hot take on the intro! The intro to this is way beyond anything done in devil may cry to this day.

[@christhechilled]

You ain’t lying!

[@shionsonozaki5730]

game still is mid though only good ones are 1 and dawn of dreams

[@TheRealTHD]

I suddenly remembered there was an Onimusha Smash clone.

[@AsherReigns]

It was weird but it had Megaman Zero. So I played it.

[@wdcain1]

I enjoyed the Michelle levels. Her guns having auto-targeting make them feel smooth and like a 3D run & gunner.

[@NucleaRaptor]

The rain-soaked monster-infested zoo level was as spooky and atmospheric as this game ever got, which isn't much, but it's better than nothing. It always made me think back fondly to RE3, which is always a good thing.

[@motherplayer]

Also liked that theme that played. Still remember it after all these years. And I enjoyed the shake-up fighting those monsters with guns.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

her levels are baby mode with those guns, kinda boring but appreciated nonetheless by these chad devs

[@PierDaken]

Ah, yes, almost half an hour of complaining about the stuff that's irrelevant to most of the audience and the game itself and paying little attention to the most fun gameplay mechanics that require some time and effort to get into. I have no idea why I'm still subscribed to this channel. Masochistic urges, I guess.

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

I mean what else is there to talk about? Oni combat was never particularly super deep or anything. Oni 1 being a resident evil clone was clearly the best approach for the series

[@iplayvidya7949]

What I really didn't like was how past Samanosuke had to be a fucking jobber so Jacques would have stuff to do. Samanosuke we play is super badass and unstoppable. Literally takes down a demon ship solo. Past Samanosuke doesn't even get to do that (shouldn't that mean more reinforcements?? Did they even address it? I don't remember) and gets killed easily. Been a while since I played this so my memory is very fuzzy, but I remember that being a major annoyance when I beat it. Forgot to mention: for a trilogy there's literally no connective tissue between the games and I think it's utterly bizarre. Samanosuke and Nobunaga didn't end up fighting? Ok, I guess we're Jubei now. Oh, Jubei kills (?) Nobunaga before he historically dies. Oh, now we're historically at where he dies and Samanosuke is here to finish the job. What??????????

[@WisteriaNerium]

You are putting WAY too much importance into the story thinking it's a whole serious lore instead of a celebration of Samurai and Martial Arts movies. And I recall the ending of Onimusha 2 explaining that since Jubei didn't have the gauntlet he couldn't kill Nobunaga. That's the bizarre thing, your take.

[@arcfighterx2586]

Onimusha 3 has one of the best openings in gaming history. This was mind blowing as a kid and watching it again as an adult, way ahead of its time

[@Jose-se9pu]

Capcom sometime after the release of Onimusha 2: "what makes Onimusha, well, Onimusha...it is set in feudal Japan, has beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds, and the games are starred by famous japanese actors...lets have the next game starred by Jean Reno. set in modern France, and with 3D backgrounds that are going to look like shit one year after release, yes, that is the most logical thing to do". Anyway, only reason why I still own this game is because of that intro...I remember reading it took them over a year to make it, and it also took most of the game's budget...of course, it was totally worth it, the game is not very good, but if you saw that intro while looking for a new game at the store, you were buying this game.

[@motherplayer]

Hey, Jean has popularity in Japan, so it does make some sense.

[@budafuka]

I never understood the love that this particular game gets. I think the opening cutscene brings this game higher praise than it ever should have. It is the most by the numbers action game of this franchise and the game had no stakes going into it from the previous entries. The gameplay in Onimusha 2 was derivative of the first, but it added fun elements with the exploration and NPC interactions that makes it stand out. Dawn of Dreams is probably the most polarizing, but the gameplay innovations are enough to set it as my fav of the series right behind the first. The series is so all over the place that it's not surprising that the first game is the only one that ever gets ports or remasters.

[@greenhowie]

It's got that B-movie cheesiness and plenty of fanservice, like if you play it intoxicated with friends it's a blast but if you grimly stare at the screen demanding peak perfection and excellence you're gonna have a bad time.

[@billyboleson2830]

Oni 4 is depressingly underrated

[@budafuka]

@@greenhowie The previous 2 games had B-movie cheesiness, plenty of fan service, were far from peak perfection and excellence and were still more memorable than this game.

[@NucleaRaptor]

@@billyboleson2830 Oni4 is literally Fanservice: The Game.

[@MD_Chaos]

While I can understand the feelings and you have for the game and why you would think that, I kinda feel you were kinda harsh and off in wanting it to be something it wasn't aiming for instead of seeing what the game is going and measuring it to something like DMC, Ninja Gaiden, etc. For me Onimusha 3, Is one of the best action adventures game on the ps2 and makes for a great end for the original trilogy. it's also my favorite in the series besides Dawn of Dreams. Though honestly all the main 4 games in the series are great in their own right and have something to offer. for 3, Going all in Hollywood action adventure is part of what I enjoy about it and just really cool to, but it's also I think is the most entertaining and engaging to go through. I think the variety what you have with combat definitely puts it above 1 and 2. While I wouldn't say it's a massive leap, it's still noticeable in what it's going when playing 1-3 back to back, as that was the intent with the series in conception as it was meant to be a trilogy initially.1 is more akin to a classic samurai movie, where as II is basically a Tokusatsu samurai movie, III feels like the hollywood blockbuster action send off movie in video game and I feel that lends itself well with the series. I do think III does feel a bit bloated in parts, but it's paced well enough and gets the most of it's campaign that it never feels like it outstays it's welcome too much. I do wish it had a bit more puzzle and exploration, but given the context and focus of the game's story I don't feel it hinders the game that much. I kinda feel or get the impression like with your perspective on the series that playing games that were made after the onimusha games and had different focuses that it might have spoiled in appreciating and seeing the other aspects of III and series overall. I don't think it's wrong or incorrect to have that perspective, but it can be a bit narrow minded. one thing I will agree on is that countering is more difficult than in prior games but not in a way that's feels it has that much of a learning curve. I don't mind it that much and it isn't that necessary, but it feels like there is less of a window than in prior games. Though DOD does improve upon that.

[@Diwasho]

Video game intros peaked during that generation. MGS3, Soul Calibur 2, even SSB Melee, all the best and most epic intros were made in the early 00's. Despite the huge increase in power the later consoles offered the art of bombastic VG intros simply died down around the mid-00's and since then we never got anything that was nearly as memorable or high budget.

[@arthurbrax6561]

Even today I can't believe the Onimusha IP has been abandoned by Capcom. Now that samurai games have been super successful with Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima I hope we get another Onimusha game

[@stolensentience]

A game about flawed, broken people trying to find a piece of catharsis at the end of the world… What do you think a gamer will relate to? -Bars

[@greenhowie]

This game might not be great in a few areas but all is forgiven because you can run all the way back to the start of the game as Michelle like its an alternate timeline Resident Evil. There's even a secret miniboss for her and performing an issen with a shotgun is just bonkers

[@1Synner]

wait, what? A secret miniboss for Michelle? I didn't know this!

[@greenhowie]

@@1Synner Happy hunting :)

[@1Synner]

@@greenhowie Well, damn. New reason to load up the game. I should be close to that chapter.

[@Comkill117]

That’s why 3’s the best, letting you go all the way back when 2 didn’t and really needed that feature.

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

It’s interesting how most Oni fans don’t like Oni 4 but at least that game tries something new with the combat

[@MD_Chaos]

It kinda depends on who you talk to. I use to not care for DOD but replaying it years after I came out, I came away loving it and finding it to be a fantastic game in the series. I know a few others who were like that as well about it.

[@ProxyDoug]

It's a game I liked a lot at the start, but before hitting the final boss, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I can't even remember why. I would blame side objectives if I could remember if the game has any.

[@Gustavozxd13]

I'm currently going through it and the most interesting part is more playable characters. Other than that it's just mega easy and really boring to play. Magic sucks at least so far because for all the weapons it's just a generic sword hit that activates the issen so you can kill everything with ease and bore.

[@Comkill117]

Onimusha’s weird because depending on who you talk to they’re gonna give you a different answer for what’s the best. Some people like 1 for the exploration, some people like 2 for the RPG stuff, some people like 3 because of the cheese and whip-sword + glock executions, and some people like 4 for the combat.

[@MilesMods]

I got this as a kid from my babysitter when I was younger. The game was just as good as I thought it was going to be. It's still amazing what they did. This game had great production and it's a shame it hasn't received a proper HD port.

[@lilacorkindheart8325]

Another great one. Thank You Charlie. I wish to share my observation on the crying moments between games. The difference I saw between Onimusha 2 and Onimusha 3 crying, is it's meaning and weight. Onimusha 2 had a man carrying guilt and pain within his heart. For year it grew, only quieted by alcohol and noise. So when it finaly came to him and his past came rushing in to the man all his emotion both good and bad hit him with a strenght of a hurricane. His moment of relief finaly came and all those years of pain finaly, let out. Ugly, yet with a heart for it was ultimately his time... to let go. Onimusha 3 was about aceptance and farewell. The son was stuck with the memory of his mother and could not go past his old life, denying anything that would cause him to accept him moving on. So when he had a final goodbye with his mother, It was his last goodbye - a kiss on the cheek for a goodnight. There was only simple tear because there was no need for more. He was at peace now. A Last Goodbye... This is what I got from both moments. I wish I could articulate better my feeling but I hope anyone reading this understands at least a little bit what I meant. It all were simple different beats - as Brit would put it. In real life people have different cries as well. Reflecting thei hearts and turmoils. Maybe that is the reason why, for me. both moments where equally right.

[@HazyJ28]

I use soup to eat chopsticks, actually.

[@defunctchannel942]

Thank you for not saying "Animusha" like some folks do.

[@LethalAxis]

I wanna share my struggle. I played and finished the pc version of this game. Somewhere in the middle you have to solve a puzzle with a timer. If you take too long you die. The puzzle is pretty much simon says but with the buttons of a ps2 controller....but on a pc keyboard. They kept the ui of the puzzle to be showing ps2 buttons. What i had to do to get past it is that after too many attempts i just started pressing keys in the puzzle and writing down on paper what ps2 button each key is mapped to. I think the game was a bad port like dmc3 and you couldnt even remap key without text editing. I was a kid btw

[@Dirik619]

next stop, oni dawn of dreams, best game ever

[@hairy_cornflake]

I'm not gonna lie this might be my favorite episode despite the problems. This is totally the nostalgia goggles speaking here, I grew up this Onimusha 3 and played the first two games a lot later.

[@mariokarter13]

The "stand in one spot and restore health really slowly" mechanic reminds me of charging magic in the Dynasty Warriors ripoff no one else remembers. Mystic Heroes.

[@manjiimortal]

That was actually a mechanic in DW games, as in most of them you could charge your musou bar by pressing down the musou attack button.

[@motherplayer]

@@manjiimortal Also, is a game a rip-off if it's made by the same studio? Wouldn't re-purpose be a better word?

[@goranisacson2502]

Me! I remember Mystic Heroes! Vaguely because GOD it's been decades, but I remember it still.

[@FullMetalJedi]

Loved Onimusha 3 so not sure why a hate video was recommended to me

[@D-Nova]

"Learn tank controls..." Seriously, what is there to "learn" about tank controls? Holding up always makes you run forward, holding down makes you move backwards and so on. With an IQ over 60, adapting to tank controls should be easy. If I was able to do so, everyone can. Aber Kann-Nicht wohnt halt meistens in der Will-Nicht-Straße.

[@Denkersis]

Imagine talking this amount of bullshit

[@Mr.Faust3]

I never understood the point of popular actors in video games your characters can look however they want and you choose Jean Reno

[@greenhowie]

According to interviews he was very grumpy and uncooperative the whole time as well.

[@goranisacson2502]

Draw in extra eyeballs, all for the sake of marketing. Doesn't change anything about the game, they just hope it gets them a little more attention.

[@Noob-zi2ce]

Poor review. If you weren't an active gamer in the era this game was created you have no business rating it now. You can't rate old games with today's standard. By PS2 standard this game is one of the best of its era. I loved it so much.

[@gsifdgsgs]

From what I understand problem of this game is, it's more action oriented yet mechanics are not changed for that. Also story is too safe to become even a little bit more interesting

[@dandinkler6315]

Sounds like the combat system just needed more time in the oven and the story overshadows the gameplay. I'm sad I never played these though, as a kid I probably would've loved it lol

[@Bendilin]

Damn, I was hoping for some Nero/Oogie's Revenge whip play

[@raulrojas9253]

CAPCOM can't write for shit. However Oni 3 is very memorable, I'm sorry you don't like it.

[@keip4568]

What about Dawn of Dreams? If so, don't forget to mention it's secretly 2 players!!

[@qwertyMrJINX]

When Brit started bringing up large scale battles, I was waiting for him to bring up Dynasty Warriors or Sengoku BASARA. I can sense your subtle disdain.

[@Cheeks730]

i went back to play it recently and was scared that nostalgia clouded the way i saw the game but nope it was a ton of fun still. Onimusha 2 is still my favorite but this is def my second favorite

[@christhechilled]

Great, now give No More Heros 3 that same energy because the game deserves it.

[@gameinspection4999]

WE GOT THAT DMC REFERENCE YEAHHHHHH

[@jotaferreira4848]

Well, Oni 3 introduced me to the franchsie and it's still my fave to this very day.

[@UltraPrimeHunter]

Hi fi rush video when

[@BagazZ123]

The thumbnail wasn't an edit, okay.

[@stolensentience]

3 was better than 2, if you’re only into the combat like I was. 3 was actually well received at the time as well, unlike 2. From a critic’s perspective at least. 1 was the best of the first 3 for sure but all were definitely enjoyable. But the 4th one is where it peaked anyway. But I’ll be honest, I can’t remember the story of any of them, despite playing them over a hundred hours, especially the fourth one.

[@NihilisticIdealist]

Was Onimusha 2 any good?

[@billyboleson2830]

@@NihilisticIdealist yes

[@stolensentience]

@@NihilisticIdealist my least favorite by a quite a bit but it’s certainly not bad

[@goranisacson2502]

Huh, you were right- I really don't recall much about the story or felt the final fight was hype or got engaged with the characters, like I did with Onimusha 2 and 4! Most I can recall where Ranmaru because Eiffel tower-fight and his sick design and Guildenstern because you just don't forget Guildenstern. But since I also can't really recall what it was like to play it, whether it was fun or not, whether it looked impressive or not, I also can't say much there. I will just say this has been an interesting perspective on the game, and I wonder what will be said of Dawn of Dreams, which I personally quite liked.

[@astreakaito5625]

It's was a great freaking game for me and way better than Oni 2.

[@Comkill117]

Agreed. Onimusha 2 was honestly really boring, but this one had a ton of great gameplay sections and I love how dumb the story was.

[@chillhour6155]

Onimusha 2's weapon's are more memorable then this whole game

[@diamondhamster4320]

Gamer Speak and Movie Speak =D Also the car shot is pure Baby Dont Hurt me Meme energy scene.

[@joseurbina3835]

Hope to see an "Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams" Review sometime in the Future, truly deserves more Love and Attention.

[@eb-the-gamer6287]

You had to end on the skeletor-like laugh XD

[@HashBandicoot356]

Why didn't the re release include all the Onimusha games lol.

[@SuntoryKick]

When you say things like “on accident” is that a deliberate decision for your American audience or is it purely how ingrained American English is becoming? Just curious after noticing it.

[@SiberianFenek]

Never knew the dude playing leon was voiced by another dude playing another leon in another capcom game

[@Miraak22]

Literally my favorite action game of all time

[@billyboleson2830]

Try Nioh

[@billyboleson2830]

@@IRONDIO444 yeah but four words Team Ninja Action Game Take away the stamina system and it would basically be ninja gaiden with rpg builds

[@Charlestouchdown]

Walk ten steps and a cutscene starts. More of a movie than a game.

[@Trisaaru]

This one is just weird. It's a good game, but it was always a bit less memorable than the previous titles. I forget crucial story beats in this game sometimes and I've played through it a bunch. I do agree that the issen timing seeming harder in this one. I can barely get a single one in 3 but I wreck house in 2 and even 1. I'm interested in your thoughts on Dawn of Dreams, which is an even more different beast than this one. You'll probably like it more than this one, I do at least. This is the weakest in the series, but still pretty good.