CAPCOM has released the remastered version of Onimusha 2 -Samurai’s Destiny on 23rd of May 2025, for PC (via Steam) and on the Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Xbox consoles. Originally released way back in March 2002 for the PlayStation, the game holds both things I love and hate about the series. Still, it is a wonderful remaster.
The gripes I have about the game are the gift system to keep everyone happy and completing the full storyline for all characters, for starters. They did, however, make the game as memorable as it was, at least for me, and at most for those who have played the game long ago and still hold it as probably the next best title in the series, alongside Onimusha 3. Without further ado, onto the review!
The story is set sometime after and is disconnected for a bit from Warlords (Onimusha 1’s subtitle for the unfamiliar), with Jubei Yagyu as the lead playable character (Damn, Yusaku Matsuda’s face really fits Jubei. Just something about that hard and serious-looking face) and is just as historically- significant as Hidemitsu (Samanosuke) Akechi, if not a bit more in terms of Oda opposition.
The tone is as serious as the previous entry. Still, it hosts a livelier band of both heroes and villains alike, considering your allies would be Ekei Ankokuji, Oyu of Odani, Magoichi Saika, and a young Kotaro Fuma. On the Genma’s side, we get a short appearance of Guildenstern, Tokichiro/Hideyoshi being a general nuisance once he appears, Ginghamphatts being the dumb muscle and overall a good boss to measure your mastery of the game with given his pacing, Jujudormah being the simp-level die-hard Nobunaga fangirl which makes things much more hilarious both ways looking forward and back, and the absolute joy of a boss battle, the greatest demon swordsman himself, Gogandantess.
The story deals with, from the start, the destruction of the Yagyu village, with only Jubei as the sole survivor. From the attack and the introduction FMV, the attackers are revealed to be Genma soldiers under Nobunaga’s rule. After rushing towards where a mysterious voice was leading him, Jubei went to an area where his life would change, and the story truly began.
Gameplay-wise, it’s close to and even better than Warlords. Chain Issen (The critical flashing one-hit sure-kill you can do as a counter, now chained to multiple hits or attack multiple enemies up to 7 times) made its debut here, which makes soul farming for upgrades a cinch, provided you can read the enemies’ attacks and counterattack accordingly. The tank controls still feel welcoming and very well-fitting (or perhaps it’s just me, as I’ve grown more accustomed to them than the analog controls).
You unlock storylines by giving gifts to other characters, and it’s up to you to get a good feel of which ones each and every one of them like to do two things: avoid boss battles against them and to play as them later on to obtain items from boxes only they could open, often containing supplies or key items and equipment or even gifts you can hand over to others later to proceed their own storylines.
Multiple playthroughs are a must for severe completionists, as you’ll need to get 100% on all storylines. The extra minigames unlock a plethora of other bonus content such as videos concerning the game’s creation, extra costumes for Jubei and Oyu, with one even hinting towards Yusaku Matsuda’s other role in a movie series, his iconic poofy hair under a hat and a suit and tie. Ranged attacks still need to be loaded before they can be shot, but it’s something that is part and parcel of that combat aspect. More often than not, usage of bow and arrow or the matchlock rifle will be rare indeed.
The soundtrack fits the game well, so much so that the atmosphere in-game is very mixed into it. From regular to boss battles, from exploring the areas around the game to the ones playing in the cutscenes, every single track fits every scene to a tee. The sound effects also fit the combat, and you can really enjoy the sound of every cut, every clang of clashing weapons, even the ever-pleasant dying cries of enemies, and soul absorption sounds are very ear candy if you’re into something as visceral as that.
Now, for some complaints that I have. Obtaining a 100% single run is outright hard, if not impossible, and you’ll have a lot of boxes left out in that respect, and the gift system does not have an indicator to show which character you’re leaving out of the proverbial playable loop – like my playthrough where I wasn’t able to get the Ekei part of the story and being unable to get the sealed boxes opened.
Another complaint I have is that at times, Jubei doesn’t usually auto-lock onto the next enemy when you kill one without the use of the Issen Dance (Chain Issen that easily clears enemies in successive attacks, but maybe that’s on me for focusing on the battle too much). Not much of a complaint considering healing item scarcity, they’re well-placed and some even obtainable from the gift system, which would save you a lot of grief.
Money farming is mostly stuck in the early parts of the game, and you could buy out the market before you even reach Jujudormah’s boss battle. For some players, I think it’d be of help if the gold could still be usable and relevant on the later parts of the game aside from the ability to return to the hub and buy supplies, but then again, it IS a survival horror game and that means playing it smart and managing your healing by sticking to doing the Issen Dance to get those well-needed Yellow Souls to heal yourself if you’re saving the healing items up for those really-need-them moments especially in boss battles when you’re learning boss attacks so you could keep them on the ropes and fight like a REAL Onimusha.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny brings both the good and bad onto the table for all players willing to pick it up from the fun and thrills to the hair-pulling frustrations and the inevitable feeling of great success whenever you defeat a boss or solve a puzzle box and get something that would help you out during battles. In the words of the legendary Joe Bob Briggs, “Four and a half stars! Check it out!”
Onimusha 2 Samurai's Destiny Review
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny brings both the good and bad onto the table for all players willing to pick it up.
The Good
- Issen Dance helps clear screens of foes quickly.
- Equipments are easy to learn.
- Other characters' segments break monotony.
The Bad
- Soul farming early on feels longer than Warlords.
- Character Storylines are separate instead of meshing together.
- Access to mining town gets locked out past a certain point.
