Onimusha: Warlords

Onimusha: Warlords brought Japanese feudal horror to PlayStation 2, blending the combat system of action games with puzzles and survival-horror atmosphere. The player steps into the role of the samurai Samanosuke, who battles demons that have taken over a castle amid the civil war in 16th-century Japan, in order to rescue an abducted princess and uncover the fortress's dark secret. The combination of pre-rendered backgrounds, fixed camera angles, and a fluid combat system immediately evoked Resident Evil, though with a far more action-oriented, sword-based approach to combat, where enemies could be dramatically cut to pieces. The castle's claustrophobic corridors, dark courtyards, and underground dungeons created a sense of an enclosed, dangerous space where another wave of demons could be waiting around every corner.

The game is built around collecting the souls of defeated enemies, which the player uses to upgrade weapons, armor, and magical abilities, as well as solving simple puzzles while making their way through the castle and its surroundings. The graphics were among the best at the time of release — detailed characters set against painted backgrounds felt cinematic, and the atmosphere was rounded out by dense orchestral music and a tense sound backdrop full of distant screams and creaking. Onimusha: Warlords became one of the early major hits of the PlayStation 2's early era and kicked off a long-running and commercially successful series.

Period reviews praised above all the atmosphere and the blend of action with horror elements, even though the game itself was fairly short and could be finished in just a few evenings. Today the title holds up nicely as a showcase of the early PS2 generation, and its influence is evident even in later Capcom action games, including Devil May Cry. A later remaster showed that the concept still holds up even with the passage of time and can still pull the player into its dark feudal world full of demons and intrigue. The short playtime also means even a player just wanting a taste of how the acclaimed series began can easily find the time for it today.

Why play it: For an atmospheric blend of action and horror from the early PS2 era, which thanks to its short playtime you can easily finish in just a few evenings, getting a taste of how Capcom's celebrated series began.