Super Street Video Game Reviews
Game Title: Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action
Platform: PS2
Rating: 
Record-breaking sales and critical acclaim aren't new to Capcom, especially after producing legendary titles like Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, and Onimusha. Luckily for gamers, Capcom likes to continually push gaming technology forward by producing fantastic looking games like their latest release Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. Demon Siege is the last installment of the Onimusha/Nobunaga trilogy, and developers pulled out all the stops making this a cinematic action-adventure game that fans are going to love. No detail was left out and the games two heroes, samurai Samanosuke and French soldier Jacques Blanc, are voiced by international actors Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jean Reno. A new 3-D graphics engine provides both photo-realistic details and cinema-like cut scenes that are beginning to rival PC graphics for detail and quality. Onimusha 3: Demon Siege has more than just looks to offer and action fans will be battling demons both past and present to finally defeat the evil Oda Nobunaga and bring the trilogy to its close.
The story of this game is jump started by an animated, six-minute opening movie that introduces the conflict, the two characters destined to be heroes, and sets up everything to allow players to get right into the action and to continue the story. Gamers who have never heard of Onimusha, but are fans of action-adventure and/or samurai games will have to check out this game, because knowing the details of the previous storyline isn't necessary to understand what is happening in this latest title. The opening animation, plus items collected throughout the game (notes, diary pages, scrolls), and cut scene transitions will provide more than enough info for players to understand detailed plot points that lead up to the dynamic final game conclusion.
Capcom introduces a dual-hero storyline and players will have to do battle with evil genma demons in both present day Paris and feudal Japan. The evil Nobunaga is pushing to take over earth by destroying humans. The only problem is his scientists cause a rip in time taking the game hero, Samanosuke, through time 500 years landing him in present day Paris. Where, strangely enough, genma demons have begun destroying the human population. Ultimately, it is up to the time challenged duo to work together to ultimately defeat Nobunaga.
The tightly written plot will swing players back and forth through time, and players will battle demons using a variety of cool, upgradeable weapons each specifically designed for the appropriate "hero." Another plus for the game is that both characters use the same buttons for movements and fighting. It's great because both Samanosuke and Jacques have different, distinct weapons and moves, but nothing changes no matter which character or time era is being played.
A great feature that is becoming almost standard, is the ability to choose the difficulty level of the game. For Onimusha 3, this should encourage players of all levels to give this game a try. The AI is extremely well-balanced and will provide enough of a challenge to keep it interesting and exciting, but not so much to make a player turn off the game in frustration. The other AI upgrade that lands this game squarely in the "new-generation" of AI engines is that the game tracks a players progress. For example, if a gamer playing at the "normal" skill level dies every time at a particular point, after a certain number of defeats the restart screen will ask a gamer to restart, replay at the "easy" level, or quit. Players can then choose to retry at the same difficulty or maybe use the easier level to get through that section in order to get on with the game.
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege is a great action game that plays well, has a deep storyline, and looks superb. Capcom takes their final trilogy installment to a new level of gameplay as two heroes transcend time to come together to defeat the evil Oda Nobunaga once and for all. Cool weapons and amazing environments coupled with lots of fighting and an epic adventure await gamers, and we had hours of fun knockin' the crap out of genma demons both past and present, and think other gamers will too. Onimusha 3 gets 4.5 nukes.
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