Samurai, Zombies, Jean Reno and Time Machine. Onimusha 3 Delivers Unforgettable Blend of Genres
Once upon a time, when there were no combat passes, photorealistic graphics, or open worlds, and the industry was just taking off, one of, in my opinion, the coolest samurai series ever was leading the way - Capcom's Onimusha.
The samurai gore horror that started out as a Resident Evil spin-off before evolving into something much more original. What Onimusha didn't have: mysterious powers, zombies, a time machine, a steampunk hideout for higher spiritual beings, great music, and heroic warriors in cool armor who weren't afraid of anything. The series made such an impression on me that I still wonder if categorizing this game as fantasy fully captures its narrative scope.
In my case, each of these games (not counting the last part of the series) could be completed in about three hours (other players preferred to spend more time in the world of Onimusha; via HowLongToBeat). Not too long, not too short: the action was fast-paced, the martial arts spectacular, and the mysterious (from the perspective of a kid growing up in the early 2000s) Far East tempted with its oriental vibe, with its katanas, spears, kimonos, and pagodas with rolled-up roofs.
At the most basic level, however, it was a story about brave samurai who were designated by the Oni demon clan as the exterminators of the Genma monsters hostile to the clan. Their chosen ones were called Onimusha (literally: demon warrior) and had at their disposal a magical glove that absorbed the souls of defeated opponents. The game gave the user access to weapons with enchanted elemental powers and protection against death in the most critical moments.
A few words for context
If all this means nothing to you, it's probably because Onimusha met a sad fate due to the platform it was released on. It started on PlayStation 2, and it also ended there. Initially, it was planned as a trilogy, and its life was to end with the third part.
Currently, the first part can be obtained in the form of a remaster on various platforms, and on Netflix you can watch an anime series inspired by the series, but that's basically it. Some fans had hoped for a revival of the series with the remaster, but it didn't turn out too convincingly and the franchise is once again falling into oblivion before our eyes.
In turn, Onimusha 3, which is the hero of this text, premiered in 2004 - two years before the official premiere of PlayStation 3. Although it was also available on PCs (the port arrived on the platform a year later), most fans experienced it on the consoles and remember it from there as well.
The first part of the series - Onimusha Warlords - was a big hit on the PlayStation 2 console and mainly for this reason it made its mark in history. Its sales reached two million copies, and people at that time fell in love primarily with the revolutionary (for that time) graphics (we are talking about 2001) and the great choreography of fights. The second part of the series - Samurai’s Destiny - did not repeat this result, and its failure in the West convinced the game's creators to change their strategy and creative vision.
The enemy is in the Honno-Ji temple, or Japanese historical fantasy
So it was decided to set the story on two temporal planes. Onimusha 3 takes place simultaneously during the Sengoku period (the great Japanese civil war that took place in the years 1467 - 1615) and Paris in 2004. Genma's earlier attempts at subjugating the human race ended in failure, so, led by the demon scientist Guildenstern (yes, this is a reference to Shakespeare), they attack modern-day France with the help of a time machine.
Terrified civilians scatter in all directions, blood is flowing, and screams and shrieks fill the air. But since technology is unstable and Guildenstern himself does not fully understand it (he stole it from the Oni demons – the same ones from whom we got our glove and magical powers), the main character of the first part of the series also comes to the present day – the samurai Samanosuke Akechi (played by the star and idol of Asian cinema Takeshi Kaneshiro), who came to the streets of Paris straight from the battlefield near the Honno-Ji temple.
Together with his uncle - Mitsuhide Akechi - he hoped to put an end to the cruel and bloody domination of Nobunaga Oda, whom the player had the opportunity to meet in the first and second installments of the series. The incident went down in the history of Japan as one of the most decisive events in the country's history, ending the ruthless rule of Nobunaga. The man instilled fear so effectively that he earned the nickname Demonic King. Onimusha plays with this trope by placing him at the head of an army of monsters as the main antagonist.
At the same time, the streets of the city of lights are patrolled by a policeman by the name Jacques (Jean Reno), who for a change will be sent to medieval Japan and from there he will somehow have to return to his proper time period. Reluctantly, he accepts the task, and thus begins this epic tale of transcending the boundaries of space and time, where magic, samurai honor, and science fiction all come together.
Brilliant conceptual maneuver
Splitting the narration into two-time planes is also the foundation of gameplay mechanics in the game itself. What one hero does in his timeline can influence the progress of the other. The bridge connecting them is a small tengu called Ako, who has the ability to move through time and space through special mirrors. She is sent to Jacques - a barbarian from the West - by one of the Oni demons currently on duty.
Thanks to her, the characters can pass items to each other and exchange information. This allows them to work together and in the process moves the plot forward. The rest of the gameplay revolves around solving puzzles, opening encrypted chests, and defeating hordes of enemies to the beat of epic music – typical hack n' slash RPG fare.
Nothing complicated or particularly original; it was primarily the parallel timelines that played the biggest role here in terms of gameplay freshness. I still believe (after watching, reading and playing dozens of sci-fi books, movies and games) that this is one of the most original examples of using the motif of time travel in pop culture, at least on a conceptual level.
Action movie stars on set
The strength of Onimusha 3 was primarily its plot, but the game itself also made history for another reason - it had one of the most powerful opening cutscenes in the history of video games in terms of direction and execution.
Studio ROBOT was responsible for this scene, and they did a fantastic job, but few people know that the motion capture for the character of Samanosuke in this scene was performed by Donnie Yen himself – a legendary martial arts actor (you may know him from the Ip Man series) and currently also one of the best action scene choreographers in the world.
The scene captivates with Yen's spectacular skills and impresses with scope, but it's not the only such treat in the game. At one point, Jacques performs a very ambitious motorcycle jump in pursuit of a departing ship. Few scenes can match the level of his epicness.
How to play Onimusha 3 today?
Collectors can still purchase a physical copy of the game through various auction services. You can find it on eBay, depending on the version (PC/PS2), from $9 to $100. To run the game on a PC, a DVD-ROM drive will be needed (however, there are reports of problems on the latest Windows).
At one point, a port of the game appeared on Steam, but due to compatibility issues, it did not stand the test of time and was removed from Valve's service in 2014.
