Way too short, Jean Reno's voice was dubbed over, and weak writing really hurt this installment. Not a good buy over $20
The controls here are nothing new if you've played previous installments. It's basic hack and slash, with a small selection of weapons and a couple demon moves. Basically, you run around kiling the endless supply of monsters that pop in each area (being the Resident Evil style Capcom is so famous for these days), and you collect souls that are released from their dead bodies to power up your weapons and armor, although it's way too easy to power them up all the way very quickly. In fact, the whole game is really too easy. This, in combination with the 8 hours max of gameplay, will leave you very unfulfilled if you do, for whatever reason, play and beat Onimusha 3.
A real cinematic setting is present in Onimusha 3, reguardless of its other downfalls. The graphics aren't hugely impressive, but certainly get the job done with some to spare. The audio tracks in the game create a great feel of excitement, when necessary, and of regional setting. Since the game takes place in Japan during the feudal era, and in modern day France, a wide variety of music helps you remember just which one you're in at the time. The voice acting's very good, although not equalized right, as it's never loud enough to hear over the music well.
The biggest reason I got this game was Jean Reno. I'm a huge fan of his from The Professional, Wasabi, Mission: Impossible, and everything else he's ever done. He's an incredible actor, with a very distinctive voice and accent. They did a wonderful job at capturing his face, from the scruffy beard, little eyes, to that giant schnozz of his. And he did the small bit of voice for his character while they were in French, but, for some insane reason, Capcom screwed us by having some Irish stage actor do all of his English lines!! I felt extremely cheated the moment I heard it. I was really hoping to experience Jean Reno a great deal during this game, but you only get to hear his voice a max of a minute and a half.
Running on the Playstation 2, for some reason, seems to be a problem for Onimusha 3. Whenever there are a lot of enemies on the screen (and by a lot, I only mean about 10), the game slows down way too much. Sometimes it even slows down for apparently no reason at all. They should've atleasted released it for xbox, as well. Also, the targetting system completely blows in this game. You can be trying to fight something right in front of you that you're facing, and when you swing, it could auto target something on the far side of the room, that you can't even hit. When combined with the retarded A.I. and the slowdown, gameplay can be a little frustrating.
There are a few extras after you beat the game, like a couple mini games that are hardly worth playing, and you can restart the game with some new weaponry, if you earned it by playing through the first time, of course. You might play through twice, but most likely, you'll have had enough the first time through and return it for Resident Evil 4.
I think that about covers it. Onimusha 3: Demon Siege is an decent buy if it's about $10, decent at $15, and not so good at $20. If you're a fan of the series and must own them all, look for a cheap deal, you'll find it. If you're a fan of the genre, rent it. If not, ignore it and keep walking. There, I said it.