Onimusha Dawn of Dreams: Tried Tested and True to its namesake with some good gameplay and new gameplay mechanics,
-Graphics and animation-
One thing capcom does well and does in spades for its games is Graphical appeal and animations. Onimusha Dawn of Dreams is no diffrent then the last few entries and really stands out as a well polished and well animated game with emphisis on running smooth with no hickups to hinder gameplay. First thing you notice when you pop in Onimusha 4 is that the level of detail is astounding just like onimsha 2 and 3, the characterss and enemies seem to pop out of the screen and really reveal themselves through the screen and with higher res TV is a sight to behold. The level designs are very common found in games like these with old temples and wartorn villages infested with Genma who raid and burn everything in sight. The first level however is a sight to behold as I think Capcom took a theme straight from God of War and have huge samurai Genma walking through the Village along with a slew of flying genma and the common genma skeletal swordsmen. The backgrounds and forgrounds are all teeming with detail of burning buildings and debris flying in all directions as the huge Genma samurai lumber through the city destroying everything in sight. The animation of the game for each character is smooth and transmits well in game as you run fighting genma after genma while marvelling the smooth motion captured animations of each enemy and character you come across. The faces of the main character and the other chracters you meet in game are almost realistic in look and design and each Genma sports its own original and terriying look as well. Above all this game is a treat for the eyes as it never gets tiring looking at Feudal Japan for the 4rth time as Capcom has kept this Onimusha from looking stale.
-Controls and Controller Layout-
The controls are identical to the other Onimusha games and instanly feel right at home with anyone who has played the game series faithfully. The basic controls that you used in the other games are here with the standard horizontil and Vertial slash attacks along with block, ready stance, lock-on and kick attacks. The attacks themselves are diffrent though and are actully upgraded for this installment (as Capcom knew that players would not allow old fighting mechanics to be used over and over for a 4rth time.) The attacks are a little hard to pull off when you first get them (It took me a few hours to figure out how to do them myself with the commands I was given to use) but after a while they control fluidly and very well with the analog sticks even in the heat of battle which in my books is a plus for any game with fighting involved.
-Characters and Storyline-
From the get go, players will notice that no faces on this Onimusha are those from famous actors or even dare I say it. DEAD musicians...NO this time Capcom wisely chose to create their own chracter for this installment (Goodbye Jean Reno (You never even spoke english throughout the game which was a total rip I think) and goodbye Dead musician ummm....whoever you were) In the place of their past hero's rises the Oni of the Ash (Soki) who basiclly has risen up against the one time retainer of the famed and main bad guy Nobunaga Hideyoshi Toyotomi (There's a mouthful just to say) and goes around hindering his plans for domination of japan and the entire world. Along the way Soki along with his trusty if not goofy and somewhat annoying cohort Minokichi bump into Jubei a female ninja girl who name hails from the legendary swordsman who fought against Nobunaga Oda alongside Samanoske Akichi according to legends. When this happens the game switches from being a single player experience to a multi chracter experience (I will explain that later in gameplay). As Soki continues on his Journey to face Hideyoshi, he encounters more characters such as a arm gun totting female named Ohatsu, a monk named Tenkai who weilds a mean staff (And I mean MEAN staff) and my fave charcter that has entered the Onimusha saga...Roberto the streetfighting badass.
-Music and Sound-
The Onimusha series of games has been notorious for beautiful music and astoundingly echoing soundeffects. Onimusha Dawn of Dreams continues that legacy with more hauntingly beautiful and sometimes jaw dropping Orchestral music which brings you into the game even more with each track you listen to. The sound effects which were common in past Onimusha's have also made it back and the Dolby Digital sound system makes sure you hear every sword clash, slash, roar and boom coming out of your speakers.
-Gameplay and Difficulty-
Ok this is the area in which the past Onimusha's have gotten better and better with each new addition to the series and the 4rth game continues that streak with added gameplay mechanics that sets this game apart from the past Onimusha's and new additions to the battle system for good measure. In every game there has been the ability to absorb the souls of the condemnd Genma you defeat and the ability to level up your weapons and armour with a few added effects. Thankfully Capcom has gone above and beyond the call of duty as a maker of fine quality games and added even MORE to the mix by making sure that all your fighting does NOT just go to making you more powerful with a harder attack...but now...you level up AND gain NEW ATTACKS to add to your arsenal of already dangerous roster. THIS allows for more combos, attacks, tactics and new battle alternatives that opens up the game in a whole new way and adds the one thing the other Onimusha's did NOT add....REPLAYABILITY. Nothing is more satisfying then opening up a can of whoop ass on a genma...get the souls from the fight...raise your ability to stab and after 3 levels gain a NEW ATTACK to use in battle. I am a combo freak and I enjoyed having the ability to toy around with my new moves that kept the game from being another mindless hack and slash fest filled with the same lame dribble of common moves in every other hack and slash game. BUT there is MORE...oh yes and how. In the game you start off as Soki but along the way you meet Jubei and she helps you out...well this is where this game stands out as MORE then just a hack and slash action adventure, During a fight you get to give tactical commands to her...Stay here and recover, follow me and attack, distract the enemy and go all out are the commands given and change the game from being a mere action adventure into a Tactical action adventure. The game mechanics all of a sudden do a 360 and you are now left with the option to do more then just mindlessly slash at enemies but more or less plan your moves against the enemy. Even with this feature...Capcom was not satisfied with the fact it was a mere tactical advance on an old game idea...but they also listend to their fans...both in Japan and America and made each character you meet PLAYABLE fully with every attack AND the abitlity to level them up as well as needed. With this Onimusha now gives MORE bang for its buck to players new and old. Last but not least is the infamous difficulty that Capcom is known to ramp up to the highest level...let me assure you people out there who have NOT played this game...easy is actully EASY but with a little bit of challenge thrown in to keep you on your toes...Hard is well...you like hardcore right???
-Overall Feel and Replay Value-
Overall this Onimusha has got a lot of guts comming out of the woodwork bring to life the once dying and almost extinct Onimusha name out of the darkness and breathes new life into an old worn out game idea. Capcom has gone all out to make sure this installment will make jaws drop and assure that the Onimusha series will make its next appearance on a well known Sleeping Dragon I like to call the PS3. The replay value of this game is apparent with all the options you can get in the game and the unlockables are some of the best I have seen in the series and will really either make you want to unlock all of them.
-Overall-
Onimusha is deffinately a worthy title for any samurai action loving gamer and any capcom enthusiast out there. With plenty of graphical beauty...boundless gameplay action...multiple playable and upgradable chracters and tactical gameplay...This Onimusha has MADE its mark I think and anyone who loves action adventure games or even tactical games but has never really been into action games ought to give this one a try...I promise you all you won't be dissapointed with the end results.