Onimusha: Blade Warriors - PS2

Also known as: Onimusha Buraiden

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Onimusha: Blade Warriors (PS2)
Viewed: 3D Third-person, floating camera Genre:
Beat 'Em Up
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Capcom Soft. Co.: Capcom
Publishers: Capcom (GB)
Released: 4 Jun 2004 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 12+
Accessories: Memory Card
Features: Vibration Function Compatible, Analogue Control Compatible: analogue sticks only, Multitap adaptable

Summary

The latest instalment in Capcom's established Onimusha series takes a slight detour from the usual action/adventure route, instead opting for a new style of gameplay in the form of Smash Bros-style, arena-based combat. As such, Blade Warriors brings a host of characters from the first two Onimusha titles together for a heavy dose of lightning-fast sword-slashing amidst a diverse array of interactive environments.

The game's Story mode sees you selecting your character before embarking on the usual series of increasingly difficult stages, loosely tied together by a fairly predictable good vs. evil-type plot. As you'd expect, each stage is populated with a growing number of agile adversaries, which need to be swiftly taken out in order that you may move on to the next level.

Although not quite as intricate as the likes of Tekken and Virtua Fighter, the actual combat system throughout Blade Warriors is fairly easy to pick up, with a range of melee attacks, kicks and combos at your fingertips, as well as the customary assortment of special moves and collectable weapons/items. One of the key elements to this aspect of the gameplay is the collection of Souls, which are released from defeated opponents and can subsequently be used to upgrade various RPG-type stats between levels, such as Attack, Defence and Magic.

As with other similar games, one of the more enjoyable aspects of Blade Warriors is its multiplayer mode. Selecting Vs. Mode from the main menu brings up a number of options that allow up to four players (Multitap permitting, obviously) to battle it out across various different game types, in both solo and co-op battles.

If you've ever witnessed Power Stone or the aforementioned Smash Bros. then you'll know what to expect from Onimusha Blade Warriors: not the greatest amount of depth, but plenty of impressive, intense, button-bashing combat that's best enjoyed with friends.