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We’re in the midst of an Onimusha revolution. The original game got a Hell Mode difficulty via a free update. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a new entry arriving in 2026. Now Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny 2 is back via a remaster. It’s a welcome one, since it is an intriguing entry, though I feel it prioritizes quality of life adjustments to controls, combat, and gameplay over visually impressive adjustments.

While on a rampage conquering Japan, an undead Nobunaga Oda who revived himself with the power of demons decimated Yagyu Village. Jubei Yagyu, the clan leader who was away at the time, is the only survivor. As he cuts through the demons still lurking about and takes in the damage, and otherworldly voice calls to him. He then finds his unknown mother is an Oni, he can tap into those powers to absorb the souls of demons. Not only is this now a quest for revenge against Nobunaga, but a mission to find the five Oni Orbs to harness their powers and save the world as a whole from demons. The tone is is very dramatic, yet also silly. Some actor ham it up, of course Oyu ends up being used as fanservice, and it can get over-the-top. Your mileage may vary as to how much you enjoy it or if the execution isn’t for you. This time around, those scenes can be skipped, if you decide you’re just here for the gameplay. 

For those new to Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, the best way I can describe it is feeling a bit like the older Resident Evil games, due to the camera angles, array of potential puzzles and even minigames, the more thoughtful approach to getting through areas instead of just mindlessly hacking and slashing at times, and something of a campy nature. While there will be areas with constantly spawning enemies, which might encourage button-mashing, some of the best encounters involve larger, stronger, more thoughtful altercations. And while a map might make a space look straightforward, Jubei may need more Oni powers or a specific item to advance. 

What made it special at the time, and still helps set Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny apart, is the relationship system. Jubei will encounter Ekei, Kotaro, Magoichi, and Oyu. You can form bonds with them via giving gifts. In response, you might end up seeing additional story scenes with them, you might control them for some parts, and the actual plot might change a bit. It still feels novel now, and it does make the idea of replaying and befriending another person on an ensuing run fun. I also find it important for gaming history, since this came before we started seeing relationship-building as a more common feature in games and the effects of connecting with characters results in changes to the experience.

So the biggest issue I experienced with the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remastermight be that I actually preferred the original tank controls to the updated analog joystick-based movement. This is because of the general structure of the game. There are no large, flowing maps. A single room or corridor in an area can be split into two or three viewpoints, and a location like a town or more open space will have multiple sections tied together. The problem is that pres to move forward in one section could suddenly be the equivalent of pressing back in the next area, sending you back to the previous room when moving between them. Or maybe a bit of forward momentum when attacking enemies will send you into another space with a different perspective, which can mess up your flow. There are also a few areas, such as the mines, where I ended up turned around for a second as the fixed perspectives in spots and similar structure got me turned around. I didn’t experience this issue as much with the original game, as the tank controls ended up being a bit more deliberate. So while I appreciate the option, it doesn’t feel as comfortable and I was glad the original option is there as well. 

While that new control option threw me off sometimes, the other changes are much better. We get more control over Jubei’s Onimusha transformation. In the past, it happened when the gauge filled, and that was that. Now, we get to choose when it triggers after the gauge is full. It’s a huge boon, and I saved it for more critical fights. Also, once you up your arsenal and gain your second weapon, you can don’t need to pause to swap to the other and back. It’s now possible to swap more immediately. I feel like this changes the atmosphere of the game a bit. While it can feel like a game where sometimes you need to think before you strike at times, the new options do lend themselves better to working in combos and swiftly reacting.

Things like this makes it feel like the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster is Capcom’s attempt to make the game more accessible. The option to go between the original and modern control scheme is the obvious one. So is the greater control over weaponry and his other form. But even more obvious is the addition of certain features that make it easier or more challenging. You can go through Easy mode at the outset, if you’re concerned about adjusting to the battle and ally systems. If you’re familiar with the game, Hell is a new difficulty level that means it’s game over if Jubei or your active character gets hit. Also, while it relies on the save point system like the original did for backing up progress, an autosave helps if you do manage to get overwhelmed or need to swiftly stop. 

Quality of life adjustments aside, I do feel like the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny 2 remaster may not hold up when compared to other remastered titles. It it isn’t as visually impressive, even with the jump to HD. Character models and locations can still look dated due to designs and textures in spots. While it looks better now than it did on the PS2, don’t expect the update to be as stunning as changes in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition or The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

The Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster is a valuable one, especially with Way of the Sword on the horizon. There are a lot of gameplay elements that help it stand out, like the ally system and how Oni abilities and adventure elements are tied to progression. The quality of life adjustments are welcome as well. However, the campy nature of the story might not be for everyone, and it isn’t the prettiest remaster I’ve seen in the past few years. It’s well worth playing if you love the series and Capcom’s work, but it might not be for everyone. 

The Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster will come to the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 23, 2025. The original version of the game is available on the PS2. 

The post Review: Onimusha 2 Remaster Prioritizes Quality of Life Additions appeared first on Siliconera.

It's been over six years since the Onimusha: Warlords remaster released on modern platforms. Certainly long enough that I had given up hope of seeing sequels get a similar treatment. That was a little heartbreaking, as I always felt Capcom didn't truly start finding its feet until the second game. I suppose I just needed a little patience, as earlier in 2025, the company announced a remaster of Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. I previewed the PC version of the game, and it appears to be just the tempering this particular blade needed.

The most obvious difference is one you can see with your own eyes. You can play Onimusha 2 in widescreen if you want, and every aspect of the visuals has been spiffed up to a shine. Just how good everything still looks is a testament to the original game with a bit of spit polish. The details in the backgrounds come alive with the new crispness, and the polygonal models wear their new higher resolution rendering with pride. Protagonist Jubei Yagyu, featuring the likeness of the late legendary actor Yusaku Matsuda, looks especially good.

With that said, the improvements in Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny go deeper than mere cosmetics. All of the control options seen in the remaster of the first game are here, so you can avoid tank controls if you like and switch weapons without fiddling around in menus. Unlike in the original PlayStation 2 release, you can choose when you want to use your Onimusha transformation. Once you collect the requisite five purple souls, you can trigger it at your leisure. This might seem like a small thing, but if you've played this game you know how annoying it is to have the timing of your powered-up form basically left to chance.

The biggest addition here for veterans of the original game is the new Hell Mode. Hard's too lenient for you? You mastered the Issen critical counter to the point that even Critical difficulty is a breeze? Hell Mode is for you. In it, all it takes is a single hit to kill you. Yes, toss all those recovery items into the trash. They've got no use here. You need nothing less than a perfect defense to survive this ultimate challenge. But hey, if you have the true soul of a samurai and never fail your Issen strikes, you shouldn't be taking any hits anyway, right? Hell Mode is an absolute thrill, and it's an excellent new way to play this game.

You may or may not the Gallery from the PlayStation 2 game. It's back with all of the included art enhanced for cleaner viewing. You get 100 new pieces to gawk at, and you can also listen to the soundtrack. This seems like the right place to mention the one step back this remaster takes from the original. Capcom removed Hotei's awesome "Russian Roulette" song, taking the music video and behind-the-scenes footage with it. I suppose a person could just go watch it on YouTube to pump themselves up, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it.

There are some other small quality-of-life improvements that I appreciated. You can skip the cutscenes, even if it's your first time through the game. It's helpful if you don't have a whole lot of interest in the story. The Easy difficulty setting is available from the get-go, and that's handy if you just want to enjoy the experience and don't want to deal with too much opposition. However you might feel about the value of the story, you'll surely enjoy the new auto-save feature. It's nothing revolutionary, but the original game is more than good enough to not need much more than little tweaks.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny has always been a bigger, better sequel that built on the original in a lot of great ways, and my time with this remaster left me optimistic that it will carry that legacy forward. It's fascinating to go back to this game, as its parry-heavy mechanics make it feel more like a new release than a decades-old treasure. The improvements make the game better without fundamentally changing it, and the new Hell Mode serves as an enticing temptation for those who have played the wheels off the original. It's looking like a fine appetizer for the new installment.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny will be available for the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 23, 2025.

The post Preview: Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Looks to Be a Perfectly-Honed Blade appeared first on Siliconera.

Capcom shared a new gameplay and story trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword and revealed Musashi Miyamoto as the new protagonist. Additionally, the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster was confirmed to release on May 23, 2025.

The new trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword shows an extended look at the combat, as well as gives us a glimpse at Musashi Miyamoto’s personality and his lust for combat and strength. The trailer features Miyamoto facing off against a large number of Genma by himself with the help of his Oni Gauntlet, as well as absorbing the soul of his enemies to power up and recover health.

Check out the new trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword that appeared in the February 2025 State of Play here:

And here is the release date trailer for the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster:

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is currently in development for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam and will release in 2026. The Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster will release for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on May 23, 2025.

The post Onimusha: Way of the Sword New Trailer, Onimusha 2 Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera.

As part of the latest Capcom Spotlight, Onimusha: Way of the Sword Producer Akihito Kadowaki and Director Satoru Nihei shared information about the title in the series and a new trailer. Additionally, Capcom also revealed a remaster of Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny will come out sometime in 2025.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be set in Kyoto during the Edo Period. The three pillars of the game as described by Producer Kadowaki are compelling characters, including a new protagonist, the aforementioned new setting of Kyoto, and "ultimate sword fighting action."

A new trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword also appeared, and the full version is now available below. Furthermore, the developers explained that the game will include blood, dismemberments and gore, but some regions and versions of the trailer might be affected and not show these features.

Famous locations like the Kiyomizu-dera Temple will appear in the game, where players will engage in bloody fights with the Genma and absorb their souls using the series’ signature Oni Gauntlet, which will allow players to restore health or use special moves. The developers emphasized that Onimusha: Way of the Sword will not be a punishing game and instead they’re aiming for a satisfying action game with a focus on slicing on enemies.

Meanwhile, the remaster of Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is in production and will appear for the PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. More details about the game will appear in the future.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is currently in development for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC and will release in 2026.

The post Onimusha Gets New Trailer, Onimusha 2 Remaster to Appear appeared first on Siliconera.