Onimusha
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Onimusha (Japanese: 鬼武者, literally "Oni Warrior") is a PlayStation 2 action-adventure game series by Capcom. Each game features a protagonist, and others who work with him, who weilds the power of the oni and to fight against the genma forces. The game actually features many of the historic figures who shaped Japan’s history, and has retold their story in a supernatural setting. The game is a combination of third person combat and puzzle solving. The game also has a system of absorbing souls from defeated enemies to restore health, accumulate power for certain stats (similar to leveling up in RPGs), and provide power for the elemental attacks of special weapons. Onimusha is Capcom's 4th biggest franchise, behind the Resident Evil, Megaman and Street Fighter series respectively. The series has sold 6.9 million copies to date.
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Onimusha: Warlords
| Onimusha: Warlords {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | January 25, 2001 (JP PS2) March 13, 2001 (NA PS2) July 6, 2001 (EU PS2) January 28, 2002 (JP XBX) February 22, 2002 (NA XBX) March 22, 2002 (EU XBX) |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
- Introduction
The first game of the franchise features samurai Samanosuke Akechi (明智左馬介), modeled after actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, determined to save Princess Yuki (雪姫 Yukihime) of the Saito clan and defeat Nobunaga, resurrected after signing a pact with demons. The game also features Kaede, an expert female ninja who provides Samanosuke with information. Kaede was originally sent to assassinate Samanosuke by the Iga ninjas but had a change of heart and develops trust and deep feelings of love (as shown in Onimusha Blade Warriors) for the samurai and agrees to join him as his confidant. Samansosuke travels throughout all of Inabayama Castle where he searches for clues of Princess Yuki's whereabouts, finds special weapons, and solves various puzzles. Onimusha: Warlords went through many changes and was released as Genma Onimusha for Xbox
- Historical Background.
Samanosuke, is a nephew to Akechi Mitsuhide (Akechi is the surname), the man historically credited to have actually killed Oda Nobunaga over 20 years later. It is rumoured that Samanosuke is an alternative name for one of Mitsuhide's actual nephews and may have been born in 1536 or 1538. It is also rumoured that he went by the name Hidemitsu Akechi, which is used in Onimusha 3. Some speculate that he is nephew or cousin to Mitsuhide, others say brother-in-law, but not much is said about Samanosuke (Hidemitsu), just that he helped Mitsuhide in the attack on Nobunaga, and lived somewhat longer than Mitsuhide. His death is also a mystery; it was either seppuku or death in battle against Hideyoshi's troops. In the game, Nobunaga is "killed", to be later resurrected by demons, in the Battle of Okehazama. Historically, he was actually mistakenly reported to have been felled by an arrow in the Okehazama battle.
- Plot Summary
The story begins with a vision of a battle going. Samanosuke is seen defending himself on top of a mountain with a spear against some of the soldiers who have come to take his life. But the soldiers are no match for Samanosuke's amazing and superior swordsmanship fighting skills. Later on Nobunaga is seen laughing, knowing his victory is at hand, after which an arrow pierces his throat. Nobunaga is then seen alive but pale looking as is expected from someone who has just been ressurrected. As Samanosuke and Kaede arrive at the castle to locate the princess named Yuki, they split off in different directions to locate her. Samanosuke eventually runs into the Genma ninjas who kidnapped her but is unable to kill them with his weapon. They then escape him. Later Yuki is seen running from the Genma general named Osric. Osric easily dispatches him and then flees with Yuki. Samanosuke is then visited by the faces of 12 purple glowing men. These men are the gods of the Oni clan. They combine their power in purple beams of light and give it to Samanosuke in the form of a transparent/blueish gaunlet, asking him to seal the genma to his right hand. As he enters the castle he gains access to the thunder orb, Shiden, from which he was able to create the Raizen. He also claims the fire orb, Kouen, from which he gained the Enryu. Later on Samanosuke uses this power to defeat Osric. He then runs into a skeletal genma experimenting on a human soldier. The genma is revealed to be named Guildenstern; the greatest genma scientist. He was the one who resurrected Nobunaga and actually created some of the Genma that Samanosuke fights; including many squid like genma named Reynaldo and his greatest creation, Marcellus. When he fights Marcellus, the Genma has green shading on him revealing that he is using the power of the wind orb, Arashi. After he kills Marcellus he claims the orb and gets the Shippu. Samanosuke and Kaede eventually befriend a boy named Yumemaru; an orphan Yuki raised as her younger brother. Eventually Yuki is rescued and the four main protagonists then decide to regroup. Samanosuke tells Yumemaru that he should travel the world with Yuki. As the party is separated, a Samanosuke look alike created by Guildenstern and a women kidnap Yuki and Yumemaru. Samanosuke kills his counterpart and later on encounters the woman who kidnapped Yuki and Yumemaru. The woman reveals her true form which is that of an insect like genma and then flies away with Yumemaru. When Samanosuke faces her she reveals that Nobunaga has signed a pact with the Genma. The genma will get to feast on many humans in exchange for aiding Nobunaga in his conquest of Japan. This sort of pact has been forged many times between the Genma Lord - Fortinbras, and different human leaders across the mortal world. It is a form of ceremony where a woman’s skull is used as a cup full of blood. Once Nobunaga drinks from this cup the ceremony will be complete. Yumemaru is to be killed in front of Yuki which will heighten her sorrow, thus granting Nobunaga even more power when he uses her skull to drink her blood. Samanosuke and Kaede eventually vanquished the insect Genma. As Samanosuke makes his way to the throne of Fortinbras, he encounters Guildenstern who summons another version of Marcellus who now has a red shading all over his body since he didn’t have the wind orb like his previous incarnation. Samanosuke then fights Fortinbras. After beating him, Samanosuke asks his friends to flee. Fortinbras then reawakens and graps Samanosuke which makes him puke blood onto the oni gaunlet he was wearing. This triggers an oni awakening during which Samanosuke launches his sword through Fortinbras’ central eye, thus killing him. The scene then ends with Samanosuke and Nobunaga facing each other. During the ending sequence Yuki and Yumemaru follow Samanosuke’s advice and travel the world. Kaede spends 10 years looking for Samanosuke until she finally finds him (As seen In Onimusha Blade Warriros).
- Oni Weapons: The weapons that Samanosuke finds throughout Inabayama Castle.
Samanosuke’s weapons:
- Raizan (Thunder Slash Blade) is a lightning-elemental katana that is coupled with the Thunder Orb, Shiden.
- Enryu (Flame Dragon Sword) is a fire-elemental broadsword that is coupled with the Fire Orb, Kouen.
- Shippu (Gale Blade) is a wind-elemental naginata that is coupled with the Wind Orb, Arashi.
- Bishamon Sword is the ultimate sword bearing the name of the God of War, obtained by unlocking a door beyond the Evil Gate using the Bishamon Ocarina.
Kaede’s weapon:
- Sacred Knife is the ultimate knife available to Kaede. This glowing red knife was blessed by a high Ogre monk in order to dispell demons.
- General Information
Samanosuke's other weapons include a normal katana; a bow and a matchlock rifle. Kaede, uses a knife and the Sacred Knife as well as kunai.
Players play as both Samanosuke and Kaede. Samanosuke has heavy armor on so he isn’t as fast as Kaede, thus she is more effective in running and dodging around dangerous opponents. Kaede is a ninja, so there are many doors that she can pick using a ninja pin, which Samanosuke can’t do. However, since it is Samanosuke who has the oni power he is able to use powerful abilities with his different weapons as well as heal by absorbing yellow souls which Kaede can’t do. Even without the special abilities his weapons do more damage to his opponents.
In the English localization of Onimusha: Warlords, the word Oni was translated to Ogre. However, in all subsequent games in the series the word Oni has remained intact in the English scripts. It is the only game within the series that gives players the option of hearing the voice acting and subtitles in either English or Japanese.
Guildenstern and Nobunaga are the only enemies in the game who haven’t been dispatched.
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
| Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | September 26, 2002 (JP) September 28, 2002 (NA) October 4, 2002 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
The series presents a new protagonist: Yagyū Jubei (柳生十兵衛). The character is not based off of the swordsman, Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, but instead his grandfather, Yagyū Muneyoshi, the originator of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū school of swordsmanship. However, Nobunaga had no real history with the Yagyu clan. The game also features several alternate characters to trade and play with, as well as new weapons and elements. Through gift exchanges and a development of different degrees of friendship between the four sub-characters, the game may end in many combinations. All scenarios triggered by the gamer's selection will amount to a 100% game completion as shown in the Scenario Route selection.
Apart from the main character Jubei, (Who was respectedly modeled after the late Japanese actor Yusaku Matsuda, Black Rain 1989), the game features and revolves around four other sub-characters, each with a minor contribution to the story flow as chosen by the amount of involvement the gamer allows the characters:
Kotaro Fuma is the leader of the Fuma Ninja clan and retainer to the Hojo clan, he is laid back and enjoys a good joke. Whenever Jubei is in trouble, he comes to the rescue using his ninjutsu. He eventually gets different colored ninja armor, provided Jubei gives it to him, but goes from using two daggers, to two curved knives.
Ekei Ankokuji is a monk who relishes in the delight of liquor and women, a master of the Hozoin art of the spear. Throughout the game, he looks much the same, the only notable difference in his design is the arm protector that he upgrades when you play as him. He wields a normal straight spear, but progresses to a houtengeki, and awkwardly enough goes western with a halberd.
Magoichi Saiga is the leader of the Saiga gun team, laid back, but always serious. Magoichi and Ekei are not on the best of terms since Magoichi "took away" Ekei's "girl". Magoichi uses a tri-barrel rifle of his own design, eventually sporting a flame thrower and pirate armor.
Oyu of Odani, or better known as Oichi, was historically the sister of the infamous Nobunaga but never met Jubei but did joined in the fight against her overlord brother, historically with her husband - Asai Nagamasa and not Jubei. In the game, she is first seen by Jubei in the town of Imasho. Later he finds her in the clutches of Tokichiro (The Future Would-Be Toyotomi Hideyoshi) and rescues her. She wears western armor, a shield, and a broad sword.
Oni Weapons: The weapons that Jubei receives are found in Dragon Shrines laid throughout the game.
- Buraitou (Dancing Thunder Blade) is a thunder katana gained in the beginning, similar to Samanosuke's Raizan from Onimusha: Warlords.
- Hyoujin-Yari (Ice Edge Spear) is an ice spear, it goes from being a straight yari, to a katakama yari, to a magari/jumonji yari.
- Senpumaru (Whirlwind Circle) is another weapon true to the Onimusha series. This one is a double sided naginata that can summon the power of wind. This is similar to Samanosuke's Shippuu.
- Dokoutsui (Earth Waste Hammer) is a mighty earth hammer that will elevate the ground and kill all enemies in the area; it is fun for "whack-a-Genma".
- Rekka-ken (Conflaguration Sword) is the ultimate Oni weapon. It comes in the shape of a double-edged western fire sword, similar to the Enryuu.
Similar to Onimusha: Warlords, Jubei begins with his Yagyu sword, and goes on to obtain a bow, and the Tanegashima rifle. If Jubei becomes best friends with Magochi, he recieves a Tri-Barrel Gun as well, a custom rifle made by Magoichi.
- General Information
Neither Samanosuke nor Guildenstern make an appearance in this game.
Nobunaga was defeated but not destroyed.
Onimusha Blade Warriors
| Onimusha Blade Warriors {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | November 27, 2003 (JP) March 24, 2004 (NA) June 4, 2004 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Fighting game |
| Mode(s) | Four player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Its Japanese title is "Onimusha Buraiden". Similar to Super Smash Bros., Blade Warriors is a simple 2D fighter game featuring many of the characters of the Onimusha franchise. Players may use standard sword fighting with combos, blocks, block-breaking kicks, jump, switch planes (the different levels of the fighting area), use various items, and disarm their opponents. It also includes the original aspects of the Onimusha series, including the absorption of souls and special elemental attacks (lightning, fire, and wind).
Fighters
- Samanosuke Akechi - protagonist samurai from Onimusha 1
- Kaede - female ninja from Onimusha 1
- Keijiro Maeda - Yumemaru from Onimusha 1 ten years later, also known as Keiji Maeda
- Grunt
- Jubei Yagyu - protagonist samurai from Onimusha 2 (not based off of Mitsuyoshi, this is actually Muneyoshi Yagyu)
- Oyu of Odani - swordswoman from Onimusha 2
- Ekei Ankokuji - warrior monk from Onimusha 2
- Kotaro Fuma - ninja from Onimusha 2
- Marcellus - demon boss from Onimusha 1. He was once an Oni Warrior that converted into a Genma through Guildenstern's experimentation.
- Three-Eyes - demon ninja from Onimusha 1
- Jujudormah - demon boss from Onimusha 2, self-proclaimed 'most beautiful'concubine of Genma Lord Oda Nobunaga.
- Zombie - demon grunt from Onimusha 1
Unlockable Fighters
- Jaid - demon fighter
- Musaid - demon ninja
- Juju-ran - Jujudormah in her younger, more attractive years
- Marcellus S - a slightly faster version of Marcellus, wielding two large blades
- Musashi Miyamoto - none other than the legendary swordsman famous for his niten'ichi (二天合一, "two heavens as one") style. Has no involvement in Onimusha.
- Kojiro Sasaki - legendary swordsman who fought with his nodachi against Musashi and lost.
- MegaMan.EXE - comes in normal, Ground, and Bug styles.
- Zero - Megaman Zero version
- Magoichi Saiga - rifleman from Onimusha 2
- Gogandantess - self-proclaimed, "The greatest swordsman of all demons" in Onimusha 2
- Nobunaga Oda- the antagonist of the Onimusha franchise
- Gargant -He's a powerful genma swordsman similar to Gogandantess. He's seen in Onimusha 3 and Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. First sworned his allegiance to the nefarious Demon Lord-Fortinbras. After the demise of Fortinbras, he had yielded his position as the righthand man under the new Genma Lord, Oda Nobunaga.
Onimusha Tactics
| Onimusha Tactics {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | July 25, 2003 (JP) November 11, 2003 (NA) December 5, 2003 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Tactical Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Onimusha Tactics does not follow the storyline of the previous Playstation 2 games and is considered a side story. However, the game features a similar plot: a samurai who possesses the Oni Gauntlet can become the Onimusha and fights against Nobunaga and his army of genma.
The samurai is Onimaru, who is supported with a wide range of characters, many of which are the same as their Playstation 2 equivalent. However, there are some returning characters from other Onimusha games such as Saika Magoichi , Ankokuji Ekei, Fuuma Kotaro, and Mitsuhide Akechi. Onimaru battles the genma until you ultimately reach the notorious Nobunaga. New to the series are additional chosen warriors whom receive the power of the phoenix, tortoise, tiger and dragon to assist Onimaru. These animals correspond with the Chinese celestial animals that represent the cardinal directions. This reference was also a puzzle in Onimusha 2. Template:-
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
| Onimusha 3: Demon Siege {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | February 26, 2004 (JP) April 27, 2004 (NA) July 9, 2004 (EU) December 8, 2005 (PC) |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Download the Onimusha 3: Demon Siege opening sequence, part 1Size: 41.0 MB
Download the Onimusha 3: Demon Siege opening sequence, part 2Size: 12.2 MB
The "final" chapter of Onimusha brings back Samanosuke Akechi (Takeshi Kaneshiro) along with a new character from the present, Jacques Blanc (played by actor Jean Reno), as well as the transition from 2D backgrounds to completely 3D environments.
The game ultimately covers the assault on Honnoji Temple, where historically, Oda retainer Akechi Mitsuhide is credited to have killed Oda Nobunaga in a coup. The whole franchise leaves out the historical reasons of why Mitsuhide forms a coup in favor of a good versus evil dramatic tension. Mitsuhide is only seen once after this, so we can only speculate that history runs its course until the next game in the series is released, Shin Onimusha Dawn of Dreams.
Though marketed as the final game of the series, the end cinematic rebuffs this idea featuring Toyotomi Hideyoshi leading a new army.
This game features one playable sub-character, Michelle Aubert, Jacques' gun-wielding girlfriend, later to become his fiancée.
Samanosuke Akechi, nephew to Akechi Mitsuhide, is now in his forties but has preserved his youthfulness through the Oni gauntlet. After defeating Fortinbras, creator and ruler of the demons using his newfound Oni power, Samanosuke learned that Oda Nobunaga has become the new King of Demons. Though Samanosuke is a taciturn man of integrity, there isn't a demon that does not fear his cold, masterful skills with a blade. And now he is working under his uncle, Akechi Mitsuhide, and has arrived at Honnoji Temple to defeat Nobunaga once and for all. On his way to the temple, he fights Gargant, a demon swordsman. Samanosuke absorbs the hundreds of souls that surround him in battle and transforms into an Onimusha. In his ultimate form, Samanosuke easily defeats Gargant with his Raizan blade. Thus begins the story of the third Onimusha and Samanosuke's heroic tale.
Jacques Blanc is a French Military Police officer on duty when the demon army attacks Paris. He receives a call asking for back-up, he rushes to the scene on his motorcycle only to find that his fellow officers have been slain by demons and his lieutenant inches from death. A mysterious samurai comes to his rescue, but suddenly Jacques is engulfed by a time warp where he is transported to Japan 1582. After witnessing his son attacked by a demon, he is granted a magical Oni gauntlet and an Oni whip, a tengu by the name of Ako tells him of the situation.
Michelle Aubert is a military police officer, as well as Jacques' fiancée. After seeing Samanosuke walk out of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, she confronts him, sending her troops into the Arc de Triomphe, but she hears their screams and rushes in. She is knocked unconscious by a demon, but is rescued by Samanosuke. Jacques' son Henri dislikes her because he does not want her to replace his mother, who died in a car accident protecting him.
Henri Blanc is Jacques' son, he assists both Jacques and Samanosuke and it seems he has an almost telepathic link with his father.
Ako is a tengu who is given to Jacques. Ako allows him to communicate with the Japanese, as well as the French for Samanosuke. She is also able to carry items back and forth through time between the two heroes.
Nobunaga has to be defeated two times. The first time is during his human form where he has to be defeated by Jacques. However even Jacques was unable to kill him. The second time he is confronted by Samanosuke who assumes his True Onimusha form. Nobunaga wasn't able to damage Samanosuke in his ultimate form and thus had to unleash his ultimate form as the genma lord as well in order to fight him. During this time he had shield that was penetrated by Samanosuke and thus he resorted to using his sword. He performed all the elemental attacks Samanosuke did in the first game. Later after he looses his sword as it is absorbed by Samanosuke, he powers up to reveal the totality of his strength where the flames extending from his back like hair grow larger. He was now able to perform a range of fire attacks. Eventually he is defeated and absorbed into the oni gaunlet.
If the player finds all the vests that the Oni clan has left for Ako, she is able to use their combined power to transform into a human girl where she reveals her affection for Samanosuke.
Oni-Weapons Aside from the three weapons from the original Onimusha, Samanosuke and Jacques find eight other weapons:
Tensoujin (Heaven Pair Edges) are twin swords that are empowered by a divine light, gained by entering the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, upon the entry point of Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, for Samanosuke.
Kuugatou (Sky Fang Blade) is a long nodachi that emits air magic, gained by absorbing the dark energy from the angel statues in the Notre Dame Cathedral for Samanosuke.
Chigoufu (Earth Shake Axe) is a giant earth axe that brings forth lava, obtained in the Oni Underwater Temple by Samanosuke.
Bishamon Sword is the ultimate sword bearing the name of the God of War, obtained by beating the final Dark Realm and collecting all eight orbs.
Onimusha Sword the sword carried by Samanosuke Akechi in his ultimate form.
Genma Samonji the ultimate weapon, it is the Onimusha Sword fused with the dark energy that unleashed from Nobunaga's sword: Genmanou Tenmondou. It has crimson energy surround it, and its orb is also crimson.
Raizantou (Thunder Slash Blade) is the lightning-elemental katana from the Onimusha: Warlords.
Enryuuken (Flame Dragon Sword) is the fire-elemental broadsword from Onimusha: Warlords.
Shippuutou (Gale Blade) is the wind-elemental naginata from Onimusha: Warlords.
Oni no Hoippu is the first weapon Jacques receives in the game, it is useless after getting the Enja.
Enjaken (Flame Snake Sword) is a fire sword whip similar to Ivy's from the Soul Calibur series, found at the Stupa shrine within Mount Hiei.
Raisensou (Thunder Flash Spear) is a thunder spear whip found in the blacksmith of Sakai.
Hyousaikyuu (Ice Break Ball) is a flail whip found in the Underwater Temple, it is heavy and hard to use.
Oni Musou no Hoippu is the ultimate whip, obtained at the Honnoji Temple for Jacques after completing the Dark Realm and collecting all eight orbs.
- General Information
Tengu - It is revealed that the Tengu, who are crow fairies, are one of the races who are siding with the Oni clan. Ako is a Tengu. The Tengu seem to have been granted certain abilities by the Oni clan, most notably the ability to travel through time, reunite people with the ghosts of the deceased and even aid in communication between people who don't speak the same language. Ako is also able to aid the Oni warriors depending on which of her vests they find. These vests grant the Oni warriors different abilities similar to the way the different rosaries did in the second game. These abilities can include regeneration, drawing out souls with each attack, performing instant kills with each attack, etc. It is likely that these different vests were created by the Oni clan in order to allow Ako to better aid Samanosuke and Jacques.
Players have noted that in this game there is no need to switch between using swords and using arrows as the controls have been adjusted to allow Samanosuke to use both, which is an improvement from the first game.
Guildenstern gained access to many of the secrets of the Oni clan. This is why when he transformed Ranmaru into a genma, he was able to absorb souls just like Samanosuke and Jacques and subsequently regained health by absorbing the yellow one just like the protagonists.
Onimusha Sword - When Samanosuke becomes the true Onimusha he gained access to the Onimusha sword which was his ultimate weapon. It was assumed by some that this was a stronger version of the Bishamon Sword, however, this is not true as both the Bishamon Sword and the Onimusha Sword are seen in the inventory as two seperate items. It is interesting to note that the power of the Onimusha Sword depends on the powers of Samanosuke's weapons. In order for the Onimusha Sword to be at its maximum level Samanosuke needs to fully upgrade all of his weapons and have also gotten the Bishamon Sword which doesn't need any levelling. It is for this reason that it is implied that the Onimusha sword was created when Samanosuke essence combined with that of all the other weapons he gained from the Oni and thus his final sword power depends on wether or not those other weapons have reached their maximum potential. The sword itself is used by absorbing souls from his opponents and then powering up his sword for a small period of time during which a rainbowish color surrounds the sword.
Genma Samonji - After Samanosuke knocks Nobunaga's sword away during his genma form, Samanosuke absorbs the sword's power by sucking in the red and black souls that are being released from it. If he doesn't absorb all of them Nobunaga will get up and take his blade. However, Samanosuke can knock the sword away from him again and keep on doing it until he finally absorbs all the souls that comprise the sword's power. After this situation, Nobunaga sword will disappear and so will the Onimusha sword and in their place will be the Genma Samonji. This is not different weapon from the Onimusha Sword as when the inventory is checked all of Samanosuke's other weapons have remained and it is only the Onimusha Sword that has disappeared, and in its place is the Genma Samonji, as the result of the fusing. This weapon is obviously stronger then any other weapon an Onimusha is able to wield as it has the combined might of both the sword of the Onimusha and the sword of the Genma Lord. It has a black and red aura, similar to the souls that were absorbed to create it, which is left behind wherever it is swung. Unlike the Onimusha Sword there is no reason to absorb souls to power up this weapon because it is always in its powered up state. In the fourth game, Samanosuke, whom has taken the Buddhist title of Nankobo Tenkai, is known as the Red Onimusha, and it is most likely that this name was given to him because he was the Onimusha who wielded the genma samonji, a primarily red sword that united the power of the genma lord and the onimusha.
Nobunaga seems nearly invulnerable. He was defeated in the previous game but wasn't killed. The same thing happens here; everytime he is fatally wounded wether it be being killed by Jacques and tossed in the fire of Honnoji temple or being attacked by the Onimusha sword in its underpowered state, he keeps rising up and coming back for more. This is because he was attacked by lesser powers and wasn't even using his true power which is only revealed in his genma form. Once Samanosuke defeats him in his True Onimusha form, he was able to absorb Nobunaga's souls the same way he absorbs regular genma souls. However, Nobunaga came in the form of blackish greed souls which when absorbed by the oni gaunlet transformed it into a red gauntlet with a black orb in center symbolizing its union with the genma lord's power.
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
| Onimusha : Dawn Of Dreams {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | January 26, 2006 (JP) March 8, 2006 (NA) March 18, 2006 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player/Triggered Two Player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
In April 2005, Capcom unveiled the latest installment in the Onimusha series, currently entitled Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (Conspicuously missing is a numerical deriviation). In a series first, the main character, Soki, the Oni of the Ash, (a.k.a. Yuki Hideyasu), is not based on the appearance of an actor. He is the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and wields twin broadswords; he uses the blue one, Lamentation, in normal combat, while the red, Requiem, is only unleashed for special attacks. The player has been granted camera control, as opposed to the static camera angles employed in recent years. A shop system grants the player new weapons, all of which can be upgraded for increased damage potential and abilities. Finally, Soki is given a second party member, who is controlled via the directional buttons (for tactics) and the game's AI (for actual fighting); the player can switch to the other character with the press of a button.
The game takes place some sixteen years after Onimusha III, and involves Toyotomi Hideyoshi resurrecting the Genma threat. It also features return appearances by characters from previous games.
Two new songs by Ayumi Hamasaki, one titled Startin' and the other rainy day, will be featured as the opening and ending themes for the game respectively in the Japan version, the opening theme have been strangely removed from the US version (unless the player selects the game system to 'Japanese' in the options).
The added party members are:
Yagyu 'Jubei' Akane: grand-daughter to the star of Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny: Yagyu Jubei Muneyoshi/Sekishusai. The name Jubei is a given title, only to the best swordsman of the Yagyu Descent, Akane is the first female in line to do so. Her mission is to apprehend and exterminate her renegade uncle, Yagyu Munenori, a son of Muneyoshi, for his atrocities of the Yagyu clan's massacre and sided with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the legion of Genma's clan as a watchdog.
O-Hatsu: 2nd Daughter of Oichi (aka Oyu of Odani) and niece of Nobunaga, and trained to fight gun techniques by none other than Magoichi Saiga from Onimusha 2. She is also the sister of Lady Yodo (Cha-Cha), the concubine of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the villain of Dawn of Dreams).
Roberto Frois: a Half-Spanish, Half-Japanese 'Westerner' who became an orphan after moving to Japan from his homeland of Espaňa with his mother, taken in and cared for by Luis Frois, a missionary doctor, who implants the "Exorcising Beads" in Roberto's arms, resulting created Roberto's "Exorcising Fist" so he can fight Genma and kill Luis Frois. His mission is to kill Luis Frois because Luis wanted him to, since he, under the control by Rosencrantz, had killed 26 of his country-mate through experimentation.
Nankobo Tenkai: A mysterious warrior monk of Mount Hiei. Claims to have been fighting the Genma for a very long time and believed to be an old Onimusha. Fights with staves and polearms. He has very few special moves and does take some getting used to. Towards the end of the game, Tenkai finally revealed his true identity that had been cover for many years, shocking all of his fellow companion: The legendary Onimusha-Samanosuke Akechi...
- General Information
In the play Hamlet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were best friends. Since in this game the major scientist is Rosencrantz, it is assumed that he had some connection with the deceased genma scientist, Guildenstern. Probably his companion or most likely, his predecessor.
The Triumvirate who are major villains in this story, all seem to have a common poisonous miasma which they use as their disposal. This miasma, which really the Genma's essence, can be absorbed just the way souls are absorbed. Claudius and Rosencratz use it to form pools of greenish purple venom that poisons anyone that steps in them. Claudius also uses it to form violet colored flame attacks. Ophelia uses it to form a shield around herself.
Strangely all playable characters in this game are able to absorb souls and achieve an oni awakening. In other games people who didn't have oni powers were able to absorb souls due to soul absorbing items that were conveniantly placed in certain areas for them to pick up; which was undoubtedly a gift from the oni thanks to their dominion over the powers of time and space. However, there was no such thing in this game, neither was there any explanation as to why they were all able to absorb souls. While it can be argued that this ability was a gift from the oni, or that each playable character has unique attributes that favor this outcome, most fans agree that some form of explanation should have been provided to explain why this is so similar to the previous games. An oni awakening isn't the same thing for everyone in this game. For example, Ohatsu channels the blood that is tied to the previous genma lord, her uncle Oda Nobunaga, which is where she inherits her abilities from and it has nothing to do with the Oni. Some have criticized the fact that everyone who achieves the oni awakening automatically absorbs souls and remains invulnerable until the state of Oni Awakening is over. This seems to put all other characters on a level of power equal to the Onimusha which isn't supposed to be. Thus the greatest criticism that this game can receive is the fact that its creators payed more attention to gameplay then to its story.
In the fourth game the genma samonji (know called gokumonji) landed in the hands of Soki. This was the ultimate weapon offered to him, likely from some intervention by Ako/Arin, since he was destined to be the next onimusha. However, since this sword's power depended on the oni gaunlet of Samanosuke Soki wasn't able to unleash the awesome power that Samanosuke used against Nobunga. In fact he wasn't able to unleash any magic with this sword at all, as when he wielded the sword it lacked the red aura that resonated from it and the trail of black and red shadow beams that appeared when Samanosuke wielded the sword. This is because this weapon was created for an onimusha to wield since it came from Samanosuke's onimusha sword, however, Soki was the new onimusha now and thus this sword had lost its power.
Important notes
- It is important to note that when you translate something from one language to another a lot of the meaning in the words is lost. For example in many of the games the word demon was used to describe both the Oni and the Genma. Since the two clans are different this led to some confusion about who was who. Also in the fourth game, Dawn of Dreams, many villagers were calling Soki the Blue Demon; they should in fact have called him the Blue Oni because obviously he has no affiliation with the Genma clan. Another criticism that has been brought forth is the use of the word Ogre to describe the Oni clan. While the Oni are revealed to be very demonic looking they also have a somewhat angelic side to them; thus Ogre seems like a very inappropriate terminology that is used to describe them.
- Nature of Souls - When souls are talked about in the series people are often fooled into thinking that by soul it means the entity's spirit. However, this is not the case. If the spirit was removed from the body then obviously it wouldn't be alive. In Onimusha there are ways to get souls without killing the opponent; as some weapons draw them out with each attack. Also other items can control the type of soul that is released; wether it be a blue, red, yellow or purple soul. In this sense souls are actually different forms of energy that the Oni warriors absorb from their victims. Yellow souls nurture their life force, blue souls raise their magical ability, for those who can undergo an oni awakening purple souls allow them to temporarily assume the oni awakening, and finally red souls are what are used to enchant and power up different weapons and armors.
- Science - Both the genma and the oni are known to possess a level of science that goes beyond anything that the humans possess. In the first game it is revealed that many human leaders have forged pacts with the genma over the centuries, during which the genma would lend the humans their technology in exchange for being provided with countless humans to feast on. Other technologies include a mechanical ship that Gogandantess was riding on in the second game and a device that allowed Guildenstern to fly during his fight with Samanosuke. They also seem to possess a strong genetic manipulation technology; most notable by their living organic structures, genma creating generators such as the one that created the different Reynaldos who were genma that would split into two if not killed properly, not to mention machine and genma hybrids like the first boss in the third game and other powerful genma created through science such as Marcellus. Not much of the Oni technology was revealed. There was the oni gaunlet that Samanosuke had, but it was created through magic not science. Examples of the Oni science can be mostly seen in the second game where gadgets such a mechanical horse were seen. The most notable Oni Science seems to be their ability influenced time and temporal distortion (such as creating portals, there also was an Oni Battalion Orb which was a mystical orb that housed an entire army of Oni Warriors that were summoned by Samanosuke); a science that Guildenstern quickly caught on.
- Dark/Phantom Realm - In most games this is called the Dark Realm and in others it is known as the Phantom Realm. The portal to this world is controlled by a race known as the Mino Clan. In most games only one person of this race, an old man hanging upsidedown by a rope, is shown. In the fourh game another of this race, named Minokichi, the son of Minogoro, is revealed. The Mino clan have the power to teleport themselves and others to places they're already visited. They also hold dominion over the portal of the dark realm. In theory this place was created by the Oni and many Genma were sealed in it. Those who come here have to pass trials where countless of the imprisoned Genma come to attack them. By surviving through these many trials, Oni warriors are able to gain access to many of the different items and weapons that the Oni of the past have wielded and left in this place in order to safeguard them against those who would abuse their power. One such example can be seen in the Genma Samonji. After defeating Nobunaga, Samanosuke needed to hide this weapon and thus had it hidden in the deepest portion of the Phantom realm with some help from the Tengu, Ako, who's power over time and space is what allowed her to seal this sword in this realm.
- Physical appearances - The genma seem to be a very diverse race. There are many different types of monsters who are classified with the name genma. It is likely then to not consider the genma as one species but a collection of different species under the rule of the genma lord, all of whom share a common origin. The oni on the other hand don't seem to be as diverse. They seem to be somewhat angelic as when Takajou, made an appearance in Onimusha 2, she was seen flying in the air with a strange white glow around her. She was dressed in a very Chinese fashion with the body of a woman and a serpentine tail ejecting from below her waist. However, there are theories out there that state that she wasn't an oni at all but from a different race altogether. Her main purpose seems to have been to bare a son who would eventually become the next onimusha and battle the genma. While no male oni have been revealed, there were 12 oni gods all of whom were male that gave Samanosuke the oni gaunlet. One of them was also seen giving Jacques a new gauntlet, and he didn't look anything like Takajou. He was mainly composed of a humanoid body with a ghastly appearance.
- Weapons - Throughout the different games the protagonists have a habit of finding weapons in the most unlikely of places; be it inside a church or below a road in a futuristic France. This is because the Oni are masters of dimensional technology and thus have made it so that their warriors can access different mystical weapons from locations that surpass the limits of place or time. Each warrior has a certain set of weapons made available for them, not to mentions that each of them have a particular ultimate weapon that can be accessed by the Dark Realm. Even though the realm and its challenges remain the same, each weapon that is received depends on the warrior who undergoes the trials. Samanosuke's ultimate weapon was the Bishamon sword in both the games he appeared in, Jacques' ultimate weapon was the Ultimate Whip and Soki's ultimate weapon was the Gokumonji (known in the second game as the genma samonji). All the ultimate weapons radiate a purple glow similar to the Oni gods, however, the ones in the fourth game didn't as characters who weren't blessed directly by the Oni gods made their way through the Dark realm. The same factor holds true to the original Jubei in the second game, as his ultimate weapon was the Rekka-ken, a powerful red broadsword that used the power of fire.
- Onimusha Weapon - Each Onimusha seems to have a particular special weapon. While certain warriors blessed with the power of the Oni such Jacques have different weapons accessible to them, it is only the Onimusha who get a particular special weapon handed to them when they assume their true Onimusha form which is different and obviously more powerful then when they undergo an oni awakening. Jubei Yagyu from the second game had an arm cannon in his left hand that released lasers, Samanosuke had the Onimusha Sword which glowed a rainbowish color when it was powered up to attack Nobunaga, and Soki had an red sword on his back which he was able to control psychokinetically and use to purify his opponents but he only wielded it physically when unleashed his Onimusha form during which he would attack the opponent with a combination of his red Purification sword (Requiem) and another weapon that was upto the player to choose. Soki's True Onimusha transformation also had a move called ultimate critical; where Soki would swing both swords in massive speed and attack his enemy with his energy channelled through the blades.
- Oni Awakening vs Onimusha Mode - These two are considered the same but really are very different things. Many people blessed with the powers of the Oni are able to undergo an oni awakening; a temporary state during which they able to access Oni powers. During Jubei Yagyu's oni awakening, he was able to shoot lasers from his left hand, which was the exact spot from where he absorbed genma souls. In the third game, whenever Jacques or Samanosuke underwent an oni awakening they stabbed their weapons in the ground and released a shockwave of purple energy. This difference in technique is most likely a result of the fact that Jubei has oni blood in him, since he was the son of Takajou, while Samanosuke and Jacques are humans who have been granted powers by the Oni Clan. In the fourth game, Soki surprisingly doesn't have any special techniques that he can use in his oni awakening since even though he is a reincarnation of the Oni God of Darkness he doesn't have the ability to properly access that power. However, the Onimusha mode is something that is rarely seen. All the different Onimusha undergo radical changes in armor and physical appearance and all have long silver hair flowing in the wind, in both their Onimusha and Oni Awakening modes. Since the Onimusha is the one channeling the power of the Oni God of Darkness, there can only be one Onimusha existent at one time.
- Onimusha vs Genma Lord - The genma lord and the onimusha are polar opposites of each other and represent the unending struggle between the genma and the oni clan. In the fourth game it was revealed that the God of Light was the one who created the genma and the God of Darkness was the one who created the oni. The God of Light, Fortinbras, was the genma lord. His essence was passed after his death to Nobunaga Oda as he became the new genma lord. After Nobunaga's defeat, Hideyoshi was used as a vassal to reincarnate Fortinbras. The God of Darkness was the first Onimusha and each subsequent Onimusha is a being who channels his power. In the second game Jubei Yagyu was able to use five special orbs created by the oni to transform himself into the next Onimusha. When Jubei underwent an oni awakening he was able to shoot lasers. These abilities were transferred to his Onimusha form as he used the arm cannon formed on his left hand to release laser looking souls at his enemies. In the third game it was revealed that two gauntlets were needed for Samanosuke to become the next Onimusha. This is why a second gaunlet was given to Jacques. However, Jacque's gauntlet was consumed as it was used to resurrect Jacques' son, Henri. However, Samanosuke was transported by the Oni right after his past self was killed by Nobunaga. Thus by combining the gauntlet of his past self with that of his current self he was able to become the next Onimusha. This version of the Onimusha had a gauntlet on each of his hands and absorbed souls through an orb on his chest. In the fourth game, it is revealed that Soki, unlike the other Onimusha, was a reincarnation of the God of Darkness, which is why he was called the Black Oni. In order for him to achieve his Onimusha transformation, he used the power of Nobunaga, the deceased Genma Lord's, power which was inside the oni gaunlet to harness the power of the God of Darkness inside him.
- Oni Gauntlet - This gauntlet was given to Samanosuke and was created by the power of the twelve Oni gods. It absorbs souls (see Nature of Souls), gives power to Samanosuke's weapons and changes the color of the orb in its center to match with that of the corresponding weapon, allows him to achieve an Oni Awakening, and is capable of functioning with other Oni items such as the Oni army orb. Samanosuke was also given the power to become the Onimusha which Jacques wasn't even though he too had an Oni Gaunlet. Thus it is likely that Samanosuke's potential to become the Onimusha doesn't come from his gaunlet, but by the fact that he was selected directly by the twelve Oni gods while Jacques was granted power by only one of them. Originally his gauntlet was of a blueish transparent color but as it gained power from absorbing more and more souls it slowly started taking on a golden color until the entire gaunlet became a golden color at which it had reached its full potential. In the third game Samanosuke had been swift to the future and thus his gaunlet had reverted back to its original blueish transparent color since he was in a different time, however, he was able to restore his gaunlet to its true golden color but reabsorbing more souls. Later he was able to combine the power of his gauntlet with the gaunlet of his deceased past self when he went back in time. In this moment he had two gaunlets in each hand, thus allowing him to achieve his Onimusha form. After he defeated Nobunaga he absorbed the Genma Lord's souls. Unlike the souls of other Genma his souls came out in a blackish green color that transformed the gauntlet into a black/red color, with the central orb being black as well. This symbolized that the gaunlet had sealed the Genma Lord, however, this was also the reason he had to seal the gaunlet away. Years later as the God of Darkness was reincarnated as Soki, Samanosuke lost his power as the Onimusha and thus the Oni Gauntlet lost all its power. The only power that remained in the Oni Gaunlet, which know was back to its golden color since it had lost its ties with an Onimusha, was the power of the Genma Lord retained from Nobunaga. In the fourth game Samanosuke used this power against the Genma and even achieved an Oni Awakening with it, although this Oni Awakening was a result of the Genma Lord's power since that was the only power left in the gauntlet. That's why he wasn't able to use the same moves or the same weapons that he did in the previous games.