Do You Remember Onimusha?
The Sengoku period was a time of huge upheaval in Japan. As a result, it is one of the most storied periods of Japanese history, which explains why so many Japanese-made games are set within it. One excellent example is Capcom’s Onimusha series, which is set to see a revival with a remastering of Onimusha: Warlords.
What Is Onimusha Warlords Remastered?
For those who are unfamiliar with the name, Onimusha: Warlords was the first installment in the Onimusha series, meaning that it is the title that started up the whole series. Its main character is a samurai named Akechi Hidemitsu, though its narrative uses the name Samanosuke. In real life, said individual was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide, who in turn, was a retainer of the warlord Oda Nobunaga until he turned on his master at a Buddhist temple called Honno-ji. Here, Nobunaga is re-imagined as being empowered by demonic forces, which is why Samanosuke and his partner Kaede must prevent him from taking over Japan by using a wide range of weapons as well as a wide range of special powers.
In its time, Onimusha: Warlords was a huge success, as shown by the fact that it was the first PS2 game to reach one million units sold before going on to finish with around two million units sold when measured on a worldwide basis. As a result, it will be interesting to see whether Capcom can repeat that success by releasing a remastering of the title on January 15 of 2019 for the PS4, the Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch, and the PC. Since this is a remastering, interested individuals shouldn’t expect a thorough transformation. However, there will nonetheless be a number of beneficial changes, with examples ranging from HD graphics that will offer improved visibility to an easy mode, a new soundtrack, and the inclusion of Japanese voices.
Needless to say, the performance of the Onimusha: Warlords remaster could have interesting consequences for the Onimusha series as a whole. Capcom has been reviving a number of its most successful series in recent times, meaning that respectable numbers could result in more Onimusha content at some point in the future. However, for the time being, this is no more than mere speculation, meaning that it is too soon to have high hopes in this regard.
