Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny

Following the HD remaster of Onimusha: Warlords (2019), Capcom is now releasing a revamped version of Onimusha 2 Samurai's Destiny - again with updated graphics, gameplay improvements, and across all platforms.

A classic game returns. Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny was released in 2002 for PlayStation 2 only and sold a total of 2.1 million copies (as of 30 September 2024), a record for the series. According to Capcom, the sequel is an improvement on the original (Onimusha: Warlords) in terms of scope, action and replay value, thanks to the main character's allies. The character model of the main protagonist (Jubei Yagyu) is based on the late Yusaku Matsuda, a Japanese film star who was famous in the '70s and '80s. Although it's a sequel, it features a new protagonist, so it's not necessary to know the first game. The story of revenge follows master swordsman Jubei Yagyu as he sets out to defeat Nobunaga Oda and his army of demons.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is an action-adventure or hack and slash game with deep combat mechanics and an affinity system with Jubei's allies with branching storylines. Jubei has four allies who travel with him, and there is a branching story based on the strength of the relationship with the allies. As these bonds deepen, they lead to 100 different events.

"When an enemy is defeated, it will release some Souls that you can absorb. There are four types of Souls: red, blue, yellow, and purple. They can be used for a variety of purposes, such as enhancing your equipment or recovering health and Magic Power. Collect five purple Souls to turn into an invincible Onimusha for a short amount of time. In the original version of Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, you would automatically turn into an Onimusha once you absorbed the fifth Soul, but in this remastered version you can choose when you want to activate this power as long as you have enough Souls. Collect red Souls and infuse your gear with them to increase your strength and defense. You can also use Power Jewels to increase your maximum health and Magic Jewels to increase your maximum Magic Power." - Capcom on the combat and souls system

The remaster features HD graphics, improved controls and additional language support adapted from the original script. Among the updates are additional difficulty settings, including a new Hell mode where a single hit means death, and the option to focus on the story in the new Easy mode. The Man in Black, Team Oni and Puzzle Phantom Realm mini-games will be available to play right from the start. New quality of life features include the ability to switch between melee and ranged weapons in-game without having to use the menu, and the ability to choose when Jubei transforms into Onimusha, allowing for more tactical use of the transformation.

Modern improvements such as an auto-save feature, skippable cutscenes and more have also been added. Of course, the visuals have also been revamped. All assets, including 3D character models, visual effects, CG cutscenes, backgrounds, UI and fonts are now in high definition. It is also possible to switch between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios on the fly during gameplay. This version even expands the in-game gallery with 100 newly added sketches by the game's character designer, Keita Amemiya, as well as a zoom function and the original soundtrack.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is set to release on 23 May 2025 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC via Steam (for just under €30). Players who pre-order Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny or pre-purchase the Onimusha 1+2 bundle will receive the Onimusha 2: Orchestra Album Selection Pack, which includes orchestral music tracks and "helpful" in-game items. Players with save data from the 2019 remaster of Onimusha: Warlords will also be able to unlock a special outfit for Jubei inspired by Samanosuke, the protagonist of the original game.

Conclusion

With this remaster, Capcom is bringing back a classic with meaningful improvements and better visuals, this time to as many platforms as possible.

Features

• Remastered classic
• Improved controls and QOL enhancements
• All assets are now in HD, playable in 16:9 or 4:3