Genma Onimusha

Pros • Good story well told through cutscenes • Lots of enemies and constant action • Fast load times	Cons • Poor voice acting • Camera placement often frustrating • Backs out to startup screen when you die
Bottom Line An already-proven success comes to a new system with improved play mechanics, new areas, and more enemies. It's better, but not much bigger. Take any great game, plug in a few enhancements and you'll probably end up with an even better game. Such is the case with the million-selling PS2 game Onimusha: Warlords as it finally arrives on the Xbox under the title Genma Onimusha. Many of the problems people had with the original have been addressed in this updated version; the primary complaint being that the game was too short. The fix may seem strange though: make it harder so it takes longer. Yeah, that could work. A new fighting system that involves a tug-of-war over green balls of energy adds many more button-presses to the average fight, but since the number of enemies has also increased you'll have a hard time winning the war without taking a few hits in the process. The visuals have a cleaner look, though it's pretty hard to tell the difference without a side-by-side comparison. Audio is better too, with full Dolby Digital sound supported. A good story set against amazing CGI and in-game cutscenes make Onimusha a must-have for Xbox owners who haven't played the PS2 version. If you've already been through Onimusha: Warlords, you might want to rent Genma. There's reason enough to check it out, but probably not enough to play through it all over again.

Genma Onimusha starts off with one of the best opening scenes of any game in the last few years. The first ever six-person motion capture fighting sequence is an absolute must-see. A brutal clash between warring factions on a muddy battlefield with hundreds of soldiers sets the stage for what is still one of the best games of its kind, now available on an Xbox near you.

The story of Samanosuke Akechi and his quest to save a beautiful princess from the now undead Nobunaga Oda is played out against the pre-rendered backgrounds and fixed-camera placement of feudal Japan, circa AD 1561. The events of the story are told through excellent CGI and in-game generated cutscenes that break up the almost non-stop action. Load times are speedy, thanks to the built-in hard drive, which keeps the pace up throughout the game. Excellent camera work in the cutscenes also adds to the excitement and gives the whole experience a movie-quality atmosphere.

Controlling the character's movements is performed using the D-pad, which is a little cumbersome at times. Whenever quick reflexes are required and you've got to figure out which button to press to move Samanosuke (and later his female helper Kaede) away from the big bad monster instead of towards it, you'll invariably press the wrong button. Fortunately there is a kind of lock-on, whereby pressing the attack button will automatically turn your character and hack the nearest enemy. Hold down the attack button for a few seconds and the sword becomes more powerful and even begins to glow. Releasing the button performs a special attack, expelling all the energy built-up in the sword.

Also new in the Genma version is the ability to compete for giant green balls of energy (souls) that are released from enemies as they're attacked. Once five souls are collected, Samanosuke can summon the mighty Ogre Power, which causes his attacks to do more harm and also helps recover lost health. If an enemy absorbs a green soul however, it becomes stronger and goes "berserk". Since both of you want the soul, a tug of war breaks out that can only be decided by hammering on the Absorb button repeatedly. This is made even more troublesome by the fact that the number of enemies you'll encounter has been ramped up since Warlords, and fighting for a green soul leaves you vulnerable to attack. Claims that the game takes "twice as long" to play are the result of these fighting sequences being extended by new features, not the addition of new levels. There is a new area to explore near the end of the game, but there aren't twice as many locations as you might expect.

The camera in this type of game is invariably one of its biggest shortcomings. In the first boss battle it's almost frustrating enough to make you put down the controller for good, especially when the huge monster completely blocks your view and pressing the D-pad buttons has no obvious effect. The fact that the game backs completely out to the title screen when you die only adds to the problem, but thanks again to the hard drive you'll be back at it in just a few seconds. Save points are a little far apart at the beginning, but once you've reached some of the main areas you can access them easily enough and almost consider it a save-anytime system.

Dolby 5.1 Surround sound is amazing if you've got the equipment, but even without it the orchestral score is clear and sets the mood perfectly. Effects audio is also top-notch, with the sounds of Samanosuke's various swords cutting through demon flesh and especially the clang of metal on metal when blocking, adding a great deal of realism to the overall game.

The puzzle aspect of the game survives in the Xbox version, which requires a good deal of backtracking throughout the various areas. Decoding the Orge texts especially requires plenty of running around. Numeric puzzles, where you have to put numbers in the right order, may seem difficult at first but random trial and error seemed just as successful as trying to map out the solution on paper first. Also, since the PS2 version has been out for a while there are any number of walk-throughs available on the Net, but take note that some of the item locations have been changed in the Genma version.

A great game made even better (but not much longer), Genma Onimusha builds on the success of its PS2 twin brother and delivers a solid title full of fast-paced action that won't tax your puzzle-solving skills. If you haven't played the PS2 version and like the Resident Evil genre, Onimusha is a must-have. If you've played the PS2 version, there's not much added to warrant another $50US, though a weekend rental might satisfy your curiosity.

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