Editorials
A Timeless Hack And Slash Historical Adventure: Remembering ‘Onimusha: Warlords’
2019 is a big year for Capcom, with two of its big titles coming out this month. While fans can look forward to the delightfully grim remake of Resident Evil 2, another blast from the past is making a return. Having been released in Japan back in January of 2001, Onimusha: Warlords is getting the remastering treatment. As one of the PlayStation 2’s most popular titles, Onimusha is going to be a nostalgic experience, while also allowing new players who missed out on the game to discover an excellent gem.
In preparation for our upcoming review of Onimusha: Warlords, let’s take a look at what makes this game a brilliant title in the PlayStation family.
Samurai Honor And An Epic Land
Aesthetically speaking, with the exception of Nioh, as well as Ghost of Tsushima arriving in the near future, samurais haven’t gotten enough love in some time. Funny enough, Onimusha’s development began with designer Yoshiki Okamoto originally thinking to do a “ninja version” of Resident Evil. For environmental and narrative flavor, Onimusha is set in the Sengoku period, a time in Japanese history riddled with military conflict. This warring era makes for a terrific backdrop to our main character’s quest
As the player, you take control of Samanosuke Akechi, a noble warrior skilled in combat. One day, Samanosuke receives a letter from Princess Yuki, asking him to save her from the threat of demons. Upon arriving to find her, Samanosuke sees that the demons have already captured her; it isn’t long until he discovers that Princess Yuki is part of a diabolical plan that attempts to destroy her clan. From there, Samanosuke and Kaede (another ninja the player can control), embark on a journey to save Princess Yuki and defeat the demons. The plot, even in its cheesier moments, makes for a thrilling experience full of gruesome creatures and drama.
Onimusha’s best qualities are its heavy action and aesthetic. In 2001, games were further embracing cinematic graphics, and Onimusha was one of the first prominent titles to have atmospheric hack and slash gameplay. Furthermore, the setting gives life to the plot, presenting a historically authentic (yet fantasy-heavy) vibe. Eventually, Samanosuke will venture into some spooky places; there are dungeons infested with demonic gunk and blood splattered across the floor, all while chilling music plays over the scene. These locales give off an unsettling energy and tension as Samanosuke has to cut his way through a plethora of creatures.
When it comes to gameplay, Onimusha takes much inspiration from that of Resident Evil; utilizing a fixed camera angle, as well as pre-rendered backgrounds, Onimusha balances puzzle solving and combat. Players can use both physical weapons and magic throughout the game. By roaming about the environment, opening chests, and defeating enemies, it’s possible to find new weapons and armor for Samanosuke. As the player progresses forward in the story, Samanosuke will also gain the ability to use elementally enchanted weapons (such as fire and lighting abilities). Boss fights are truly satisfying; each boss presents a cinematic intensity as you dodge their attacks and dive in to slash them. As Samanosuke you really feel like a badass warrior in these duels. The game contains many different enemy designs, making sure the player always has a variety of foes to encounter.
Thanks to the riveting action and stellar setting, Onimusha allows players to feel like they are part of an epic mission. You can feel the power in each swing of your sword; you feel the tension facing off against of the game’s big antagonists. Onimusha is an action experience that even after 18 years still exudes adrenaline.
Legacy
With the PlayStation having been released in 2000, Onimusha would be one of the console’s first steps towards greatness. The PlayStation 2 has stood throughout time as one of the most significant gaming consoles in history, and that is thanks to games such as Onimusha.
Upon its release Onimusha: Warlords became a success, becoming the first PlayStation 2 title to sell over a million copies. Spawning several sequels and a couple of spin-off titles, Onimusha is a beloved series that, unfortunately, has not seen a new entry since 2006. While action games have evolved, Onimusha’s setting and well-designed combat feel timeless; years later, there’s still a sincere element of grandness in Samanosuke’s quest to defeat the demons and save the princess. With the remastering of Onimusha: Warlords, hopefully, this will get fans talking, inspiring Capcom to revisit this fantastic series.
“Elevated Horror.” Of all the combinations in the English language, that one is the most insufferable.
It represents almost a decade of scary movies that, for the most part, took themselves too seriously. Horror responds to the moment, so its “why so serious” lean makes sense as we scuttle through the “worst of times” equation of Charles Dickens’ famous opening lines. But there’s still an opening and a need for a lighter approach; one that not only has fun with its audience but takes the piss out of a genre that is seemingly letting its newfound “respectability” go to its head.
Wes Craven believed devotees see horror films to let out their fears one primal scream at a time. At their core, these movies are roller coasters; they bring us as close to the edge as possible before pulling us back into a safety net of reality. The need for a bigger and badder coaster increases during times when the size of that net decreases.
There’s a thrill that comes from imagining being in a foot race with a madman, or outthinking the hordes of zombies on the other side of the door, plus the scavenger humans coming behind them. There’s even a rush that comes from imagining how one might deal with possession to see good triumph over evil in the end. It’s all about building tension and releasing it through catharsis. That cathartic release usually sounds like screams followed by laughter, which signals relief. Genre heavy hitters over the past 10 years offered very little of that respite when the credits rolled. Films like Hereditary, The Witch, Talk to Me, and even Smile (pick one) keep that tension going after the screen fades to black.
Hereditary
As the genre became obsessed with creating trauma metaphors, that lack of release made sense. Anyone with even a small sample size of traumatic experiences knows those emotions don’t magically resolve themselves in an allotted run time. But how much trauma can one take? Especially when there’s a mess going on outside that few of us can escape from. Movies offer that off-ramp, no matter how short.
Everything can’t be, nor should it be, “elevated.” Audiences need thoughtful explorations of life’s ills via monsters as much as they need murdering masked maniacs with kitchen knives. And no, it doesn’t have to go any deeper than that. Sometimes, a knife is just a knife, and it’s still worth our time and respect. As weird as it sounds, that simplicity is comforting not in spite of the trauma but because of it.
The worst of times should manifest more than just anguish. People need to laugh just as much as they need to think seriously about this moment in time. Even the Scream franchise forgot the meta rock upon which it built its church when the latest foray sacrificed the subtle comedy for serious drama. Scary Movie returned at the perfect moment. It provides the necessary laughs, but it’s not a cure-all.
This isn’t a call for Scary Movie imitators but a return to a mainstream landscape where Killer Klowns from Outer Space sat with The Serpent and the Rainbow, nestled neatly with the latest Nightmare on Elm Street, which took nothing away from The Vanishing.
They Live
Even They Live, John Carpenter’s horror sci-fi satire sandwich, kept its tongue firmly in cheek while discussing serious ideas still relevant in 2026. Yes, a film about aliens taking over the world through subliminal messaging only visible through coded sunglasses is, in fact, a tad silly. Carpenter understood that mainstream horror can’t become so self-important that it never looks itself in the mirror and laughs at that inherent silliness.
The thing is, horror historically excels at poking fun at itself. Most of the Scream franchise, The Cabin in the Woods, or The Blackening show adoration without kowtowing. They recognize tropes and trappings but invert them for an audience already in on the joke, but one that also finds solace in said conventions. This keeps the genre on its toes; once something gets parodied, it’s usually time to evolve. That breeds new ideas and fresh filmmakers, which not only strengthen the genre’s collective voice but also amplify it.
Get Out, as “elevated” as some critics want us to believe it is, is a cathartic, populist scary movie that spoke to an untapped audience rather than speaking down to them. Backrooms is one of the biggest horror hits in years, partially because it’s fine-tuned for modern-day teenagers instead of their parents. Movies like these tell everyone the genre is open for business; open for innovation and, yeah, open for new ways in which people can lovingly poke fun at with a wink and a nudge.
Horror needs dread as much as it needs laughter.
Catharsis is just as important as tension, and pulpy populism has the same merit as more high-brow material. Respectability shouldn’t come at the expense of an experience akin to walking through a haunted house. At a time when joy seems in short supply, horror should look to its past to map out its future, and make things just a tad brighter for audiences.
Backrooms
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