Onimusha 3 (PS2)

Anyways the game follows the story of Samanosuke and a new character, Jacques Blanc, a Frenchman who is a part of the French army. Nobunaga has been resurrected, and along with the Genma scientist Guildenstern. Guildenstern has been able to rip through time and is terrorizing modern day France. Back in Samanosuke's 16th Century Japan Nobunaga is terrorizing people again. Guildenstern's time warp causes Jacque to be transported to 16th Century Japan and Samanosuke is transported to Modern day France. Jacques' and Samanosuke's destinies are intertwined by their ability to change into Onimusha and they must work together to both stop evil and get to their proper times.

Graphically the game is all you can expect for a straight out of Japan, awesome game. The intro and movies in this game are certainly dazzling and amazing. Ingame cinemas certainly are also great but no where near as dazzling as the intro, but you can't expect it all the way through with our aging console. Textures are smooth and the game runs very smoothly, with no slow down in the fast paced sections.

The soundtrack is good but somewhat forgettable. The battle sounds are top notch as well. The only thing that I have a gripe is that sometimes you can't hear voices that well nor do the voices sound that great. They really should of done a final fantasy and had proper subtitles, or even better, have the Japanese voices instead of the American ones.

Great controls, it lets you use either Resident Evil-esque controls or DMC style free moving controls. Both can be used in conjunction and are great. This game also puts more emphasis on timing than any other game I have ever seen. In order to be a true Onimusha you must be able to time your shots.

What a game. How do the Japanesse come up with games which are so involving, so exciting and above all, draw you in like no other. This game has the lot, awesome graphics, great longevity and above all astonishing gameplay. It's the last in the series and it is certainly the best. Go forth and conquer!

The now notorious Samanosuke Akechi has joined forces with a french agent from the present (played by the actual Jean Reno! This is awesome!). As the demonic samurai enter the present realm to spread destruction and death, it's up to these two brave men and their aquaintances to stop this threat in both times.

The graphical engine has been totally revamped. That's right, no more pre-rendered backgrounds. The interaction with the scenarios (be it to use them or destroy them) is more vivid than ever before. The character poligons show excellent fluidity in motion. This is good mocap work indeed. As for the gameplay, well, let's put it this way: The moves and weapons used on this game alone go way above any atempt at this genre. This time around you are not limited to Samanosuke elemental atributes as Monsieur Reno's got some freaky weapons of his own.

This is probably the greatest survival horror adventure ever created, as the enormous commitment shown in every step of production (as the signature cinematic feel of the intro CG sequences) is quite obvious. This one's got "Quality Material" written all over it.

As usual in the gaming industry, sequels come and go, and the golden rule usually applies: The first game is always the best. That has changed. Where was Onimusha back then and where is it now? If the other installments were already your cup of tea, then let me give this news flash: Onimusha 3 is more than a sequel. It's what it was meant to be in the first place. A must-have.