Onimusha: Warlords

Onimusha: Warlords
North American PlayStation 2 box art
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
Director(s)Jun Takeuchi
Producer(s)Keiji Inafune
Artist(s)Shimako Satō
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Takashi Niigaki[a]
Rei Kondoh (remaster)
SeriesOnimusha
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release
January 25, 2001
  • PlayStation 2
    • JP: January 25, 2001
    • NA: March 14, 2001[1]
    • EU: July 6, 2001
    Xbox
    • NA: January 29, 2002[2]
    • JP: February 22, 2002
    • EU: March 22, 2002
    Microsoft Windows
    • CHN: July 8, 2003
    • RU: December 1, 2005
    • WW: January 15, 2019 (remaster)
    Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
    • JP: December 20, 2018
    • WW: January 15, 2019
Genre(s)Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Onimusha: Warlords, known in Japan as Onimusha (Japanese: 鬼武者), is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 2, and is the first entry of the Onimusha series. An updated form as Genma Onimusha (Japanese: 幻魔 鬼武者) for the Xbox was released in 2002. The original Warlords version was ported to Microsoft Windows, although it was only available in China and Russia. A remaster for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One was released in 2018, with a Windows version following in 2019.

The game's plot is set in the Sengoku period and focuses on the samurai Samanosuke Akechi who fights against the forces of Nobunaga Oda. After Nobunaga's death in battle, Samanosuke goes on a quest to save Princess Yuki from demons working alongside Nobunaga's forces. The player controls Samanosuke and his partner, a female ninja Kaede, in their fight against demons.

While the game borrows elements from Capcom's own Resident Evil survival horror series, such as solving puzzles and a fixed camera, the game is focused more on the action game genre with Samanosuke possessing multiple weapons that can be upgraded by defeating several enemies. Capcom originally wanted to release the game for the original PlayStation but the close release of its next generation version resulted in the project being scrapped.

Following its release, Onimusha: Warlords achieved high popularity, becoming the first PlayStation 2 game to reach one million sales. Its sales eventually surpassed two million units worldwide. The game has been well-received by video game publications and has been recognized as one of the best titles on the system. It was followed by two direct sequels for the same console and another three games within the franchise.

  1. ^ I. G. N. Staff (February 24, 2001). "Onimusha Date is Set". IGN. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "Press Releases". June 1, 2002. Archived from the original on June 1, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2023.


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