
There's a reason the developer added in a new 'Easy' mode for this release, as it was seen as a relatively difficult experience. The combat itself can be quite challenging, as enemies can come thick and fast, and the system for dodging and countering can be far too slow to actually react. It's easy enough to play through the whole game with any of them, it's just down to personal preference. None of the weapons are particularly necessary. The healing items in the game (green herbs!) are equally as sparse. On top of these, there is a bow and flintlock to find, though the ammunition for both is particularly sparse. Each of these has a special attack which uses some of Samanosuke's magic bar. There are three elemental swords, an all-rounder lightning Katana, a huge flaming broadsword, and a speedy, double-sided, wind-powered Niigata. There's a great bestiary here, and to take them on Samanosuke has a handful of weapons at his disposal. From the simple swordsmen enemies who are the cannon fodder that can quickly be cut down, to speedy ninja Oni that can teleport around, huge hulking Samurai who deal equally huge damage, Minotaur-looking bull demons swinging huge axes, and it gets even weirder with floating heads, giant bee women, and giant snake dragons. Samanosuke has a relatively small environment to explore, investigating a Japanese Castle which has become overrun with demons (or Oni), and they come in a mixed bag of flavours.

Considering the age of the game, and the lack of remasters to this point, there are going to be many Switch players who have never touched or even heard of an Onimusha title. Many of these elements are absolute gaming marmite. Pre-rendered background, tank controls, limited items, and systems of locked doors to backtrack to after finding key items to get them open.

Onimusha: Warlords takes everything that made Capcom games of the time identifiable. Along with a kunoichi named Kaede, Samanosuke heads off to try and save his cousin, gaining a demon soul-absorbing gauntlet, along with some magical swords along the way. A year later, a young Samurai named Samanosuke is dragged into this plot, as his cousin, the Princess Yuki, is taken as a sacrifice for these demons. This is all part of a wider plan, though, as a group of demons is planning on using his reanimated corpse to take over the world. Here, he is killed progressing on his campaign to crush the clans under his feet, when he takes an arrow to the throat.

Once again placing historical legend, Oda Nobunaga, to the centre of the tale. Onimusha: Warlords is set during that magical age of feudal era Japan.
