Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny

GamePro

Like a new year’s line of automobiles, Onimusha 2 has a sleeker look, more bells and whistles, and improved standard features over its predecessor model, "Warlords."

GameZone

One of the best games of the year. Even before finishing Onimusha 2, I looked forward to playing through it again.

Entertainment Weekly

Visually near-perfect (the opening gave us goose bumps). [27 Sept 2002, p.89]

Game Over Online

Quite simply, Onimusha 2 is one of the year’s best offerings on the PS2.

GameNow

Sure, you won't be spending "Final Fantasy X"-calibur time with it, but it's a good way to kill a dozen or so hours. [Sept 2002, p.30]

Cinescape

The camera has been improved a good deal, although there are still a few times when you’ll be racking your brain and craning your neck to see where your character needs to go.

TotalGames.net

It’s certainly a great game, but doesn’t break ground in the same way that Onimusha did.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Brutal, bloody and brilliant with a massive body count. Few can match its looks. [GamesMaster]

TotalPlayStation

Thanks to an interesting trading system and the promise of literally hours and hours of extra gameplay-unlocked goodies, an improved system for absorbing and applying souls and perfectly executed graphical and aural treats as so few developers in this industry can really deliver, the game is simply too good to miss.

IGN

Longer, deeper, and more personal than the original, fans of "Warlords," "Resident Evil," and the like have their next great adventure right in front of them.

Game Informer

Early on, Onimusha 2 showed promise and appeared to be the innovative follow-up that it so desperately needed to be. However, as the game went on, and the entertaining gameplay aspects disappeared, my enthusiasm for the game withered. [Sept 2002, p.77]

netjak

An enjoyable, but yet again, hack n’ slash fighting type game, but was balanced enough with the way you had to fight a boss that I didn’t mind the hack n’ slash as much.

GamerWeb Sony

The graphics have matured to push the bar higher for what a PS2 game should look like and despite flawed localization and some awkward moments in the voice-acting, it delivers the promise of "more, deeper, better."

GameSpy

One of the most beautiful games ever to grace the PS2.

Into Liquid Sky

As is the problem with most games built with pre-rendered backgrounds, there are going to be a lot of times where the game camera is going to leave you open for cheap shots as you move from one angle to another.

Game Revolution

Solid gameplay with plenty of new improvements make Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny another fine blade.

NTSC-uk

In every sense what a gaming sequel should be: bigger, better, and bolder than the previous incarnation in every almost respect imaginable. With huge steps forward in terms of design, graphics, and gameplay, this should equally delight and entertain fans of the original, as well as newcomers to the trilogy.

PSM Magazine

While a definite step forward in the series, Onimusha 2 doesn't really introduce much that's too remarkably new. [Sept 2002, p.27]

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Includes almost everything we loved in the first game and takes it all to the next level. [Sept 2002, p.113]

GameCritics

Onimusha 2 may not be as great as it could have been, but it's clearly improved and worth your attention if the idea of samurai hacking up demons from hell sounds good to you. It sure does to me.

Play Magazine

Gorgeously drawn and richly stylized, constructed with a mystical flair, Onimusha II is a fantastic sequel to one of the best games of last year. [Aug 2002, p.57]

PSX Nation

There’s not much here that will entice replayability once the game’s numerous secrets have been uncovered.

G4 TV

Anyone looking for a great hack-and-slash adventure will be more than satisfied with Onimusha 2. You still have to put up with funky camera angles, but the overall control is more than sufficient to get you though this 10-hour-plus trek.

Total Video Games

Part of me is screaming at the lack of analogue support and the frustrating nature of pre-rendered environments. However once you get past that and slaughter your first wave of demons you can’t help but get sucked into the game.

Yahoo! Games

The production values kick demon ass, it's easier to learn (and yet more difficult to master) than the previous game, and it's almost a constant joy to look at.

GameSpot

Has the same drawbacks as its predecessor, including some frustrating camera angles and a relative short main quest.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Dicing up the undead with your oversized Ginsu knife is a helluva lot of fun (if you can live with the occasionally annoying camera angles). [Oct 2002, p.188]

Gaming Age

A good sequel... But if you didn’t like the first one, you won’t find much new to like here.

Gamer's Pulse

Onimusha 2 avoids the mistake made by the previous title in placing difficult puzzles, often under a time limit, at awkward points in the game.

Adrenaline Vault

Anyone coming to Onimusha 2 cold will find brilliant beauty, but baffling execution.

eToychest

This time around there is more character interaction, more action, more techniques, and THANKFULLY the game is much longer.