The original Onimusha was a surprise hit for Capcom and became the first million-selling game in the young history of the PlayStation2. While it merely followed the successful, if user-unfriendly, formula of Resident Evil, the game managed to carve its own niche thanks to much improved gameplay and a unique setting. The success of Onimusha meant that a sequel would be inevitable, and Capcom even went so far as to include a video preview of Onimusha 2 at the end of the game. Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny continues the demon-busting action of the first game, picking up the storyline ten years later. Samanosuke is nowhere to be found, and Oda Nobunaga is raising hell once again. You play the role of Jubei Yagyu, leader of the Yagyu clan and a descendent of the Oni clan. With better graphics, streamlined puzzles and deeper battle mechanics, Onimusha 2 is a solid sequel that feels just a little bit too familiar for its own good.

Samurai's Destiny employs the same control scheme as Warlords, and while it's not the most flexible system, it still gets the job done. Players must still press up on the d-pad to move forward, but controlling Jubei is infinitely more responsive and enjoyable than any member of S.T.A.R.S. The Onimusha games improve on the Resident Evil franchise that spawned them by actually having a battle system. *gasp* Holding R1 locks onto the nearest target and puts you into the offensive stance. From here you can attack with square or triangle, dash forward or backward, strafe in either direction, or press L1 to block and incoming attack. A proper combination of strafing and blocking is necessary to survive the games many battles, as you'll often be surrounded from all sides. Defeating enemies will turn them into floating souls which can be absorbed by pressing circle. As a member of the Oni clan, Jubei does not require any type of fancy-shmancy gauntlet to soul suck; he just absorbs them into a badass tattoo on his hand.

Different colors will replenish different attributes; for instance, yellow souls refill Jubei's health. Red souls are necessary to upgrade your weapons and armor, so fighting hordes (and hordes) of enemies is required to properly prepare Jubei for the games more difficult encounters. In addition to red, yellow and blue souls, Onimusha 2 introduces purple souls. Consuming five of these souls will transform Jubei into the Onimusha, a demon warrior with exceptional strength and stamina. While in demon form, Jubei is impervious to damage and can dish out extraordinary amounts of pain to enemies. This state is only temporary, and you'll revert back to human form after a few moments. You can store up to four purple souls and suck down that fifth one when you really need it, in a boss fight for instance. The game kindly prevents you from accidentally absorbing a purple soul accidentally, as they travel much slower than the other colors. A nice gameplay addition that comes in handy on occasion.

The five available melee weapons (samurai sword, spear, swallow, hammer and broad sword) enable you string attacks into combos, and each one possesses devastating magical attacks. New to Onimusha 2 are weapon-specific attacks that activated with button sequences, usually down-up-attack. You must find special scrolls to gain these powers for each weapon, some of which can only be obtained through trading. You can also hold R1 tightly to charge your weapon, the use of which also requires you to find certain items. Attacks inflicted with charged moves are much more damaging than the regular variety and can fell some of the larger demons in one strike. There is also an advanced one-hit-kill maneuver (called an Issen) that can be triggered just before an enemy strikes you, though supreme timing is required. There are a few ranged weapons available (bow and arrow, rifle), but these are limited in use as you can't block enemy attacks while they are equipped. And besides, why pick away at enemies from a distance with wimpy arrows when you can rush in and fuck some shit up samurai-style?

Jubei certainly has a daunting quest ahead of him, but he won't be required to brave the horrors alone. There are four supporting characters in Onimusha 2 who may lend their services to Jubei by either fighting alongside him or becoming a playable character. Only two of these characters can join you during the game, so you must try to influence them to win their favor. This is done with an elaborate item trading system that lets you obtain useful items and coax characters into helping you. Early on you'll have to buy different items to trade, and spending a little time in town trading items can really help you out later on in the game. While you can trade throughout the game, it is your choices early on that determine the course of the game. Unlike the original Onimusha, the sequel contains branching points that lead to different story arcs. You can't see all the different events in a single game, so multiple replays are encouraged. A plethora of combat-heavy mini-games are unlocked after completing the game, as well as artwork and behind-the-scenes footage. A nice set of extras for finishing the game, and I hope to see more of these extras in the future.

The core gameplay once again consists of battling hordes of undead enemies and solving arcane puzzles. The puzzle design has been streamlined a bit in Onimusha 2, as most are distilled down to picture- and number-based puzzle boxes that house items. There are fewer item-fetch quests, as most of the items required to proceed (keys, for instance) are usually not far away from where you use them. The Phantom Realms return in Onimusha 2, but this time there are four different demon stages varying in difficulty. The hardest one takes you through 20 levels of demon-slaying trials, rewarding you with a powerful broad sword that resembles the one Samanosuke used in the first game. While the play mechanics are slightly deeper than the first title, Onimusha 2 can still be completed in under 10 hours the first time through. And I must admit that I'm growing weary of these pseudo-3D games with fixed angles, and getting hit by off-screen enemies that are clearly in Jubei's line of sight is extremely frustrating. Much like the Resident Evil remake earlier this year, Onimusha 2 rehashes a generation-old game formula that seems increasingly archaic compared with similar games. It's time for a change, Capcom.

Visually, Onimusha 2 is a small step ahead of its predecessor in just about every category, but those expecting a huge leap forward will likely be disappointed. The backdrops are still pre-rendered and non-interactive, and the fixed camera angles of games past are still present. The backgrounds are more detailed than those of Onimusha, and many of them featuring looping animations like those seen in the Resident Evil remake. There are some slick weather, smoke and water effects here and there, and the looping ocean currents look fantastic. The character models have seen the biggest facelift, as Jubei Yagyu and company look much more detailed and realistic than Samanosuke's crew. Modeling and animation are noticeably cleaner, but the most dramatic improvement is in skin textures. In this area, Onimusha 2 even trumps Resident Evil, as its 3D characters posses detailed and weathered skin textures that lend them a much more tangible air of realism than the stark white porcelain dolls seen in REmake.

Textures are cleaner and crisper in Onimusha 2 as well, though they still tend to smear rather badly when the camera zooms in. The human characters and human-sized enemies look pretty sharp overall, but the larger demons suffer from some really weak texturing at times. The particle effects are quite a treat for the eyes, as Jubei's various magical attacks never fail to deliver some pretty-looking pain. A little aliasing gives the 3D models an overly sharp and pixely look that clashes with the smooth backgrounds, but it's not nearly as noticeable as it was in Onimusha. The game runs at a brisk 60 frames per second with barely a hitch and is a solid-looking game overall. The only problem is that it's just not a huge leap forward over what we've already seen, as it looks like it could have been made two years ago with little problem. Rumor has it that Onimusha 3 will ditch the pre-rendered backdrops in favor of full 3D, which would give the series the visual boost it so desperately needs.

Onimusha scored big points with critics and gamers alike for its inclusion of both Japanese and English language tracks. While the English track was predictably terrible, players could switch to a more competent (and more appropriate) Japanese version that gave the game an air of competence and legitimacy. Capcom has regrettably chosen to ignore the desires of its fans and has released Onimusha 2 without Japanese voiceover. And while the English acting isn't abysmal, it's still rather poor and destroys a lot of the atmosphere the game could have generated. Why Capcom couldn't include both language tracks is beyond me; they really screwed up this time. This is quite a shame too, as the poor acting masks what is an understated and moody score that perfectly captures the feeling of a Japanese samurai movie. Sound effects are similarly well-done, from the clanging of metal swords to subtle footsteps that change depending on the terrain. The game sounds crisp and clean most of the time, but the sub-standard acting really hurts this title.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is a solid sequel to a solid game, and should please fans who enjoyed the original title. The four playable characters and branching storyline should keep you coming back for more, and the extra mini-games are a nice bonus. It's a damn shame about the acting, as this would have been a much better title with a Japanese voice track. While the game is fun, it too often feels just like Onimusha, even retreading much of the same parts of Inabayama Castle in the process. The pre-rendered backdrops and fixed camera angles are really showing their age too, especially compared with the more flexible full-3D games that are available. Players looking for an action fix on PS2 would do well to check out Onimusha 2, despite its shortcomings. I expect massive improvements in the next installment, but Samurai's Destiny will suffice for now.