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The destiny of the Samurai in question was first followed under the direction of Motohide Eshiro in 2002. In the original Onimusha 2: Samurai\u2019s Destiny<\/em>, a fan favorite of the early aughts, a young Japanese warrior named Jubei returns to his ancestral village, only to find it has been laid waste by the followers of the warlord-turned-demon Nobunaga. Vowing revenge, Jubei begins his quest for justice and retribution, as the evil of Nobunaga and his followers continues to spread across feudal Japan.<\/p>\n The 2002 version was a lesson in authenticity. The TV and video game writer Noboru Sugimura (whose credits include Resident Evil 2<\/em>\u2014his entr\u00e9e into the world of games\u2014Dino Crisis 2<\/em>, and Resident Evil: Code Veronica<\/em>) was a co-writer, and Jubei was modeled after famed Japanese TV and movie actor Yusaku Matsuda. Motohide\u2019s Samurai credentials were established as a director on the original edition of Onimusha 2. So, when Motohide announced he was returning to Onimusha 2<\/em>, again as director, fans could assume that this incarnation would be made with all the care poured into the 2002 version. It was our pleasure at Intel Gaming Access to turn back time and at the same time look to the future (a May 23rd<\/sup> release date for the remaster, to be specific), and welcome Motohide Eshiro to talk about inspiration, upscaling, and his attention to detail in the remastering process.<\/p>\n Onimusha: Warlords<\/em> received the remaster treatment in 2018, so this isn\u2019t a new experience for Motohide, but an expansion. “Onimusha 2<\/em> builds on the world of Onimusha: Warlords<\/em>,” he tells us, “and greatly improves upon its swordplay. One of the main things to look forward to is the addition of four allies that you can give items to increase your affinity, resulting in branching story paths and extra playable characters. There’s a variety of experiences to be found here.”<\/p>\n The allies make for a diverse story path; they have their own aims, these are no mere servants, as you would expect from such a complex world that hosts warlords, traitors, noble swordsmen, and demons. Sometimes the allies fight each other for dominance, but they carry an affinity value which means an alliance with Jubei can gain in strength, though a weak bond, or value, can mean betrayal is on the cards. Jubei\u2019s chosen ally can make a world of difference to how the journey pans out, as does the new “Hell” mode. For those who have completed the previous version of Onimusha 2<\/em>, even on hard or critical, this will test you. Hell mode means you die from a single hit, and recovery items are rendered useless. It\u2019s a battle for survival that adds a desperate intensity. “In terms of inspirations,” Motohide says, “we basically took a look at the previous [remastered] game, Onimusha: Warlords<\/em>, and improved the action and added a lot more content. The Onimusha <\/em>series differentiates itself in the action genre by having a unique setting that mixes actual historical figures with fictional elements like demons.”<\/p>\n You can engage the demons in combat using a variety of weapons, and even absorb vanquished souls from them (this is an incredibly cool bit). Souls come in four types and colors, and aid with recovery, weapons, or magic powers. Five purple souls turn you into an invincible Onimusha, which is a power you can activate by choice, unlike in the original where the transformation was automatic. The Critical Attack feature survives, and thrives\u2014you can chain Critical Attacks for a relentless onslaught. That\u2019s not all that makes a difference to the reimagined mayhem: keep an eye on those NPCs, too. “Every time you visit the town of Imasho,” Motohide reveals, “the NPCs walking around will change. If you talk to them a couple of times, they might give you items, so I strongly recommend talking to everyone you meet, both in town and in the mines.”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/game.intel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/onimusha2-newsletter-02-1920x1080-1.jpg\")
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