Onimusha's storyline is unfortunately clichéd, as the main character (Samanosuke) sets out to save a Princess who has been kidnapped by demons. When he starts off on his quest he finds that he is too overmatched by the strength of the demons, until a strange group of ogres (who don't really look like ogres, but are more like ghostly apparitions) bestow on him the power to steal the souls of those he kills. Anyone who thinks that storyline element sounds like Soul Reaver would be correct, as the player must suck up the souls of the demons in order to increase his own power and abilities (as well as to heal his wounds). There are no great plot twists (well nothing you wouldn't have seen many times before) and when you've beaten the game you may have the feeling that Capcom left many questions unanswered, which leaves the story a bit lacking overall.

The graphics for the most part of some of the best ever seen in this style of adventure game. The characters are sharp, detailed & realistic and while their movements sometimes resemble a C-3PO droid, overall the animation is extremely smooth. True to the survival horror genre, Onimusha has not been designed with children in mind - copious amounts of blood splattering across the ground as you hack liberally into your opposition. The cut-scenes are also something to marvel at, and while it's a little disappointing that most of the movie scenes do not use the same CG as used in the intro (most cut scenes use the in-game engine) they are still perfectly acceptable. Not wanting to leave it at that, Capcom have had their special effects team working overtime on some nice touches, including the aforementioned blood, spell effects and some superb water effects - better even than the amazing Parasite Eve 2, which was truly impressive in it's own right.