Onimusha 2 Samurai’s Destiny Review, Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Top Features

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny from developer Capcom Production Studio 2 is a quiet centerpiece for a notable comeback in the video game space. 

Originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2002, Samurai’s Destiny is a remaster effort that brings a beloved experience forward multiple console generations with some necessary improvements. 

The storied franchise has been ramping up for a comeback in a big way. Before this, an Onimusha: Warlords effort released in 2018 and the capper is a brand-new entry in the franchise set for a 2026 release called Way of the Sword. 

Samurai’s Destiny, then, must bridge the gap well and straddle the tough task asked of remasters and remakes, making important upgrades while retaining the spirit of the original. 

Graphics and Gameplay

Visually, Samurai’s Destiny remains a product of its time. Meaning, there’s obvious graphical upgrades atop the original coat of paint, but it still very much retains an old-school feel. It’s a similar vibe for the sound design, which is charmingly retro in terms of sound effects and the soundtrack itself. 

Old-school or not, it’s fun to see the game run at a smooth 60 frames-per-second. That bumps the entire experience up to modern times and helps it feel fluid. It’s not going to look and feel like an Elden Ring, obviously, but it’s certainly perfectly acceptable and engaging. 

There are always setbacks to a faithful remaster, though. One of those here is the fixed camera angles that can make navigating areas tricky. It’s understandable that every area wasn’t redone from a new perspective, but a good reminder as to why fixed camera angles have faded over time.

Combat again hinges around the Issen counters, which ask players to properly time a button press when an enemy lunges

This will give some gamers a surprise, too. Even in Soulslike games, attack and parry are usually different buttons. Here, they’re the same—players are either getting the timing right and being rewarded or whiffing and dealing with the consequences. There’s no fallback plan. 

It’s a fun system, too, that really opens up the feeling of meaningful skill improvement with practice. And now that hardcore experiences like Dark Souls are so common and beloved, one has to wonder why this sort of gameplay loop hasn’t become more prominent again—maybe the 2026 release will be the launching pad for it.

Otherwise, old-school gamers will feel right at home in those Resident Evil-styled fixed-camera environments while feasting on the orb-dropping combat similar to a Devil May Cry. 

Sometimes remasters are just about the little things, too. Being able to switch weapons with the press of a button doesn’t sound like much, but its inclusion here is notable—back in the day, players had to enter the menus every time they wanted to switch. 

The tanky old-school controls give off some fun charm in that same aged Resident Evil-feel. But in 2025, it’s nice to have options. This remaster provides, offering a new analogue control option, too. 

As a whole, Samurai’s Destiny is trapped in a PS2 era casing, but still feels great to play. The backbone of the gameplay was great decades ago and remains so now, with some bonus visual upgrades to boot. 

Story and More

For those who haven’t experienced the original, players hop into the role of Jubei Yagyu in medieval Japan, who sets off on a revenge-seeking quest as demon armies plague the land. 

It’s as expected in this area. Player’s character sees village gets destroyed and must track down five objects that will help defeat the big bad. Along the way, players will undergo the expected tracks of progression in terms of upgrading characters and tackling side quests. 

Even so, that’s not a criticism. It’s a product of its time and still holds up well, largely because the supporting action is good—but mostly because some choices matter and other characters in the story are so memorable. 

At the original time of release, Samurai’s Destiny including side characters who would choose whether to help the player or not based on their actions was a huge ordeal. That’s a staple of plenty of games now, but is still an exclamation point here that adds player agency and replayability. 

Much of what makes this remaster effort so appealing is that game-wide push of player agency and modernization. 

This effort also just lets players punch the nostalgia button right away. All the unlockable minigames are available from the first time the game launches, meaning access to the puzzles and other memorable side activities. 

There are other smooth little modernizations that are must-haves, such as an auto-save feature. Likewise, there are difficulty tweaks too, including a new “Hell Mode” that, for better or worse, sees a player’s game end with one-hit knockouts. 

Extras include an extensive gallery that fans of the original will get lost in, which otherwise helps new players get more acclimated before that upcoming release in the series. 

As expected, Samurai’s Destiny runs well, too, bringing forward a PS2 hit with smooth play sessions. 

Conclusion

Samurai’s Destiny was rather unique at the time of release and is arguably more unique now in 2025. 

After all, this isn’t a standard remaster that a company releases and forgets. This one, in particular, aims to honor the past and veteran players while also hopefully garnering interest in the series once more before a big, new release. 

The effort is a success, too. It’s easy to see both how this game was so successful at the time and how it inspired so many releases after it since 2002. 

A fun romp in 2025 for players seeking more skill-oriented adventures, Samurai’s Destiny nails down the ideal bridge revival and properly sets up an anticipated new, modern entry in a storied series.