ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS
The Onimusha: Warlords producer digs up the past
IT FELT LIKE A GOOD TIME TO BRING BACK ONE OF THE MASTERPIECES.
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Japan’s Sengoku period has provided the backdrop to some great games in recent years, including the Sony-published Nioh and the forthcoming Sekiro. But the supernatural hack-and-slash Onimusha: Warlords did it in style back in 2001, as we can rediscover in a brand-new remaster, out this month.
“The Sengoku period is popular in Japan too, not just in games but also manga, anime, and so on,” Takayuki Hama tells us. The producer on this remaster, his history with Capcom goes all the way back to the original games, and its sister series Resident Evil. We’re talking about the popularity of the Sengoku era – a bloody period in Japanese history when there was constant warring between smaller states. “There are a lot of works coming out set in that period, so perhaps the influence of those creations has spread globally and influenced other creators.”
There’s definitely an allure to the Sengoku era; tales of great battles, heroism, and betrayals have global appeal. It’s the perfect setting for the supernatural elements of Onimusha, where there is so much death. But there’s a beauty to the period too, which Onimusha captures, as perfectly demonstrated in the artwork above – a rare piece from Onimusha’s development that’s been shared with us for the first time outside of Japan.
WARRING STATES
Hama thinks that part of the series’ lasting appeal is how unabashedly Japanese it is. “I would say it makes it more appealing – those who are familiar with the Japanese style of design will find it a positive, while those who aren’t have got so much to discover!” he says. “Having something that piques your curiosity
is a great thing to have in a game.” There’s definitely a lot newcomers to the country’s history can learn.
“I think that there is a certain consistency to the historical setting which means that the only way to bring something new to it is to change your interpretation or perspective on it, but doing so can make it less universal and potentially make you subject to negativity. It’s a hard thing to incorporate into a game’s design,” Hama-san says when we ask about using historical settings, saying it can be important. “When you make a game based in a historical setting you have to do a lot of work to get the world right, and that tends to lead to an increase in the quality of the finished game.”
FUTURE PAST
“Speaking generally, I think that modern technology allows us to bring an 18-year-old game to players today in a way which lets them appreciate the quality of the original game and see that it shines through,” says Hama-san when we get talking about the importance of remasters and remakes. The issue is partially one of preserving a classic and continuing a legacy, but it also shows the core design principles behind some of these older games still pack a lot of bite.
“There were several reasons,” Hama-san tells us when we ask why now was the time to bring back the first Onimusha. “But one big one was that the popularity of games in this genre are on the rise, so it felt like a good time to bring back one of the masterpieces of the genre.” It’s true – Onimusha is a masterpiece, and of late Capcom has been making its portfolio stronger than ever. Monster Hunter: World and Resident Evil VII were some of the strongest titles in their respective series, and Devil May Cry V is bringing back Capcom’s hack-and-slash legacy in a big way. The first Onimusha came out in 2001 in Japan, and we haven’t had another mainline game since 2006. It’s time another katana stab was taken at it.
Finally we have to ask Hama-san if there might be more Onimusha on the horizon if the remaster does well. The remaster’s producer teases: “If there is a lot of demand from fans, the possibility isn’t zero!” The Onimusha: Warlords remaster is out now on the PlayStation Store.