Capcom today revealed it is working on an updated version of Onimusha: Warlords. The game will arrive in North America on January 15, 2019, and will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Onimusha: Warlords was a PlayStation 2 game developed by Capcom and released in 2001. It took place in a magical world loosely based on historical events. I say "loosely" because in addition to samurais, it features magic and demon warriors.
Following the success of Onimusha: Warlords, which sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, Capcom produced a few sequels and offshoots and then seems largely to have forgotten the franchise even exists. The most recent installment was Onimusha Soul in 2014, a digital PS3 title that remained exclusive to Japan. Before that, the most recent Onimusha was a PlayStation 2 game.
In the original Onimusha: Warlords, players follow Samanosuke Akechi and Kaede, two characters questing to save Princess Yuki from monstrous creatures that took over her home, Inabayama Castle. Those invading demons serve the nefarious Nobunaga Oda, so you know they're bad news. Players must persevere in sword-based combat and solve puzzles to show the interlopers how unwelcome they truly are.
On the new hardware, Onimusha: Warlords will feature the expected (but very welcome) high-definition graphics, a widescreen display option, analog stick support, a new soundtrack and even an Easy mode.
Onimusha: Warlords will be released digitally on all of the systems noted above, in North America and Europe. Its MSRP is $19.99 USD. Physical editions will be offered on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in North America, but not for Nintendo Switch because several employees at Capcom USA still break out in hives at even the whisper of easy money.
