TGS 2003Onimusha 3 Impressions - Samanosuke

We tried out a playable demo of Onimusha 3 in Capcom's booth that let you take control of returning hero Samanosuke. The timed demo opened with the hero waking up in a Parisian alley after an unpleasant encounter with a portal. Fans of the original games in the Onimusha series should be right at home with the third entry. The core of Samanosuke's moves remain the same and have been refined a bit thanks to the inclusion of a charged attack that can be worked into combos a bit more efficiently. The ability to quickly change your targets while attacking feels very good and helps give combat a tighter feel overall. And like in the previous games, you'll also be able to temporarily shift into a significantly more powerful form for that extra edge when battling demon hordes.

The demo opened in the wake of the attack on Paris by demon hordes and allowed us to roam through the streets of the city, helping in the fight to repel them. Unfortunately, you encounter a female police office who is more than a little confused about what you are and, as a result, is less than friendly. She changes her tune a bit when a small squad of officers is overwhelmed by demon forces, which sends you into action. The timed demo ended with an extremely challenging rooftop battle against an enormous robot.

The graphics in the demo look very nice, the areas we went through offered some distinctly different areas with a good amount of variety. The first part of the demo was set in the Paris streets near the alley where the portal left Samanosuke. The next area was set in a series underground tunnels that led to an impressive recreation of the Arc de Triumph that included the eternal flame as well as impressive texture work for the carvings in the arc. The main characters looked extremely impressive; for example, Samanosuke sported a more-contemporary look thanks to some 70's-inspired feathered hair that moved as he walked, ran, and fought. His character model was especially impressive thanks to the subtle work on his face, which gave him a more-mature appearance. The enemies in the demo featured a comparable level of visual polish thanks to details such as breakable armor and intricate texture work on their clothing and skin. Onimusha 3 is scheduled to ship next year for the PS2 in Japan and the US.