| Onimusha 3: Demon Siege | |
|---|---|
North American box art |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) |
Capcom
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| Director(s) | Minoru Nakai |
| Producer(s) | Keiji Inafune |
| Writer(s) | Noboru Sugimura Shin Yoshida Hiroaki Kanazawa Minoru Nakai |
| Composer(s) | Akari Kaida Hideki Okugawa Kota Suzuki |
| Series | Onimusha |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 2
Microsoft Windows
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Optical disc, download |
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, released in Japan and Europe as Onimusha 3 (鬼武者3 Onimusha Surī), is an action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third game of the Onimusha series and was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 27, 2004. It was later ported to Windows on December 8, 2005.
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The game opens with Samanosuke Akechi destroying the monstrous Genma army in Japan 1582. It then jumps to modern-day Paris 2004, featuring a man named Jacques Blanc riding on his motorcycle to help his friend Philippe. The Genma army then begins its invasion of Paris near the Arc de Triomphe.
The game returns to Samanosuke in feudal Japan fighting his way to Honnō-ji Temple, which is on fire from a raging battle. Samanosuke battles and kills Ranmaru Mori and approaches Nobunaga Oda. However, before they can fight, a portal opens in the floor and Samanosuke is pulled through it.
Meanwhile, the French military is fighting several monsters from 1582, but the soldiers cannot hold them for long. Jacques arrives on the scene finding his friend Philippe injured from the battle. Suddenly, Samanosuke appears from a portal in a Paris alley right where Jacques is fighting the Genma monsters. Jacques Blanc runs out of ammo just as he and Philippe are ambushed, but Samanosuke manages to rescue them. Samanosuke and Jacques meet but are unable to properly communicate.
The time portal reappears and pulls Jacques and Philippe through to feudal Japan. Samanosuke makes his way towards the center of the hysteria, the Arc de Triomphe. Samanosuke first meets Michelle, Jacques' girlfriend, near the Arc and makes his way towards the roof. There he encounters Guildenstern and finds out he is actually in Paris, 500 years in the future. Samanosuke then fights and destroys Brainstern, Guildenstern's robotic creation.
Jacques Blanc and Philippe arrive in 16th century Japan. Unfortunately, Philippe dies of mortal wounds from the previous battle after the time warp. Jacques encounters a different Samanosuke in an alternate timeline on his way to Honnō-ji Temple. Both men realize that to return to their own time period, they must save the respective timelines they are in from destruction. The Samanosuke in 2004 Paris teams up with Michelle and Jacques' son to save the city from destruction while Jacques and another Samanosuke (not player controlled) struggle to fight Nobunaga in feudal Japan. The two men work together across time to solve puzzles and access new areas.[1]
Unlike the previous games, Onimusha 3 is played a real-time environment instead of pre-rendered backgrounds, although the camera is still controlled by the computer.
Gameplay alternates between Samanosuke fighting in modern day Paris and Jacques fighting in Feudal Japan. Samanosuke fights using close range weapons whilst Jacques uses an energy whip which can also be used at certain points to swing across gaps. Like the previous games, Samanosuke and Jacques can gain elemental weapons, changing their fighting style and allowing access to magic attacks. If the player collects certain items during the game and completes it, Samanosuke will be able to use his weapons from the first game in the next playthrough. Players will also get to control Michelle, who relies on guns.
Like previous games, attacking and defeating enemies reaps souls, which when absorbed can restore health and magic, be used as currency for purchasing ammo and health items, and allow Samanosuke or Jacques to enter a more powerful Onimusha state for a short time.
New to this game is a focus on time travel when solving puzzles. For example, if Samanosuke comes across a door in the present that has become too withered to open, Jacques will need to open the door in the past so that it will stay open for Samanosuke to progress. Such as the flow of time is, things Samanosuke does in the present will not affect things in the past. However, Ako is able to transfer some items between both timelines.
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege debuted at number one on the Japanese sales charts according to Famitsu. The game managed to sell 431,000 units in its first week.[2] The game went on to sell 569,275 units in Japan by the end of the year, making it the eleventh best-selling game in the region for 2004.[3] Sales info from NPD Group and Chart Track show that Onimusha 3: Demon Siege was the 10th best-selling game in both the United States and the United Kingdom during the week of its release.[4][5]
A pachislo version of a minigame in Onimusha 3 was released in pachinko parlors in Japan. That incarnation was made to a PlayStation 2 version as Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Onimusha 3 in July 14, 2005.[6]
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