Onimusha: Warlords Remaster Announced for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One

In what comes as a surprise, Capcom has announced a high-definition remastered version of PS2 classic Onimusha: Warlords, the 17-year-old game that was the first entry in the action-adventure series out of Japan. It will release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One on January 15, 2019 at $20 (about Rs. 1,400).

Beyond the aforementioned HD graphics, the Onimusha: Warlords remaster will have widescreen support and new display options – players can switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios at any time, though some menus will be fixed to one of the two – as well as a ‘screen scroll’ feature for widescreen setups to show “areas that can't be fully displayed from certain positions”.

The remastered version also has a new soundtrack and more Japanese dialogue in addition to support for analogue sticks and the option to begin your game in ‘Easy Mode’ – it was only unlocked later in the original release – making Onimusha: Warlords more accessible. Capcom released a new trailer to mark the announcement and showcase the high-def upgrade.

Onimusha: Warlords will also have a physical release in North America for PS4 and Xbox One owners. In the rest of the world, the remaster will be digital-only across all platforms, available via Steam for PC and first-party stores for PS4, Switch, and Xbox. Though physical pre-orders were said to go live, that has yet to happen at the time of writing.

Set in feudal Japan, Onimusha: Warlords tells the story of a samurai known as Samanosuke Akechi and a ninja named Kaede, who are on a quest to save Princess Yuki from demons that have taken over Inabayama Castle. Using a special Oni Gauntlet, Samanosuke can absorb the demon souls and use it to improve weapons and health. Players can control Kaede during certain sections of the game.

The first PS2 title to hit a million sales, Onimusha: Warlords eventually sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Its success led to three mainline sequels in 2002’s Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, 2004’s Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, and 2006’s Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams; and three spin-off titles in 2003’s Nintendo-only Onimusha Tactics and 2D fighting game Onimusha Blade Warriors, and 2012’s browser-based Onimusha Soul.

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