Onimusha Tactics

Did You Know?

• The player is presented with a 3/4 camera view of a detailed gridded battlefield.
• Statistics include strength, which dictates attack power, and speed, which decides turn order.
• The game allows equipping warriors with katanas, spears, and other weapons.

Characters

The game follows the samurai Onimaru, who is joined by a varied cast that includes familiar faces from the PlayStation 2 Onimusha titles. Among the returning characters are Saika Magoichi, Ankokuji Ekei, Fūma Kotarō, and Akechi Mitsuhide. Onimaru fights the genma, eventually facing the infamous Nobunaga. New to this entry are chosen warriors granted the powers of the phoenix, tortoise, tiger, and dragon. These four animals represent the Chinese celestial guardians of the cardinal directions, a concept previously featured as a puzzle in Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny.

Reception

Onimusha Tactics earned a mixed reception, as reflected by its score on Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu rated it 29 out of 40, while Game Informer published an average review before its U.S. release. GamePro's Rice Burner praised the item generation system, story, and characters, but had divided feelings about the gameplay. He noted that newcomers to strategy games would find it easy and fun, but its simple mechanics and shallow learning curve would bore experienced players. He also faulted the lack of character customization and the clash between cartoonish visuals and the dark narrative. Ultimately, he deemed it a solid choice for casual strategy fans.