Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is an HD remaster of Capcom’s cult PS2 action-adventure. It keeps the same medieval-Japan demon-hunting premise, but brings the visuals and controls up to modern standards. Now it’s smoother and sharper in this remaster. We’ll look at how the game plays, looks, and sounds today, especially on Switch hardware. The verdict is that it’s still a lot of fun, especially for fans, but it shows its age in a few places. Get your samurai gear, and prepare to confront your destiny in our review of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: May 23, 2025
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Steam
*Special thanks to Capcom for providing a Nintendo Switch review Key*
Intro/Story:
Onimusha 2’s story is a classic samurai revenge drama with a supernatural twist. You play as Jubei Yagyu, whose village is destroyed by the evil warlord Nobunaga Oda and his demonic army. Guided by the mystical Oni Gauntlet, Jubei seeks vengeance and ultimately must thwart Nobunaga’s plans. Along the way, he meets a cast of quirky sidekicks, which do have a storytelling aspect depending on the player’s choices. We will get more into this on the gameplay section.. The writing is sincere if not Shakespearean, and the voice acting (all in English) has a very early 2000s feel.
The remastered dialogue scripts have been cleaned up for clarity, though the plot itself is largely unchanged. One of Onimusha 2’s most unique storytelling features is the branching relationships system. Depending on which characters you’ve built rapport with in the village hub, they will join Jubei in later missions, sometimes even leading to different story scenes. This means you get to briefly play as those side characters in alternate paths. Unfortunately, once the game shifts into its second half, the story becomes more linear and mostly switches back to controlling Jubei with little variation.
As for pacing, the first half (through the village hub) is engaging with its side quests and character bits, but the latter portion has no return to that hub and feels like straight progression through demonic dungeons. Still, the setting and characters are colorful, and the overarching revenge plot is straightforward and satisfying enough. If you’re joining the series for the first time, just know that Onimusha 2 assumes you’ve played the first game. It even spoils the prior ending in a recap. Returning fans will appreciate seeing familiar faces and high production values, but anyone expecting a dramatically modernized narrative may find it a bit cheesy.
Also, if you are reading this, go play Onimusha 1. It was remastered in the same way this game was.
Gameplay:
The gameplay holds up surprisingly well. You play as Jubei Yagyu, a lone samurai out to take down Nobunaga Oda and his army of demons. The combat is fast, satisfying, and simple to pick up. Hack away with your blade, mix in a bit of magic, and time your moves just right to unleash critical counters or soul-powered finishers. It’s not overly complex, but there’s enough variety with different weapons and abilities to keep things interesting.
The Switch controls feel natural and responsive. Movement with the analog stick is smooth, and being able to lock onto enemies or swap weapons quickly makes combat feel much more fluid than the original PS2 version. The game also includes classic-style (D-pad controls for purists), who want the full retro experience. The fixed camera angles can still be a little awkward at times, especially during fast-paced fights or when you’re navigating tight corners, but they don’t get in the way too much once you get used to them.
Outside of battle, the game mixes in light puzzles, exploration, and a neat little hub village where you can talk to NPCs, buy items, and build relationships with other characters. Giving gifts to certain people affects who shows up to help you later in the story, which is a nice touch that adds replay value. That said, the second half of the game drops the village stuff and goes pretty linear, which is a bit of a letdown after a strong opening.
I played Onimusha 2 on the Nintendo Switch 2, and I did get some of the added benefits of the power of the Switch 2. It was the way to play the game for me.
Visual and audio:
Visually, the remaster cleans up the PS2 original beautifully. On Switch, the backgrounds and character models are rendered in higher resolution. Cutscenes and artwork have been upscaled. In both docked and handheld mode, the game maintains a stable frame rate, so gameplay feels smooth and there are no slowdowns even when many enemies appear.
There’s a catch with widescreen mode: by default, the game fills a 16:9 screen, but it simply zooms in and crops the original view rather than moving the camera. This means portions of the scene are chopped off. In practice, that can make some areas feel a bit tight or obscured. The remaster provides an option to switch back to the original 4:3 ratio, which is worthwhile if you want to see everything, but that leaves black bars on the sides of your Switch screen.
On a TV, this isn’t a big deal (you get to see the full composition), but handheld players may find the letterboxing more noticeable, and some distant textures can look slightly muddy in the smaller screen. Overall, though, Onimusha 2 looks very good for a PS2-era game. It’s not a full graphical overhaul with dynamic lighting, but textures and models are sharper than they’ve ever been, and the vivid color palette and detailed art design still impress.
The audio in Onimusha 2 Remastered plays the soundtrack loud and proud. Composer Hirohiko Takayama crafted a mix of sweeping orchestral and traditional Japanese music, and the remaster presents it crisply. The sound effects also hold up: swords slice and metal clangs with satisfying weight, magic whooshes and impact sounds add punch to attacks, and ambient noises contribute to the atmosphere.
Voice acting returns as well, but it feels dated. It’s faithful to the original performance. The remaster slightly improves audio clarity and mixing, so dialogue lines come through clearly without distortion. All in all, the sound design does a great job of immersing you in feudal Japan. It’s one of the game’s strong points and benefits from the remaster’s cleaner mix.
Wrap-up/Conclusion
Onimusha 2 Remastered on Switch is, at its heart, the same samurai action-adventure it was 20+ years ago. As a result, it wears its age on its sleeve. The fixed camera angles can feel clunky by today’s standards, and parts of the story and level design are dated. Yet the core of the game, its combat, style, and characters, still shine. The swordplay is satisfying, the weapon variety is generous, and the game often strikes a great old-school vibe. The feudal Japan setting, rich character models, and atmospheric music hold up beautifully in HD.
For fans of the series or of classic action games, this remaster delivers nostalgia well. Newcomers should be aware that it plays like a classic PS2 title. It’s challenging, it moves at a measured pace, and it doesn’t coddle you with extra hints. If you can appreciate it as a period piece, you’ll find it very rewarding.
Until next time, Mgs2master2 out!
*Special thanks to Capcom for providing a Nintendo Switch review Key*
Score: 8/10 – Onimusha 2 Remastered doesn’t reinvent anything, but it’s been cleaned up in all the right ways. The swordplay feels good, the setting is rich with atmosphere, and the remaster’s tweaks make it more enjoyable to play today. It has some quirks, but if you’re into action games with old-school vibes, it’s an easy recommendation.