Onimusha Blade Warriors
- December 19, 2003 00:00 AM PST
Capcom�s Onimusha series spins off into arena combat with Blade Warriors.
Colorful characters from the Onimusha universe (specifically Warlords and Samurai�s Destiny) fill the roster of Capcom�s latest fighting game, Blade Warriors. Up to four wannabe warriors can battle it out head-to-head with friends and foes from a 20-character roster that includes Jubei, Samanosuke, Kaede, Marseras, and Ju Ju Doma. Fights take place in giant arenas, but there isn�t full 3D movement as there was in, say, Power Stone. Here, players jump between levels that put you on rails with opponents�much like in a 2D fighting game (think Super Smash Bros. Melee). During combat, players can absorb released energies from others or find valuable items�clubs, baseball bats, bombs, health, and more�in treasure chests scattered around the screen. The multitiered fighting stages also encourage players to fight for themselves and not gang up on any opponents. In playable multiplayer games, Warriors' learning curve is overshadowed by intense weapon-based fighting, but the game�s inconsistent A.I. proves this is best played with four humans. The one-player story mode is more successful as you take a lone warrior through several stages and collect points that can later be used to customize your character
