DREAM OF BEING A SAMURAI?Byline: Redmond Carolipio Staff Writer It's one thing to play a samurai samurai (sä'm  rī`), knights of feudal Japan, retainers of the daimyo. This aristocratic warrior class arose during the 12th-century wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans and was . It's another to play a samurai with an entourage.That's the approach Capcom takes with "Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams," the newest installment in the magical demon-bashing series. Instead of putting ancient Japan's fate on the shoulders of one or two heroes, players must rely on the skills of an ensemble cast An ensemble cast is a cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows for flexibility for writers to focus on different . The result is an entertaining piece of fantasy that gives an acclaimed franchise an even sharper edge. The story takes place 15 years after the last adventure, in which the villainous Nobunaga (a real-life Japanese warlord warlord, in modern Chinese history, autonomous regional military commander. In the political chaos following the death (1916) of republican China's first president and commander in chief, Yüan Shih-kai, central authority fell to the provincial military governors ) was killed in a temple raid. His successor, Hideyoshi, fostered an era of peace before suddenly turning evil and allying himself with the demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. that infested in·fest tr.v. in·fest·ed, in·fest·ing, in·fests 1. To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious: Japan years ago. Enter Soki, the game's lead character. He's a young swordsman with extreme powers tasked with stopping the new enemy. On his travels, he meets four other interesting people and assembles a feudal Fab Five to fight evil. Not only does the array of personalities and back stories give the game a "Seven Samurai Seven Samurai (七人の侍 Shichinin no samurai " feel, but it also opens up the gameplay. Instead of simply guiding one character through an assigned mission, the game puts two characters on the screen at the same time. You can switch heroes on the fly and make use of their different abilities. One can speak to the dead, another can move heavy objects and yet another has a rifle and a grappling hook. The concept shines when the game requires both characters to work together. Sometimes this happens with puzzle rooms, where both characters have to be laced in the right spots at the right time. What ties this game together are the characters, which add some anime flair to what is essentially a digital fairy tale fairy tale Simple narrative typically of folk origin dealing with supernatural beings. Fairy tales may be written or told for the amusement of children or may have a more sophisticated narrative containing supernatural or obviously improbable events, scenes, and personages (for the full effect, change the audio settings to Japanese). ONIMUSHA: DAWN OF DREAMS - Three stars Platform: PS2 Rating: M for Mature. In a nutshell: Packed with feudal fun. |
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