10 Best Samurai & Ninja Video Games Of All Time

8. Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny

ninja gaiden
Capcom

Onimusha was one of the first samurai games for the so-called modern era, coming out in 2001 and it was very good. Capcom’s mix of fantasy and history created an interesting blend of gameplay, story, and visuals. The first game got a remaster in 2018 which is great - assuming you can get over the new soundtrack, caused by a controversy over original composer Samuragochi Mamoru actually taking credit for Niigaki Takashi's work.

The latest mainline entry in the series was Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, which is also a great game - but for my money, the 2nd game in the series is the best. With the most likable characters, mechanics as solid as ever, as well as fantastic sounds and visuals, and the branching storyline feature gives it replayability to see each different character’s paths and endings.

Similarly, while Onimusha 3: Demon Siege is also very good, and has arguably the best intro video in the series - the story just doesn’t have the same impact as Onimusha 2. And also the fact that they went through all the trouble to hire Jean Reno to play the second lead, Jacques Blanc, and then had someone else voice his English dialogue was just silly. Who hires Jean Reno to play a character and then dubs over him?

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Author of Escort (Eternal Press, 2015), co-founder of Nic3Ntertainment, and developer behind The Sickle Upon Sekigahara (2020). Currently freelancing as a game developer and history consultant. Also tends to travel the eastern U.S. doing courses on History, Writing, and Japanese Poetry. You can find his portfolio at www.richardcshaffer.com.