Capcom prime Onimusha Warlords
Due for release in the USA on the 14th of March - but just what is all the hype about?
Dreamcast veterans and recent PlayStation 2 backers Capcom will launch Onimusha Warlords in the United States on March 14th, according to a press release issued this evening. Onimusha was recently honoured with the distinction of being named "Best of show" at the SIGGRAPH 2000 Computer Animation Festival, and portrays an epic saga set in 16th century feudal Japan. The game has shipped an astonishing 900,000 units in Japan since its release just under a month ago, and what with the TV advertising push the North American arm of Capcom has planned, the release should go with a bang. Onimusha Warlords takes place in a world of darkness and magic, and focuses on a brave Samurai, Samanosuke, who boldy volunteers to rescue the princess Yuki (stop laughing at the back). As usual, an entire legion of demons and evil forces face him on his quest, in a country plagued by the constant bickering of power-hungry warlords. Scenes from the game include a five minute opener that has already won awards thanks to its depiction of six motion-captured Samurai fighting simultaneously. The plot was penned by Resident Evil writers Flagship, and the original musical score was recorded by a 200-piece orchestra. Even the game's characters themselves have a touch of motion picture quality to them - Samanosuke himself is none other than famous Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, whose filmography can be seen here. It's thought that after a slow start, the PlayStation 2 may finally have a killer-app worthy of its success in Japan, where it has been available for nearly a year. The West will no doubt welcome the game also, and many suspect it will reach Shenmue levels of popularity, thanks to its jaw-dropping character models (each made up of no less than 10,000 polygons) and involving storyline.