Game Review: Onimusha 2

I played a short game today of Onimusha 2 (Capcom PS2, 2002). I was looking at how they use the camera. Seth Carus thought it would be good for me to play. I'm just getting into the game but I'm already irked by the controls and camera. They use a player relative control or "tank control" which is kind of annoying because most games are camera relative. Meaning if your samurai character is facing you, to make him go backwards you have to push down on the analog stick. It makes a huge difference. I find that I attack enemies with his back towards me so I don't mess up as much. The nice part is targeting is automatic so if you aren't facing an enemy, when you hit attack the character spins around to face the enemy.

The game also has a way of switching cameras once you've entered a zone. Sometimes the camera is on top looking down on your head. Other times it's on the side and you are walking through trees. It makes it hard to get your bearing on the map of the game. I have to hit start wait for it to load and then I get a sense of where I'm going and where I've been. The graphics are elegantly done. Some of the paths immerse you in the scenary as you walk up through trees. There is a cool mechanic where you collect the spirits of the demons you've defeated by holding down the circle button. You have to buy yourself time to collect because you are vunerable to attack. You can collect with a one button push that absorbs any of the nearby stuff. Read other reviews.