Category Archives: PlayStation 2

Up Your Arsenal is Insomniac’s third Ratchet & Clank game on the PS2 and if there ever was proof that “the third time’s a charm,” then this is it. What started out as a series of straight platformers in an effort for Sony to get themselves a Mario – has turned into one of the most enjoyable action games ever to be released on the mighty PS2. While staying true to the series’ roots, Insomniac upped the action ante but didn’t let the other elements of the game slip. (more…)

Onimusha has been one of my favorite long running series for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) since its launch. At first playing like an ancient Japanese version of Resident Evil, I quickly fell in love with the setting and characters. As the 3^rd entry hit the market, seemingly wrapping up the series as a whole, many fans felt a little disappointed that we received such a mediocre ending to such a promising series. Capcom must have felt the same when creating Dawn of Dreams, the 4^th iteration in the series. Sometimes, change is a very good thing.

Combat is the first system that gets the hammer of improvement smashed down upon it. The notoriously slow, unresponsive melee has been replaced by a quicker and more action oriented style of fighting. It comes out feeling like a fusion of stylish action combat with hack and slash – peppered lightly with just a dash of arcade style mayhem. Don’t let the ease of it throw you either; skill is still a must to efficiently handle tougher enemies. The timing based counter is still around and just as useful as it was every other time around. Throw in a ton of weapons to upgrade and unique abilities to learn for a near perfect mix of action, customization and strategy.

The graphics get their fair share of upgrades too. The characters and levels show masterful understanding of the PlayStation 2 that could only come from years of programming for it. The vibrant colors and detailed character models rival some early next gen titles. Excellent music also echoes throughout each stage; creating an engrossing and beautiful atmosphere that will pull you in.

Taking a rather drastic change from the earlier games, Dawn of Dreams uses cinematic style cut scenes to tell a much more involved storyline. Picking up a few years after the 3^rd adventure, we are treated to an opening level that could easily be mistaken for the opening to a Japanese action movie. As you trek across Japan as the Black Oni, you will also quickly find that you are not alone recruiting a team of fleshed out and detailed heroes that are completely at your disposal. A few even have connections to past characters, a little something for the long-term Onimusha fan. While I am sure five characters to play as may seem good enough, there is one more feature that really enhances nearly everything.

Co-Op mode, allowing a friend to jump in as the companion character currently with you, is nothing short of a brilliant addition. In one swift move, battles go from good to great. Large scale battles become a flurry of abilities as you work together to wipe out the enemy hordes. Boss battles retain their difficulty, and it even follows the storyline as any character controlled by the 2^nd player will be forced to control them during select fights that 1^st player isn’t participating in. This should serve as a lesson on how to do offline co-op right, without sacrificing storyline or difficulty.

You will welcome the company, as this isn’t a short journey through the post warring-states era. The game’s numerous levels each sport a little over an hour of game time. This isn’t including later revisits to open previously closed areas, or the 100 level bonus dungeons you can access midway through the game. Each level also typically has a few puzzles thrown in for good measure as if the horde of monsters wasn’t enough for you to handle.

Dawn of Dreams is to Onimusha, as Resident Evil 4 was to Resident Evil. This rebirth has revitalized an otherwise stagnant game series that few ever expected to see again outside of a collection. While a few die-hard fans will insist this has done nothing but ruin what they originally fell in love with, the majority of us will find exactly what we wanted and more. Capcom has shown us that, sometimes, change is the best medicine one could ever ask for.