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aka: Onimusha 3

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A battle across time is about to begin

Onimusha 3 (known outside Japan as "Demon Siege") is the third entry of the Onimusha series, debuting in April 2004.

Japan, 1582: Samanosuke Akechi, after long years of hiding in the wilderness, has finally returned, having mastered the true powers of Onimusha and showing this by infiltrating a Genma convoy and wiping it out, killing the Genma general Gargant. He then joins his uncle's side at Honnoji to strike down the evil Nobunaga and end his ambitions once and for all. However, his duel with the powerful Genma lord is interrupted by a mysterious black vortex...

Paris, 2004, a normal morning is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a giant horde of monstrous creatures, which proceed to slaughter everyone in sight. Police officer Jacques Blanc jumps in the fray to fight the monsters, when all of sudden, a red-armored samurai appears and slays the demons, and Jacques falls in another warping black hole, which sends him back to medieval Japan. It turns out Guildenstern, the Genma scientist, made use of a dangerous Oni machine, the Time Folder, to open portals in time so that the Genma could simultaneously invade the past and the future in one go, and the black vortexes sent both heroes in different ages. In 2004, Samanosuke, deprived of his powers, must regain his strength and stop the modern day invasion, finding a way back, while Jacques in the past is entrusted with another Oni Gauntlet and has to help Past!Samanosuke against Nobunaga. Will the two heroes be able to thwart the Genma's ambitions and return to their respective ages?

Onimusha 3 was considered a vast improvement over the previous games: this time, it features fully 3D scenarios which faithfully recreate famous historical backgrounds (mostly in the present sections), a whole new sets of powers, abilities and puzzles, now with better controls which make the game more action-oriented. There's also the fact that is the first game to introduce a "Western" Onimusha, being a Ink-Suit Actor of Jean Reno note .

It was eventually followed by the latest (and so far last) game, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams.


This game contains examples of:

  • Absurdly Spacious Sewer: The Parisian sewers, now complete with Genma monsters lurking around every room and corner. It's kinda reminiscent of the sewer levels of Resident Evil 2.
  • Almost Dead Guy: Heihachi, felled by Ranmaru in a sneak attack, lives long enough to tell Jacques and Samanosuke where to find Nobunaga.
  • Anachronism Stew: A plot point in Jacques' part: the presence of several modern items such as a watch and a motorbike reveals that the Genma are working with the Oni Time Folder in the Dragon Shrine, ending up with items and objects from different timelines.
  • Animated Armor: Fobora enemies resemble empty suits of cuirass with a sword, animated by a human-shaped wisp. They can attack by lobbing fireballs.
  • Arrows on Fire: Samanosuke can obtain and use Fire Arrows, but also Ice Arrows, Thunder Arrows and Soul Arrows.
  • Asteroids Monster: Worm-like Zolm have a chance of spawing several Zolworms upon being defeated.
  • Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: The terrifying Hyumbeid, a colossal flying Genma which eats thousands of humans when awake and can carry the entire Azuchi Castle on his back.
  • Ax-Crazy: Ranmaru becomes much more of a psycho when turned into a Genma early on. Also, the log of the Genma Ship captain reveals that he adores the ship, because the sound of creaking wood reminds him of creaking bones, about to break.
  • Back from the Dead: Marcellus reappears in Japan as "Ultimate Marcellus" to fight Jacques twice. The same goes for Brainstern in Paris and Ranmaru, who, however, Came Back Strong.
  • Badass in Distress: At the end of the Oni Temple, Samanosuke's trapped by Ranmaru, which forces Michelle to rescue him in Bologne Zoo.
  • Bag of Spilling: Crossing the time warp depowers Samanosuke, forcing him to start back from scratch.
  • Blade Below the Shoulder: Aside from the traditional Three-Eyes, Ranmaru gets them as a Genma.
  • Blob Monster: Zolms are large, slug-like monsters with a face composed of tentacles. May spawn smaller slugs upon defeat.
  • Bloodier and Gorier: Like the previous game, you have the option of turning off the blood or turn it green, but this time there's also the "gore" option: enemies killed by Issen or Magic will be graphically bifurcated.
  • Body Armor as Hit Points: Seen with the Fugaku enemies and Gertrude, though how much armor she sheds depends on how much you attacked the specific spot.
  • Book Ends: The game start and ends with Samanosuke at Honnoji.
  • Bullfight Boss: Gertrude glows before charging for massive damage: Jacques can use the Oni Whip to jump over and dodge, while Samanosuke... well, is not so lucky...
  • Call-Back: A series of portraits in the main building of Bologne Zoo depict several Genma from previous games, including Marcellus and Fortinbras.
  • Came Back Wrong: Ranmaru, after Guildenstern gets his hands on him.
  • Character Development: Henri, Jacques' son, is initially bratty and deeply dislikes Michelle and misses his mother. He gradually gets over it, and fully recovers once Ako uses her Tengu magic to let him have a talk with his deceased mother.
  • Chekhov's Skill: In the opening FMV, Samanosuke fights back two Genma dual-wielding his katana and a piece of spear. His first weapon is a pair of swords.
  • Cool Train: The Genma built one which is able to connect the Dragon Shrine (location unknown, but probably near Japan) to Mont Saint Michelle, France. Jacques has to board it to proceed.
  • Creepy Doll: A form of Chest Monster, with either the axe-wielding Gajimaro or the knife-heeled Babian. If you don't kill them fast enough, they'll run away with the content of the box.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: The French Army vs the Genma invaders, though they did held their own as far as possible.
  • Cutscene Boss: Gargant, so to speak, is fought and killed in the opening.
  • Degraded Boss: Marcellus returns as a Miniboss twice.
  • Demon King Nobunaga: This is the final time he appears as the final villain of the piece.
  • Disc-One Final Boss: Guildenstern for Samanosuke, Gertrude for Jacques. Both are fought halfway through the story, before the middle act of the game.
  • Disney Death: Henri is killed by Ranmaru as an act of spiteful revenge, but the Oni Gauntlet revives him before going back to wherever it was.
  • Doppelmerger: Samanosuke goes back in time and finds the corpse of his alternate-timeline self who was killed by Nobunaga. When Samanosuke touches the other Samanosuke's Oni Gauntlet, the two are merged together and the combined power from the paradox enables Nobunaga's defeat.
  • The Dreaded: According to a document, Samanosuke has become this for the entire Genma army.
  • Double Tap: Jacques can finish off downed opponent by shooting them with his sidearm. But where does he get those bullets in feudal Japan...?
  • Dull Surprise: A French soldier's reaction to Samanosuke. Then again, after facing down hordes of monsters for a whole day, a samurai is nothing special.
  • Dynamic Entry: Jacques, jumping a police truck with his motorbike and joining his colleagues in the battle against the Genma.
  • Elemental Weapon: Samanosuke starts with the weapons from Onimusha: Warlords, but loses them in exchange for a new set of weapons and magic.
  • Escort Mission: Averted, thankfully: any time there's someone with you, they'll be able to handle their own in combat (in case of Henri, move out of the way).
  • Evil Phone: Not the phone per se, but probably hearing Guildenstern on it doesn't make a good impression on anyone...
  • Exposition Fairy: Ako, technically a Tengu, looks like the typical fairy, complete with colored glow and crow wings.
  • Five Rounds Rapid: In a cutscene, the French soldiers seemingly have no trouble... until the Genma start to get too close. In game, Michelle and Jacques do not have such problems.
  • Fluffy the Terrible: Gertrude: a massive, ferocious, armored, fanged, lightning-and-ice spitting monstrosity of a Genma made by Guildenstern.
  • Fonzarelli Fix: Michelle vs malfunctioning boat in Bologne Zoo.
  • Giant Space Flea From No Where: Marcellus' appearances aren't foreshadowed in any way. Also, Gertrude's second appearance in the present, bursting out of a boulder. The only hint is the fact that she seemingly turns to stone in the past after being defeated.
  • Giant Mook: The game says goodbye to Oowassha and introduces the armored Fugaku and the Gacha/Dongacha monsters: both are slow and powerful, and can damage other enemies by swinging their clubs. Later on, you can encounter the massive, ape-like Zmoh, Guildenstern's latest creation.
  • Graceful Loser: Nobunaga Oda, most surprisingly, takes his defeat, death and reclusion inside the Oni Gauntlet in stride.
  • Gratuitous French: The first parts of the game set in France are in French, as well as Jacques' dialogue. Then Translation Convention kicks in for the rest of the game.
  • Guns Are Worthless: If you're a mook, yes, but Michelle has no trouble killing hordes of Genma with her guns.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: This time, famously enough, with Jean Reno as Jacques Blanc.
  • He's Back!: Samanosuke makes his grand return as a ninja, infiltrating the Genma walker, showing off his powers, destroying the entire army and killing Gargant in one blow with his Onimusha form.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: The final part of the Final Boss involves taking Nobunaga's own Genma Samonji and purify it to turn it into the Onikiri Samonji to kill Nobunaga.
  • Infinity +1 Sword: Jacques has it easy and can wield the Onimusou from the Dark Realm to fight Nobunaga. From the same Realm, Samanosuke has the Bishamonken... but he automatically gets the Onimusha Sword (which, however, becomes stronger if you got the Bishamonken), and the Onigiri Samonji for the very final part of the battle.
  • Jidaigeki: This game is the first aversion, with half of it taking part in the modern times. The developers actually claimed that some fans were unhappy for this, hence why the following game took part entirely in the past.
  • Laughing Mad: Genma!Ranmaru, contrasting his composed, calm, and cold personality as a human.
  • Man-Eating Plant: A new enemy, in the form of a massive, plant-like Genma which can attack with spores or roots, and blocks the access to doors or items.
  • Meat Moss: Again, a collateral effect of the Genma invasion, best seen under Notre Dame and on the Tour Eiffel.
  • Mechanical Monster: Brainstern, Guildenstern's latest toy, is a mechanical-based Genma, though parts of him are suspiciously flesh-looking.
  • Meaningful Name: The names of the weapon upgrades Jacques and Samanosuke obtain throught the game (and, in Raizan's, Enryuu's and Shippu's case, the latter begins with) hint at their elemental powers, from the original Japanese:
    • Kuuga contains the particle kuu, which means 'sky', and it can cast gusts of compressed air.
    • Chigo contains the particle chi, which, depending on the character reading, can mean 'earth, land, ground'. This weapon can generate magma to attack enemies.
    • Enja (a whip) and Enryuu (a blade) contain the particle en, which, depending on the reading, can be read as 'flame, blaze; burning'. Their attacks are fire-based.
    • Raisen (a whip) and Raizan (a blade) contain the particle rai, which means 'lightning, thunder'.
    • Hyousai contains the particle hyō, meaning 'ice; freeze; cold', and it can freeze enemies.
  • Monumental Damage: During the course of the game, the Arc de Triomphe, Mont Saint Michel and the Eiffel Tower are seriously damaged by the Genma.
  • Moral Myopia: Upon encountering a zoo, Guildenstern not only cannot fathom a reason for the animals' containment besides cruel experimentation, but he's also outraged that vermin such as humans dare to experiment on beings barely inferior to themselves. That being said, he proceeds to experiment on the animals to turn them into Genma, a process which kills most of them.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Michelle: tall, busty, cleavage-exposing clothes, and that's without going into her bonus outfit (a Modesty Towel).
  • Multiple Endings: An extra scene can be added to the ending if you get all of Ako's vests (one of which requires completing a very difficult training level).
  • Never the Selves Shall Meet: Present!Samanosuke arrives in Honnoji just in time to see Past!Samanosuke die at the hands of Nobunaga. Touching his Oni Gauntlet allows him to merge with his past self, the force of the paradox empowering him enough to turn into the True Onimusha and defeat the Genma King.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: How Jacques pays back Ranmaru for murdering Heihachi.
  • Noblewoman's Laugh: Vega Donna, fittingly enough, given her character.
  • Ominous Latin Chanting: Guildenstern's presence and Boss Battle has Mozart's Dies Irae in the background.
  • One-Winged Angel: Nobunaga turns into a colossal, five-eyed monster with massive horns and Flaming Hair.
  • Outrun the Fireball: Samanosuke does this in the intro to evade the explosion of the Genma monster.
  • Power Floats: Ouija are small, wizard-like Genma that floats in the air. Annoyingly enough they usually float out of reach and teleport when attacked.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Heihachi is a vassal of the Tokugawa, who's allied with Nobunaga, but he's not too fond of his current occupation and openly defies his Genma allies when given the chance.
  • The Quisling: Toramaru the merchant is a human merchant who's doing business with the Genma.
  • Recurring Boss: Marcellus, Brainstern, Gertrude, Genma!Ranmaru and Heihachi are all fought twice in the game.
  • Recycled Soundtrack: Inverted example, the soundtrack for Hiei Mountain (Demon Forest) will be later recicled for Resident Evil 4.
  • San Dimas Time: In the Dragon Shrine, which allows Ako to travel back and forth through Mirrors to deliver key items from Jacques to Samanosuke and viceversa.
  • Scenery Porn: Despite using 3D enviroments, locations and monuments are faithfully reproduced.
  • Secret Test of Character: When Jacques ends up in the past, a Oni elder makes him fight an illusion of a Gacha threatening his son.
  • Shout-Out: A text in the Dragon Shrine is, essentially, a Doing In the Wizard variation on the tale of Urashima Taro.
  • Smug Snake: Ranmaru, as a human.
  • Spin Attack: Heihachi's special attack has him swinging his spear left and right in circles, while walking forward slowly. His spear turns red for the duration of the attack.
  • Storm the Castle: The battle of Azuchi Castle has Jacques and Samanosuke, along with the entire army provided by the Oni Army Globe, storming the castle as kickass music sounds.
  • Super Mode: The Onimusha Mode from the previous game, this time refined so that 1): you no longer transform automatically upon absorbing the 5th purple soul and 2): if you're killed with five purple souls on and no talisman, the transformation kicks off and saves your life.
  • Tag Along Kid: Henri, Jacques' son. First he's kidnapped by Guildenstern, later on he comes along with Michelle and manages to save his father in the past.
  • A Taste of Power: The game starts with a fully powered up Samanosuke brandishing Raizan, Enryuu and Shippu, ready for action. You lose everything, but completing the Dark Realms allows you to play a New Game Plus with the three Oni Weapon since the beginning.
  • Time Travel: The Time Folder is a Oni Machine retooled by the Genma to create folds (in the form of black domes of energy) that send people and items back and forward in time. Guildenstern's plan is to make a stable fold to allow the Genma to invade the present.
  • This Is a Drill: New enemies Dordo/Dorgidio have massive swords which can turn into unblockable drills in combat.
  • Translator Microbes: One of Ako's powers, which allows Samanosuke and Michelle to communicate with each other, as well as allowing Jacques to understand Japanese.
  • The Unfought: The colossal Hyunbeid monster under Azuchi castle, as well as Gargant, in a way.
  • Unholy Matrimony: Oda Nobunaga, Genma King, and his wife Vega Donna, Genma Queen.
  • Utility Weapon: Jacques' basic weapon is a light whip, and all his Oni Weapons are whips: he can grab and throw boulders, block the Genma to hit them with magic, or reach different areas and locations and grab the floating Oni Fireflies with his whip.
  • Warm-Up Boss: Ranmaru technically is a boss. But he's rather weak and non-threatening. Marcellus for Jacques, in turn, is a serious challenge which teaches him how to use the Oni Fireflies in combat.
  • Would Hurt a Child: Guildenstern plans to dissect Henri for his tender, soft organs. Ranmaru actually runs him through near the very end.
  • You Will Not Evade Me: Using the Oni Whip, Jacques can grab a Genma to shoot it, throw it or release magic on him. Powering up the Glove allows him to perform this move on larger opponents.

Alternative Title(s): Onimusha 3

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