Onimusha: Warlords, released in 2002, follows the adventure of Samanosuke Akechi, a young samurai who opposes the tyranny of Nobunaga Oda in medieval Japan. Oda's strength and military success come from a pact with "genma," demons from another world who provide vitality, magic, and cannon fodder. The game's plot primarily takes place at Inabayama Castle (now Gifu Castle), where Oda's forces gather for various plans, though the narrative is criticized for its lack of interest in prose and focus on justifying the systematic harvesting of zombie soldiers. The game is noted for its combat system, where attacking or blocking just before being hit triggers an "issen," a fatal blow that results in a flash of light and immediate death of the opponent, along with a larger package of souls to absorb. These souls serve as currency, health, and magic. The game uses "tank controls," an old remnant of its origins as a prototype of Resident Evil 4, allowing movement forward, backward, or sideways but not free running. Targeting a specific enemy allows for greater movement freedom, with quick backward or side steps. Mastering positioning is essential to survive ambushes, especially against large enemies like minotaurs, which can break a player's guard with repeated hits. Alternating between locking on and free movement is a mark of skilled players. Magic attacks are useful for dealing damage and providing temporary invincibility. However, the fixed camera of Resident Evil is cited as a flaw, often changing view angles at inconvenient times, creating readability issues. Genma Onimusha, a version of Onimusha: Warlords, introduces more challenging gameplay, remixing objects and enemies and altering the progression in Inabayama Castle. It includes a bonus trial of the Ogre Tower, a new optional dungeon that unlocks the best armor in the game, requiring 25 floors to complete. A deadly doll chases players through the castle corridors, and green soul orbs can be collected, offering temporary invincibility and health regeneration if five are collected. If an enemy catches one, it becomes stronger. Genma Onimusha also adds the ability to charge magical attacks, expanding the range of attacks and movements. Each weapon can charge its attack on three levels, with different behaviors. Charged attacks can destabilize mini-bosses and extract orbs, which can restore health or magic. Charged magic can be charged on two levels and continued indefinitely, consuming the magic bar. These additions enhance the combat system, offering strategic depth. Ryosan noted that Genma Onimusha offers few innovations to justify a new purchase if a player has already played the PS2 version. However, it is considered essential for those aiming to master the game, introducing a strategically superior dimension. Genma Onimusha was developed in parallel with Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny and released a month earlier in Japan. Capcom has remastered Onimusha: Warlords in 2019, but additions from Genma Onimusha were obscured. Xbox's backward compatibility ensures the reissue is accessible, but offering refined mechanics to modern players would have been beneficial. Given the success of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, there is a possibility that the original Onimusha may receive a remake, incorporating the best ideas from Genma Onimusha.