The Story Timeline Order of Onimusha Games
Onimusha is a franchise of action-adventure video games set in the Japanese Sengoku period, with frequent yokai elements present. Onimusha video games generally feature samurai game protagonists, who must fight supernatural enemies, which often belong to Japanese yokai culture, in order to progress through the storyline.
Due to the supernatural nature of the enemies in Onimusha video games, as well as the samurai main characters, these games are known world-wide by players and action game fans. Considering the Sengoku period setting, as well as these mentioned characteristics, Onimusha video games can be a refreshing experience in the action game sub-genre.
What Are Onimusha Games Like?
The first Onimusha game, Onimusha: Warlods, features a fixed camera perspective, often called tank camera, as well as many of the hallmarks of the series of games, such as Sengoku period setting, supernatural enemies and action gameplay. In the case of the first Onimusha game, it is possible to draw many similarities to the first Resident Evil game, Resident Evil (1996). Both feature a fixed camera perspective and supernatural enemies, though they are set in very distinct time periods. This fixed camera perspective gameplay is also featured in Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. Onimusha Blade Warriors, on the other hand, features a side-scrolling action gameplay.
In Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, which still features a fixed camera perspective, it is possible to see a gradual shift towards third-person camera, which is also seen in other action games of the time. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams features a third-person camera perspective.
Not all Onimusha video games are action games. Onimusha Tactics is a turn-based strategy game, while Onimusha Soul is a city-building strategy game. Shin Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness, also called New Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness, is an action video game.
Is There an Order to Play the Onimusha Games?
While the Onimusha video games can be played and enjoyed in any order, considering that most of these games are set in the same continuity, it is suggested to play these games in chronological story order, for the most comprehensive story experience, as well as a deeper understanding of the backstory and lore of the Onimusha video games.
The Story Timeline Order of Onimusha Games
This is the story timeline order of the Onimusha video games. This is not necessarily the chronological release order of the games, but the chronological order in which the story events of each takes place. This is the suggested order in which to play the Onimusha video games for the most comprehensive story experience possible.
Due to continuity reasons, in the case of the Onimusha video games, I decided to create two different separate lists for the chronological story order of Onimusha games that I wrote. This is done in other to separate continuities. The first list includes games set in one continuity, and the second list includes games set in a different continuity. The reason for this difference in continuity that I marked is further explained in this article. The two lists are separated by a blank space.
Onimusha: Warlords
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Onimusha Blade Warriors
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
Onimusha: Tactics
Onimusha Soul
Shin Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness | New Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness
The chronological placement of Onimusha 3: Demon Siege in my chronological story order of Onimusha games list is tricky, because this game features a time connection with the future, which could be a reason to place this game at the end of the chronological list. However, in order to keep things consistent, I considered the time period of this vide game to be the time period at the start of the game. Nevertheless, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is set after Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, which is one more reason for the placement I decided for Onimusha 3: Demon Siege in my chronological story order of Onimusha games list. However, due to this time displacement present in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, I recognize that its placement in my chronological story order list could be disputed. However, since in this case of Onimusha games my methodology for chronological organization was the time period at the start of the game, I stand by my decision.
I decided to place Onimusha Tactics, Onimusha Soul and Shin Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness separately to the chronological story order list because it is unclear to me in which time period each of these games is set. For this reason, it would be innacurate to include these games somewhere in the chronological story order of Onimusha games list that I wrote. Instead, I placed them separately, due to their unknown time periods, and for this reason I suggest that these games be played in any order in relation to the other Onimusha video games. In the case of Onimusha: Tactics, considering that some of the characters in this game also appear in other Onimusha video games, I suggest to play Onimusha: Tactis after playing the other Onimusha video games.
Shin Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness and New Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness are different names for the same video game. I decided to include both forms of the game because different people may know this game by different names. In Japanese language, "shin" means "new", and thus it is reasonable to conclude that both forms of the name have the same meaning.
Are There Onimusha Spin-Off Games?
It seems to me that it is reasonable to consider Onimusha: Tactics, Onimusha Soul, Shin Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness, also called New Onimusha: Curtain of Darkness, as Onimusha spin-off video games, as I have found no clear connection, story-wise or chronologically, between these games and the other Onimusha games. This does not necessarily mean that these games are not canon, or non-canon. At the same time, there is no clear evidence of these games' canonicity. For this reason, it is not possible to draw a conclusion regarding these games canonicity. Regardless of their canonicity status, these games do not appear to be clearly, directly related to the other Onimusha games, story-wise or chronologically, and for this reason they were not included in my chronological story order of Onimusha games, which is set in the same continuity.
Are Onimusha Games Historical?
While Onimusha video games feature alternate versions of real life characters, such as Nobunaga Oda, they also feature supernatural elements inspired by Japanese yokai, and for this reason, these games can't be considered historical in the sense that they accurately depict what has happened in History. Instead, this games can be considered a view of mythology culture, by featuring an alternate version of History that is inspired by Japanese yokai myth culture.
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