Genji: Dawn of the Samurai

Genji: Dawn of the Samurai is an interesting creation. Like it or not it's an Onimusha clone. In this rare case the word "clone" does not mean "lower-class knock-off." This time I have the privilege of using the word the way it was meant to be used: to describe a carbon copy of another game.

Genji has two leading characters: Yoshitisune – a lean, mean, sword-slashing machine – and Benkei, a masculine warrior who prefers long and heavy weapons over the typical three-foot blade. Yoshitisune is the star of the game, taking on most of the missions himself. You may choose to play as Benkei more often, but he is only needed for two or three of the game's battles.

If the name Yoshitisune sounds a little like Onimusha's hero, Samonusuke, then get this: the music is very similar (and very well orchestrated); half the enemies look like they came from Onimusha; and the computer animated movies were made by the same studio that worked on the Onimusha series.

If that wasn't enough to fool the average Joe into thinking this was Onimusha 4, all he'd have to do is play the game for five minutes and he'd be convinced. The combat is extremely slash-heavy. Become best friends with the square button or face a painful death. The triangle button unleashes a slower, albeit more powerful attack, but you can't repeatedly tap it for combos, making the square button seem so much more appealing.

What's that I see in the distance? Demonic samurai! I also see some strange-looking bow and arrow guys, and a few large beasts carrying oversized swords.

Yep, it's Onimusha all the way. If you love this style of gameplay, it's a win-win situation.

There are a few minor differences that set Genji apart from (do I have to say its name again?). Amahagane are important power-increasing orbs that are used like currency for your body. When three or more are accumulated, the player may choose to apply the Amahagane to their health, attack, or defensive power. The increase for each level is marginal but well worth the effort. There's plenty of Amahagane to go around, especially if you decide to raise the power of one character and scrap the other. (Which is what I ended up doing. I'm not a big fan of Benkei. He's too much like that guy from Onimusha 2. Rats, I said that name again. From now on I'll try to refer to it as that game we don't speak of.)

Amahagane can be found just about anywhere. It can't be seen, but you will feel its presence as you approach it. Here Genji takes a cue from another classic, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. The Dual-Shock 2 responds accordingly as you approach the Amahagane, shaking with increased intensity the closer you get. To make the Amahagane's essence appear, you must find its location by slashing your sword in the air. Awesome addition, and a great derivative. Amahagane is the most important item in the game, thus you never feel like the time it took to acquire it was a waste.

Genji's best and most original idea comes in the form of Simon Says. Simon says tap the square button to counterattack! That's all he says, and players will hear it loud and clear. By attacking and killing monsters as you normally do, players accumulate Kamui energy. Kamui energy is stored in its own special bar, and when that bar is full you may unleash it to slow down (but not cheapen or Matrix-ize) the action. This slight slow down is used as a way of letting the player look into the future. Enemy attacks become easier to judge, and if you tap the square button as soon as the appropriate icon appears, you'll attack and kill your enemies instantly!

As much as I dislike the idea of pressing buttons in-sync with on-screen commands, Genji makes it a fun and helpful tool. It's possible to counterattack without using Kamui but it's very, very difficult. By using the energy as much as possible, you begin to predict your enemy's moves on your own. Boss battles have quick, Kamui-specific attacks (they set up and charge as soon as you unleash the energy). Some of the time it was more beneficial to watch the monster and decide to attack when I thought they were about to strike. If I had waited for the square button icon to appear it would've been too late. That's how quick they are. That's how quick you have to be.

Whereas Onimu-- (ahem) that game we don't speak of slows its combat down with annoying puzzles (and in the case of Onimusha 2, weird item trading), Genji's only gameplay is combat. It slows things down – and extends its short length (about 4 hours of combat) – by forcing us to watch anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes of real-time and computer animated story sequences. "Great news! I can't wait!" It sounds great, and probably would be in an RPG. But this is an action game, and it's not fair that we have to sit through these things - without the option to skip them – when all we want to do is play more of the game. That's what this is, a game, not a movie. At least that's what it's supposed to be.

Along the journey you'll discover a few doors that say something like, "Return to this place upon completion and this door shall open." This made me anxious to play through the game a second time. Luckily, the story sequences can be skipped on their second viewing. I rushed through the game during my second outing, searching for those secretive doors. What was inside? I don't think I'm at liberty to say, but I can tell you that it was a bit disappointing.

When all was said and done, and the credits had rolled a second time, Genji left me satisfied but not complete. It's a good game. A familiar game. A game that you'll enjoy and a game that will make you scream. Be prepared for repetition, and be prepared to leave the room when the movie sequences start. Get a snack or something.

Gameplay: 7.5
First there was Coke and Pepsi. Later came a series of soft drinks that mimicked their taste – few had good results. In the world of video games, Genji is the mimicking soft drink. It tastes almost as good Onimusha, but has a funny, fizzy, bubbly-ness that lets you know it's not Onimusha. Fun for a while, but very repetitive. The in-game movies will make you wonder if you're playing a game with a lot of non-interactive moments, or watching a movie with a lot of interactive sequences.

Graphics: 9.0
I was completely fooled by the backgrounds. Their detail, the stellar texture job, and the coloring and lighting had me thinking the graphics were pre-rendered. Then it dawned on me – those backgrounds are moving! You can’t do that in CG (computer graphics) without streaming off the disc, and that leads to pixelation issues, among other things.

Genji’s world is lush and alive. Buildings, trees, bushes, leaves (falling and attached) – there’s no end to how much your eyes have to see. It’s impossible to take it all in the first time through.

Sound: 8.5
Breathtaking compositions that would tug at your heart if used with a more powerful storyline. As is the tracks are pretty emotional, and will definitely leave your ears satisfied. The sound effects and Japanese voice acting (no English dubbing – subtitles only) are top-notch. Of course I don't speak Japanese, but in terms of how well the voices match each character, and how they convey each message, it doesn't matter what language it's in – top-notch is top-notch.

Difficulty: Medium
At times a cakewalk, at times a challenge, Genji's difficulty goes up and down. Early boss battles are challenging 'cause your character is weak, but by the time you get to the grand finale, your character's skills (and your own personal timing skills) will have been perfected to the point where the battles are no longer difficult.

Concept: 7.0
Genji is a good game with a few damaging flaws. It's good as an Onimusha clone but it's also very repetitive. I left the room during some of the movie sequences because I just couldn't take it. The story gets interesting toward the end, but in the beginning it's dull city. I didn't care that much why they're fighting, not when every character looks like every character I've seen in every other game about ancient, mythical, Japanese warfare.

Overall: 7.5
Genji: Dawn of the Samurai is hard to nail down. It’s short, the movies are long and can’t be skipped, and the difficulty takes a dive at the end of the second hour. These are reasons to avoid a game. At the same time I love Onimusha, and Genji is essentially that game with a new name and face. I wanted the quests to be longer, but a part of me is glad it isn’t. No real commitment must be made to play it. I can beat it in a hurry and move on. Then again, it doesn’t seem that quick when the movie sequences are playing.

To enjoy Genji you have to love this kind of gameplay AND be willing to take the good with the bad. From a purchasing standpoint, there’s just one question you need to answer: is $40 worth four hours?