Capcom previously expressed plans to revive its dormant franchises, and things are off to a strong start. After a 20-year absence, Onimusha: Way of the Sword has returned with a vengeance, selling over one million copies in its first 24 hours, and pushing the franchise’s cumulative sales past 10 million units.
The first new instalment in over two decades, the action-adventure title follows Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai who explores a dark fantasy version of Kyoto during the Edo period and fights rival swordsmen, demons, and other supernatural threats. It introduces a handful of wrinkles to the formula, including the Break Issen system, a different way of unleashing the power of magical weapons, and parry mechanics.
To celebrate the milestone, a special illustration was also unveiled, featuring the warrior and a Lion Dog, or komainu. The game is also making good headway in surpassing the previous best-selling entry in the series, 2002’s Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, which sits at 2.1 million units, and continues the company’s hot streak for the year.
For starters, its puzzle-shooter Pragmata sold one million copies in just two days, an impressive feat for an original, brand-new IP, while Resident Evil Requiem is now the franchise’s fastest-selling title. Coupled with the critical and fan acclaim of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, Capcom has indeed secured four for four.
Next on the slate is the Resident Evil: Veronica remake, which has racked up over two million wishlists since its announcement in June at Summer Game Fest, and Mega Man: Dual Override, coming after the classic IP was named on the to-be-revived list alongside Devil May Cry, Ace Attorney, Dead Rising, and Dragon’s Dogma. But first, Ryu and gang will head to the big screen on 16 October in Kitao Sakurai’s upcoming live-action film adaptation of the fighting game series.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
