Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (PS2) Games developers everywhere take note: Onimusha 2 keeps the core that made the first game so enjoyable, then fixes all the flaws whilst adding in a variety of new elements that liven up the gameplay. If only all sequels could follow this simple formula.

Onimusha 2 takes place after the first game, electing to make an almost completely fresh start. You now play the warrior Jubei Agayu, the only surviving member of a village that was wiped out by the evil Lord Nobunuga, a merciless warlord resurrected by demons. Jubei returns to find all his friends and family dead, vowing to seek revenge upon whoever did it. He then meets his mother, who is one of the nearly extinct race of Onimusha, she is a beautiful woman with a snake's tail instead of legs. She tells Jubei that he has Onimusha blood in him and gives him the power to stop Nobunuga and his demon army. And so your quest begins.

The Onimusha series comes from the makers of Resident Evil, but it is a much faster moving adventure with an emphasis on action and fighting. The landscapes that you visit are viewed from a series of camera angles that make the game feel like a movie and the graphics far surpass those of the original. The landscapes feature far more detail and are often moving, with mist, smoke and water making the world seem much more alive. There are animals and insects wandering around and the water effects on the river are astounding, they look totally realistic.

There is a greater variety in the locations, in just the first few hours of playing you will visit the deserted Agayu Village, a bustling market town, a demon-infested gold mine, foggy cliff tops, dense woodland and more. As well as this, the character and monster graphics and animation have been greatly enhanced. The faces of the characters are far more detailed now, approaching Final Fantasy X in their quality. The animation is smoother and both Jubei, his friends and foes now move faster than the plodding pace of the first game. The demons that you face are much more detailed and the boss demons are far more varied and imaginative, each having a distinct personality and role to play.

The animation and style of the fighting is the best of all, as Jubei has five special weapons to use and a number of special moves to be discovered throughout the game. The animation is suitably gory with demon's blood splashing out as you slash and swipe at lightning speed and spearing a fallen enemy has never been so satisfying. The sound effects are better too and the sounds of metal ripping demon flesh or a demon's death gurgle as it squirms from being impaled by your sword are excellent. The music is better too, with more variety and a generally faster pace to match the frantic combat.

Jubei has a symbol on his hand that allows him to suck up the demons' souls. There are four types of soul; yellow restores your health, blue restores your magic, red gives you enhancement energy and purple souls are the special weapon. Collect five purple souls and you become Onimusha (half man, half demon) for a limited time, during which you are totally invincible and the power of your attacks is greatly increased. Sucking up the souls is generally easier than in the first game, the souls move faster and the controls feel that bit more responsive. The magic attack effects are much better than before too, they are much more spectacular and varied, the ice attack being particularly fun to use.

Jubei does not have to fight his battles alone, for there are other warriors he meets along the way. They will turn up at various points in the game and join in the battles, getting stuck in with the demon slaughter. They fight intelligently and will give you warning when they're about to execute a special move, so you can take advantage of the chaos and get stuck into the stunned monsters. Ekei is a fat, hearty warrior equipped with a giant spear, Magoichi is a quiet, educated loner who is a dab hand with his rifle, Kotaro is a cheeky, hyperactive teenage ninja and Oyu is a beautiful female warrior. Each has strengths and weaknesses and a part to play in the story. At certain points in the game Jubei will become trapped or injured and you will take control of one of these characters to complete their own quest to help Jubei.

There is a very strong storyline that is brilliantly weaved together with the action. As you progress the story gradually unfolds, involving not just you but your allies and enemies as well. This is enhanced by frequent cinematic cut scenes that are often spectacular and add to the feeling that you're taking part in an epic film rather than just playing a game.

As well as improved graphics, sound and music, a more involved storyline, better demons and the addition of your fellow warriors, there are several other improvements worthy of mention. You don't have to enhance your weapons to get through certain doors like in the first game. Now when you use the red souls to enhance your weapons, it is purely up to you what to do and you can also enhance your armour. Sadly the option to enhance herbs and ammo is gone, but you do pick up a lot more as you go. The puzzles have been improved too; they are more varied and there are less doors to be unlocked by endless keys and weapon combinations.

The final addition that contributes variety is your ability to give gifts to certain characters! It might sound strange, but it works well and adds some lighter amusement to the gameplay. On your travels you will pick up all kinds of useless objects such as an abacus, cooked fish, fine wine, a fan, history books, chalk, a chicken, salt, plants, parrots, items of clothing, pictures and much more. By talking to your allies, you begin to understand their tastes and you can give them gifts. If you give them something that really pleases them, they look all excited and give you back something good in return, such as medicine, a power jewel or magic jewel (the jewels permanently increase your health and magic bars). If they're indifferent about the gift you'll get something like a herb or bullets back and sometimes they refuse your gift in disgust! You also find gold dropped by certain demons, which you can use to buy objects from the local shop that you know your friends will like. These include armour and weapons for your allies - give these out and you will gain new techniques to use with your own weapons. This is a quirky addition that requires some lateral thinking and often leads to amusing reactions from the characters you give things to!

The final thing worth mentioning that makes this game such a classic is the amount of replay value. When you eventually finish it, you will be greeted with several extra features and mini-games that have been unlocked, plus a % completion of the game and you'll be surprised at just how much you missed. So each time you play, different actions will take you through different parts of the story. Also, when you do face Lord Nobunuga himself, be prepared for one of the most spectacular end of game villains you've ever faced!

Onimusha 2 is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure game with the perfect balance of combat, exploration, puzzle-solving, story and character interaction. It looks and sounds fantastic and is a huge game that will take quite a while to complete. Whether or not you liked the first game, this is one of the best PS2 titles around at the moment and it'll make you happier than Ekei with a bottle of Russian vodka!

Reviewed by Geoff Holland for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).