Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny/Gameplay

Like other Onimusha titles, Samuarai's Destiny features a non-analog stick control scheme found in many survival horror games published by Capcom, most notably Resident Evil. Other similarities include an open-ended gameplay structure, the use of herbs and medicine to restore health, and the inclusion of puzzles which must be solved in order to progress. Hostile demons known as Genma inhabit most areas, and will attack and give chase to Jubei if they see him. Certain Genma attack with melee weapons, while others will flank the rear and shoot arrows at the protagonist. Although the side characters of Samurai's Destiny are restricted to a single type of weapon, Jubei collects an assortment of short and long-range weapons throughout the game, including a bow and a matchlock rifle. Each of the characters can strafe and block forward attacks.

In order to discourage button mashing, the player is rewarded for performing "Issen" hits on Genma. Issen occur when the player initiates an attack the moment an enemy is about to lunge forward. A bright flash will appear if the move was successful, and the target enemy will die instantly. If a group of Genma surround Jubei, he will be able to instantaneously chain several Issen hits together, effectively mowing down the entire group.

In the beginning, Jubei's only means of defense is his katana; shortly into the game, he gains the ability to absorb the souls of defeated Genma (a recurring device in Onimusha games). This power is similar to that of Samanosuke's gauntlet in Onimusha: Warlords, and functions the same way. "Demons Souls" are most often seen emanating from the fallen corpse of a slain Genma, and appear as glowing orbs that float in midair. Jubei can attract any orbs in the vicinity and draw them into his hand, provided that he is standing close enough. Unlike Warlords' gauntlet, Jubei draws orbs through his left hand.

Demons Souls are differentiated by the color of the orb: The most common type, red orbs, act as experience points which can be spent to improve Jubei's weapons and armor. Absorbing yellow orbs will restore a character's health. Blue orbs recharge magic ability. The rarest variety is the purple orb, which differs from the others in that it appears less frequently, and is much larger. When Jubei absorbs a total of five, he temporarily powers-up into an "Onimusha", increasing his attack damage and rendering himself invincible. The transformation wears off after a few seconds, after which Jubei's stock of purple souls is depleted.

Onimusha 2 introduces several role-playing elements into the series; the first is the option to improve Jubei's attack power, defense and speed by upgrading his gear. Secondly, defeated Genma often leave behind piles of gold which can be spent on healing items or gifts for other characters. Unlike its predecessor, Samurai's Destiny features a gold mining town called Imasho which is totally free of enemy encounters. During the first half of the game, Jubei periodically returns to Imasho in-between action sequences. It is here that the player can buy items using the gold dropped by defeated enemies. The 'Imasho Town' portion of the game gives an opportunity to give items to the various sub-characters.

Allies
During the Imasho Town sequences in the game, Jubei can buy goods from merchants and give them to any of the four sub-characters (Ekei, Magoichi, Kotaro & Oyu). Reactions to a present will depend on that person's temperament; giving Oyu a bouquet of flowers will make her happy, whereas giving it to a male recipient will simply irritate them. Jubei's gift-giving will determine which warrior will assist him as the game progresses, and will in turn have an impact on the story. In some cases, if the player fails to win a character over, that person will opt to shun or betray Jubei later on.

At certain points in the story, control may be passed to another character for a short period. These side-quests often begin with Jubei finding himself ambushed, trapped, or incapacited, requiring one of his allies to help him. During these events, the sub-character can equip a necklace which imbues them with the same soul-absorbing power which Jubei wields. Because this power is essential to gameplay, treasure chests containing necklaces are usually found in plain view as soon as the side quest starts.

Elemental weapons
As in the previous game, Jubei is able to use magic by wielding element-based weapons. The first one that Jubei receives is the Thunder Sword, a blade that channels lightning. During the course of the game he may acquire weapons with different properties, including the Ice Spear, the Wind Naginata, the Earth Hammer, and the Rekka-Ken (a Fire-based broadsword). When wielding these weapons, Jubei can perform a stronger elemental attack at any time.

In addition to his life bar, Jubei also has a meter which measures his magic ability. The meter dwindles each time Jubei casts a spell, but can be restored by absorbing blue Demon Souls.