Right away, players will notice the fine details this game offers. Any character you approach, even an inconspicuous mine worker, will stop to chat with you. But your comrades in arms won't accept just any offering in exchange for assisting you: in a nod to the Japanese tradition of thoughtful gift-giving, you must find and offer items that fit their interests. Don't go offering an antique brooch to someone looking for imported "spirits." Unless you have vodka or wine to offer him, he will get downright sullen.

As for the gore rating for Onimusha, it depends on your previous game-playing history. It will be considered mild by FPS fans, since the enemies and their flying body parts emit "only" a small amount of blood before disappearing in a puff of dust. For those same serious gamers, the controls will be a nuisance--for instance, you use the direction buttons instead of the left analog for running around. Another drawback: as with most highly controlled game environments, the forced perspective can cause columns and building sections to get in your way during crucial fight scenes. But those comfortable with these minor faults will be amply rewarded by movie-style quick scene edits, inventive ideas from the last edition (in particular, chests guarded by puzzles), and that addictive "fight, collect things, fight, upgrade to really cool things" dynamic that makes so many games great. --Jennifer Hauseman

Pros:

• Superior cinematic imagery
• Compelling characters
• Understated, clever dialogue
• Special attacks like ogre mode

Cons:

• Difficult controls
• Too little character info in the interface