Onee Chanbara Origin Reviews
Onee Chanbara Origin is both a remake of the first two games and a proper introduction to the classic series. It’s a cheesy experience that embodies everything that defines the hack ‘n’ slash genre. At the same time, it gives players so many reasons to comeback for more.
D3 Publisher has finally released OneeChanbara Origin in the West with a new PC version. We take a look and what's new and how it holds up.
While the story is unremarkable and the gameplay doesn't provide any innovations to the aged formula, I still very much enjoyed my time with OneeChanbara Origin as it still left me with a satisfying feeling even with the short time I spent with it.
Tempered at the edges as it might be, Onee Chanbara Origin is still crass and skimpy, and an explicit work of nostalgic grindhouse for anyone that remembers that genre. Additionally, short as it may be, it's genuinely well-made for what it wants to be: a mindless action game.
If you love films like Planet Terror, fast-paced, Devil May Cry-inspired combat, and babes in bikinis whose sole purpose is to slaughter as many zombies as possible in the name of revenge, then Onee Chanbara: Origin is a title well worth adding to your PS4 collection. Tamsoft did an incredible job of modernizing these dusty PS2 gems while providing an aesthetically pleasing makeover. While the game may be a bit short, there’s no denying that it’s extremely well crafted and succeeds in delivering an over-the-top, hack-&-slash bonanza of anime-inspired madness.
Because of the game’s appearance, it might be a hard sell to some people. I know I will have a tough timing convincing friends to play it, even though it is up their proverbial alley in terms of mechanics and genre. The fact that the game misspells “exchange” in its opening and there was seemingly no effort put into lip syncing might also lead people to worry that it is the sort of low-effort cash-in one might expect from a series with Bikini Samurais. It’s worth pushing past, though, because these aspects of the game sink into the background, save when the occasionally leering camera forces them back into the foreground.
With added defensive maneuvers to dodge or parry allows more interactions when it comes to One Chanbara Origin’s zombie slasher.. Traditionally, the game always lacks in many aspects and somehow this PS4 version of the title also didn’t disappoint. At least the improvements in character action with plenty of freedom to roam and some of the controls reward with more powerful moves when timed correctly. Thismay just be the medicine to cure most of the game’s lacking elements. Even for those who haven't experienced the original game, you’re not missing out much. Plus points for Korean subtitles and Korean voice acting.
Review in Korean | Read full review
This isn’t the kind of cerebral character action experience offered by the likes of Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden, but it isn’t on the opposite extreme either. It’s a solid, polished, competent sword fightin’, zombie splatterin’, anime-inspired romp that is exactly what it presents itself as. You’ll laugh, have fun, roll your eyes, and totally ignore the gallery menu.
The most important thing in a game is to be fun and engaging. Onee Chanbara Origin manages to fulfill this mission with praise, delivering a dynamic and full-featured hack and slash adventure. The original style brought by the remake and its good gameplay make every fight a great experience. Although it fails on some important points, the end result is a must-have title for fans of the genre and players who enjoy a lot of action.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Onee Chanbara Origin marks the welcome return of zombie-slaying bikini samurai action. With its crazy B movie premise and absurd amount of violence, it delivers a ridiculous formula that will appeal to any gamer who doesn't take things too seriously.
Onee Chanbara Origin is a serviceable remake of a couple classic PS2 titles. Developer Tamsoft does a great job giving the games a visual makeover and a much more modern feel. Combat is solid, though a bit basic at times. The experience is also bogged down at times by some performance problems. That aside, and Onee Chanbara is a worthwhile remake of a fun and unique story.
OneeChanbara Origin‘s gameplay is very enjoyable, but if it was longer than five hours, it would have worn out its welcome. It is highly replayable, and has a variation of the “Bloody Palace” survival mode and a secret third playable character to make things interesting long after beating the story.
Onee Chanbara Origin is an over-the-top, cheesy, bloody, action game where you get to mindlessly slay zombies while looking sexy. The gameplay can be fun but the short run time, nonsense story, and the few other issues I had with the game make it hard to recommend for the full price they are asking for. If you were a die-hard fan of this series you may get enough enjoyment out of it but general fans of hack-and-slash games are probably better off waiting until it’s a bit cheaper.
It’s by no means the most polished hack n’ slash out there, paling in comparison to Platinum and Capcom’s works, but it still managed to offer some mindless, cathartic fun. Shut down your brain, and you’ll easily look past its issues.
Onee Chanbara Origin is an addictive, arcade hack and slash. It’s about accumulating high scores and executing the best combos. Unfortunately, the music just doesn’t work well. Instead of adrenaline-pumping metal, it’s techno. Not the good kind either. For those worried about the challenge, there are difficulty modes to choose from. I had a lot of fun with Onee Chanbara Origin despite the flaws. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the full price. I also wouldn’t recommend the DLC. I think it should have been part of the package from the start. Keeping those caveats in mind, I do think that it deserves my recommendation.
Onee Chanbara Origin is going to appeal to fans of the series or those just looking for a bit of mindless hack-and-slash action where they can kind of leave their brains at the door. That being said? The game is fun, the overall package is a nice merging of the first two games in the series and the product values have seen a worthy improvement. Onee Chanbara Origins is a fun way to kill a lot of undead and about a dozen hours.
I have to say, Onee Chanbara Origin is a solid series entry. The new art style looks great, the music is fantastic and the gameplay is really fun. The problem here is I feel like the pricing on this one is a bit much. The base price of $59.99 for a six hour story mode is steep. Also, there are no unlockable costumes in the game. Those have to all be purchased as DLC. They do offer a Deluxe Edition for $74.99 that includes all the DLC costumes and missions. This is a much better deal than just buying the base game since there is quite a bit of DLC content, but I’m not a big fan of this pricing structure. The PC port has some issues as well, but I do feel like most of these will be taken care of with patches down the line. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you will probably want to jump on this one ASAP. You’ll find a lot to love here, and since it’s been a while since you got to cut up some zombies with the girls, you’ll be more than satisfied. Everyone else may want to wait a bit for them to line out some of the bugs or a sale before diving in.
A true and fun action, sluggish by outdated graphics and a longevity below expectations.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The whole essence of the title revolves precisely around its desire to bring back to our times a title of 16 years ago: without having these premises in mind, the risk is to see only the defects that the game undeniably brings with it: a simplistic graphics sector and a gameplay that is far too canonical as it is fluid, these are only one side of the coin, while on the other there is a really commendable work by the developers to give birth to what is a real remake. Long-time fans of the series, however small and rare these are in the West, will find in Oneechanbara Origins a heart-warming return worthy of the best nostalgia operation, while those who didn’t know the franchise will be able to get closer to it thanks to this production and get a culture about it. No, I never thought I would say "get a culture" about a girl in a bikini and a cowboy hat who cuts zombies like fallow, but I suppose that this is just the magic of Oneechanbara.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Onee Chanbara Origin isn't a great game, but it has much more fun combat and smoother visuals than previous entries in the series.