Ultimate Mode is still the ultimate fun in Onimusha.

[Alcatraz1015]

I've played through the game three times now in the last couple days. The first time took about as long as I remember from my PS2 days, a little over 4 hours (having retained a decent bit of my knowledge of the game from about 15 years ago... albeit my first time through Onimusha back 100 years ago was closer to 15 hours - it had a lot to do with me being scared of it because I had been scarred by Resident Evil previously).

The final (3rd) time I completed it over this weekend - which I literally just finished - was in Ultimate Mode. Boy did I forget how fun Ultimate mode was. Being able to begin the game with the (bad ass) Bishamon sword is a real treat. It took me a whole 1:17 to complete it again. That's how big a different the Bishamon sword makes in the game. That beast of a weapon does more damage in a single hit than all other weapons combined in their maxed out state. The special attack is guaranteed death to anything besides bosses and even they can only take a couple rounds of it (save for Forti at the end who takes a fair beating no matter what you're using... also, love the Shakespeare references).

If you haven't unlocked this mode then I highly recommend it. You need the 20 fluorites (which you can run through the game in a couple hours on easy mode, using a location guide from the interwebz to collect them all rather quickly). Completing the game with all 20 will unlock Oni Spirits - a mini game from the Extras menu. Completing that (be warned it's very obnoxious and tedious but just keep trying) will unlock this fantastic mode to enjoy.

As short as the game can be, I think it's really cool that I can start a new game in Ultimate mode and be able to play through it again in about an hour's time. It makes it really accessible and something neat to play if you're pressed for time.

Enjoy the game!

[Alcatraz1015]

Originally posted by holychair:

Thanks for your post. I've heard about "ultimate mode" and thought it were some kind of unlockable "hard mode". Your description of it makes it sound, though, as if it is more like a kind of "fun" mode or "NG+" where you already have the bishamon sword? Or are there also more and harder enemies to counterbalacne that?

Yeah, Ultimate Mode is definitely the easiest mode in the game. You start with the Bishamon sword, 99 Soul Absorber Tickets, infinite of all ammo and arrow types, and infinite magic for your other weapons. There's nothing remotely difficult about Ultimate Mode. The game lists it like it's this super hard difficulty, but it isn't. It's the closest to NG+ you get with Onimusha Warlords.

Also, no new or harder enemies. It's pretty much the same game. If it were Genma Onimusha from the Xbox it would be a little different if I remember correctly.

[Deathwing Zero]

To give an idea of just how beastly the Bishamon sword is, and how easy Ultimate mode is, I finished all 20 floors of the Dark Realm in 12 minutes. I took a few hits, so someone that didn't take any could probably easily make 10 or 11 minutes. You also do not need to switch to the other swords to open the magic sealed doors. With one exception, that being the one to go to the basement.

That said, if you want a challenge I would recommend a normal sword run. You'd have to get pretty good at using issen, and even then it can be challenging. And to my knowledge only one boss in the game is susceptible to issen.

[Agnos]

Yess, Ultimate mode is great. I´ve just finished my Pronimusha run in 2:28, but had to clean the dark realm 3 times in a row for the S-rank! Just don´t pick up the Ocarina, so you can revisit the dark realm!
Let´s hope for Onimusha 2 and 3 remastered!