There is an English setting in the game but the voice acting is just bad. With any luck, Capcom will preserve the game's current configuration and release it stateside with the Japanese audio track and the English subtitle option. Like a number of other survival horror titles, the soundtrack is also a key ingredient to the game's success. Unlike many other games, the soundtrack is mastered and played at a level that is not excessively loud. By employing simple instrumentation and ambient sounds, the soundtrack succeeds by subtle evocation of mood instead of more ham-fisted means.
Battle is made more rousing by good use of both controller feedback and strong sound effects.
Onimusha succeeds on a number of different levels, mainly those of presentation. Unfortunately, it stalls on the most important level, that of gameplay. As is the case with some survival horror titles, puzzle solving becomes a primary focus of gameplay. Onimusha is primarily an action game, and it is to the developers' credit that the puzzles do not seem entirely out of place and rarely drag the action down. Still, Onimusha is an action title and does not shortchange the player on action.