The previous instalments looked gorgeous, and while many may argue that the 3D characters over pre-rendered backgrounds engine made them fall inexorably into the realm of old generation stuff, they still are among the best looking games available on any next generation system. Surprisingly, Capcom said goodbye to the pre-rendered backgrounds for this final chapter, introducing fully 3D environments. This makes Onimusha 3 look a more cohesive game than the preceding instalments. The player can't change the camera angle, but the camera now elegantly follows the characters through the richly detailed environments, with well-directed movements that give the game a cinematographic feel.

Honestly, the 3D environments didn't make me regret the beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds of the previous games; the environments in Onimusha 3 look more and more attractive as you progress in the game, with some fine effects used to breath life into them. Water effects, fire effects, dust floating in the humid air of the wooden houses of ancient Japan (a trademark of all Onimusha games), together with the attention given to lighting help making of Demon Siege one of the finest looking games on the system. Obviously, the game also features a greater variety of environments than its predecessors, and this is another element that keeps the pace of the adventure high.

Of course, the passage from pre-rendered background to 3D environments came at a price - Onimusha 3 has character models with fewer polygons and less refined textures than those in the preceding games; anyhow, the animations are definitely the best in the series, with an endless amount of movements motion captured for each character. Jean Reno's imposing feature and peculiar gait, and Takeshi Kaneshiro's elegant movements are beautifully recreated in the game; the faces are also extremely detailed and realistic, more than in the previous chapters of the series.

Finally, the opening CG movie stays true to the tradition of the series by delivering a breathtaking example of finest CG animated art. Simply put, Onimusha 3 has probably the most spectacular introductory sequence you could ever dream of - watch it, and you'll understand what I'm saying.

The soundtrack of Onimusha 3: Demon Siege falls into the glorious tradition of the series; beautiful yet unobtrusive classic themes usually accompany the adventures of the strange duo, but in the most dramatic sections of the game the music becomes more dramatic, epic, and definitely worthy of today's cinematographic standards. Typical Japanese instruments are used for good part of the themes, like in the past games of the series.

Sound effects are as usual extremely good and realistic, and they are used often to inform the players of the presence of enemies not displayed on the screen. Anyhow, the best thing is that voice acting isn't as terrible as in Onimusha 2 or as in other Capcom's titles. It's bad that Jacques Blanc hasn't the voice of Jean Reno for the whole game (with the exception of the opening and ending sequences), and it's bad that Ako the cute-fairy-stolen-from-some-Disney-movie is just annoying, but at least Onimusha 3 hasn't a main hero that sounds like a sick kraken (read our review of Onimusha 2). Dialogues are also quite enjoyable - but don't expect Shakespearean dramas here. After all, you are playing as a samurai in modern day Paris.

Onimusha 3: Demon Siege is not only the finest game of the series - it's also the one with the longest replay value. Considered into the survival action/adventure genre, Onimusha 3 is a long game, with 14-15 hours needed to complete it the first time. There are many juicy unlockable extras too, including a short but fun mini-adventure in which you play as Heihachi, one of the characters the heroes encounter in the main adventure, so players have more than a reason to replay the game once they have completed it. Adding to that, Onimusha 3 is so candidly fun that it makes sense to replay it when you need something to help you pass the time away.