Onee Chanbara ORIGIN

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. It's just that the tempering at the edges means that it's not as pure as something like School Girl/Zombie Hunter, and therefore won't replace it as the best trash grindhouse this generation has given us. What it is, though is more than enough to remind us that we may well get very little of that in the next generation, and to make no bones about it, that's very disappointing to me.

Onee Chanbara Origin is a remaster that goes straight to the point, offering frenetic, bloodthirsty gameplay and a punctual and truly entertaining combat system. The technical side is sadly stuck at the origins of the saga, especially the scenarios, which seem to have really come out of a ten-year-old console. The characters, fortunately, have undergone a remarkable restiling and the protagonists show a full-bodied cel-shading and excellent animations, able to give back a sense of majestic violence. Probably the entry price (49 €) is a bit too high for a shamelessly budget product and the incessant action could saturate the souls of those who do not adore the genre in the long run. Considering this, Onee Chanbara Origin gives the videogame player exactly what it promises: maybe it won't be much, but at least it is clear and honest in its contents and intentions.

This is a fun, gore-y hack & slash starring girls with not enough clothes that can be found enjoyable if you’re happy with lower budget games.

Onee Chanbara Origin remains a cathartic, bloodthirsty, and goofy bit of chaos, whose aesthetic charms have been boosted thanks to Tamsoft's excellent audio/visual upgrade. Unfortunately, the passage of time has somewhat dulled Origin's gameplay, which has been far superseded by other franchises. Offering a short campaign, above-average action, and a slim package, Onee Chanbara Origin is for franchise fans only - and not at its $60 asking price.

Oneechanbara Origin rights a lot of wrongs found in the early entries, yet it still feels oddly antiquated. The combat is riotous and entertaining, but the overall experience becomes monotonous after a few hours of play. Plus, it's barebones. With only a campaign and an endless wave survival mode, the game is slim on content, unusual since previous entries offered a lot of bang for their buck. It has a B-movie charm that's hard to resist, but other titles of similar fare have shown its possible to mix titillation with action to make a great time.