31 Days Of Halloween: Onee Chanbara Origin

Post author:Sam Watanuki
Post published:October 14, 2020
Post category:Anime / Deep Dish Originals

For me, there might not be a scarier horror subgenre than zombies. I have a rather unhealthy obsession with the living dead, fascinated by their origin and lore and their portrayals in movies and video games, yet irrationally fearful of the idea of them walking among us. (I mean, if they were to become real, 2020 would be the year for that, right?)

On a totally unrelated end of the spectrum, I’ve recently become infatuated with anime and JRPGs specifically, having never really given them much thought in my younger gaming days.

Onee Chanbara Origin seems to be the perfect game to cater to both of these interests, taking a team of the “world’s sexiest zombie slayers” through high-speed Japanese hack ‘n slash action.

Onee Chanbara Origin is an HD remake of The Onechanbara and The Onechanbara 2, which were originally released for PlayStation 2 in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Origin combines both games, adding brand-new art style visuals and an overhauled storytelling system that both newcomers and longtime fans of the series can enjoy, featuring the original Japanese voice performances with English subtitles.

A new interpretation of the story will focus on Aya and Saki – half-sister zombie-hunters who are bound by a mutual hatred, taking on hordes of the undead and other monsters as they search for answers and a person named Eva, who is said to have masterminded all of the chaos that the sisters have endured.

Based on the trailer, players are in for an over-top-world of hack ‘n slash action as they battle enemies and some rather intense-looking bosses. Onee Chanbara Origin screams JRPG with its fast-paced swordplay and character outfits. Aya and Saki are also able to temporarily transform into demons themselves to help turn the tide against their enemies, though doing so comes with a cost of some of their health.

Honestly, there’s a lot to take in with Onee Chanbara Origin from the trailer alone, which is only a glimpse of what the game will have to offer. At the very least, if you’re looking to take out waves of the undead, you could do a lot worse than Onee Chanbara Origin.

Onee Chanbara Origin is available now for PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam.