I got my first couple crits (one during the first Test of Valor) and i must say, this is probably my favorite Oni game so far, I love Jubei and Soki, i love how they interact, the cutscenes are awesome, all the characters are cool and intresting. Yep im lovin it lol.

(thx for the help B4)

Well there are team Oni magic attacks to but I don't remember how to do them. You will love Tenkai after you watch the ending =D. Besides Tenkai is my favorite now after finished the game and saw the ending =)

Team magic is done by first having your weapon powered up to be able to use level 3 oni magic. Then just charge it up and hit L2 at the end. Your partner needs to have at least one bar of oni magic, and you have to have full.

Well I knew it wasn't hard at all =) I had finished Shin Oni 2 times but in 2nd I just save after you know why had left us in order to get us you know where. So I'm just visiting Dark Realms from time to time =)

Big equipment question. Im on stage 5 i believe (the fortress stage) and I just got the Black Sword. Should i not be using/upgrading Lamentation? Ive got it to lvl 4 and im not sure if i should upgrade it anymore and start using the fire sword or maybe even the Black sword.

Black sword it heavy and his attacks are slow... wait I'll check what weapons I got my self to the MAX.

Ok first of all make sure to get LAMENTATION blade to the MAX cause of Lv.8, Lv.9 and MAX Lv addons. Then MAX out ENRYU (84) and use it till you get HABAKIRI (130) witch you will use to the end of the game. If you like to play in Dark Realm try to get to floor 50 and get EXCALIBUR (180) there then MAX it out. This way no enemie will stand in your way =). If you want I can do the same for all characters.

Yeah, a weapon guide for the other characters would be nice as well lol.

I'll post it here later. Till then just play as Soki =)

Cut scenes are great, but so few, a lot of it is dialogue. That's probably one of the disappointments for me, the lack of cut scenes. Like some missions start with a narrative and summary of what happend, then you hear some of the characters speak. Those kinds of scenes, should have been made into FMV, as it would have improved the presentation. They've done this way too frequently, really a disappointment, you'd think they'd be able to fit it in too, since the game is two discs. Oh well, the gameplay is hella fun though, with the story giving some great connections to characters/places/events of the past Onimushas. This is truely a game that fans of the previous titles will appreciated more.

Anyway for weapons... Definitely max Lamentation, as you get some pretty great bonuses out of it. Cutting Wind is another good one, as you'll generate wave attacks at max level (one of Soki's faster weapons, with a 6 combo). Infact any character that has a wave attack weapon, I suggest maxing, as they're the best ones IMO. Jubei's was Onimaru, which also gives +100 attack, probably one of the best weapons for her. Though lately, I've found myself using the Dragon Offer quite frequently for Soki and Juzumaru for Jubei, as both give +100% experience. As for Ohatsu, I'm using Guardian which gives some nice stats . Can't really say what for Tenkai or Roberto, as I haven't been given many good chances to use either yet (you'll see what I mean later on).

Don't forget to upgrade the armour too! Level 30 will give you max accessory slots (4 total), subsequent levels will raise the armour's defense points. Love how everything takes a lot less to level now.

Currently I've just finished stage 10 and clocking in at about 22 hours now. Mostly because I've been leveling in the many levels of Dark Realm. Which is hella hard, good thing there's a 2 player mode which gives you the option to go through it with a friend.

How exactly do i get to the dark realm? or am i still too early for it (starting stage 5)

I don't remember but our hanging little faller will get you there when time will come.

As for weapons:
Akane:
- Onimaru (Till the end of the game)

Ohatsu:
- Decadence
- Black Inferno (Till the end of the game)

Roberto:
- Gloves of Hades
- Class Zero Gloves
- Michael's Gauntlets (Till the end of the game)

Tenkai:
- Congoyashu
- Gundari
- Fudo (Till the end of the game)*

* Thanks to this weapon game is like a walk in a park.

You won't gain access till about Stage 8, I think. It'll be through Minokichi.

Oh and after you get to the Dark Realm on each 50th floor you have 2nd the best weapon in game. After getting there get back to hideout and MAX it level then use.

I must be doing something wrong, I always seem to go into a boss fight with like half health lol, after a couple tries im usually able to still beat them but i never seem to have medicine when i need it lol.

If you're problem is going to boss fights with half-health, mine would be charging in with only 2 level 1 meds and 2 level 2 meds, half-health as well. :(

So currently at the mountain pass and I must say that this is one challenging yet enjoyable game. I like it.

Since I'm a weapon addict, Lamentation is now at the MAX while the other weapons are just floating at around 3 - 5 levels. Tenkai, Jubei, Roberto and Ohatsu I have no idea what to use. Tenkai's Yama, Jubei's wind sword or something, Roberto's default weapon and Ohatsu's Ice Rifle is what I currently use.

Gah, Stage 6 =(

Hope that helps :)

Here you go =) I was posting it earlier =P

Thanks :D.

I guess I have to make do what I have right now. Man, I wish I had more time to play :(

I find it rather interesting that you guys are having item troubles, that's one problem I never seem to have. I gotta agree that the boss fights are hella hard, but I've not once ever run into trouble where I'm only stuck with a couple items.

Have you tried using issen attacks? That's what helped me defeat some of the bosses. Eg. Use level 1 magic then do a critical/issen attack (only works when the weapon's element isn't Ice), I find that this method usually does more damage than a level 2 or 3 magic skill. Or the deflect/break issen.

Also, try doing Combine with your partners when you're at the hideout. Grass + Grass = 1 Medicine, etc. You can also make some rare weapons.

I just finished stage 12, so feel free to give me shout for help as well.

I've never had item problems either. It's ridiculously easy to keep your meds at full capicity. Actually I'm finding the game pretty average in difficulty. It's not super easy, but it's not exactly hard either. It's perfect.

Is it just me or is Ohatsu wicked fun to use. I love her.

I played this game for a few minutes. It lost me at the very beginning with samurai robots and the main character pulling off stunts I already knew i wouldn't be able to reproduce. Always disappointed by the limits of plausible control by means of a control pad.

I guess when I was playing it, I got the feeling of a watered down Devil May Cry. I was hacking and slashing and doing cool moves, but there wasn't enough fluidity in my assault and the enemy's. Maybe I'm being a jerk for expecting such.

I'm sure I'll come back to this game eventually; perhaps when I complete BLACK.

Yeah for me game was damn easy and I never had a problem with any of boss fights. Item? I was only using them in Dark Realm... so I don't know where is problem here. It all depends on how do you master R1 + Triangle > Square + Left Analog Stick in enemies direction. If you manage to master it you can finish the game easily. I mastered it on stage 6 or 7 and from them I have 1/3 kills by critical =) so it was like 1500+.

This is horseshit. I mean, Luis Frois anyway.