{"id":88769,"date":"2026-09-29T11:31:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T03:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=88769"},"modified":"2026-09-29T11:31:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T03:31:58","slug":"onimusha-way-of-the-sword-review-capcom-gets-fights-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=88769","title":{"rendered":"Onimusha Way of the Sword review: Capcom gets fights right"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It has taken Capcom 20 years to make another proper Onimusha game. In that time, Souls games have made parrying fashionable, while samurai-inspired adventures have become something of a gaming clich. So, in many ways Onimusha: Way of the Sword is returning to a crowded genre.<\/p>\n
Capcom\u2019s answer is not to turn Onimusha into another Soulslike<\/i> title. There are familiar ideas here for sure, particularly the emphasis on studying attacks and responding to actions with precision timing, but this is a more forgiving and theatrical action game. In my time with it, I found Way of the Sword generously empowering me to feel like a formidable swordsman, and not like the poor Tarnished at the start of Elden Ring.<\/p>\n
The standalone story also makes this an easy Onimusha for newcomers to start \u2013 you don\u2019t have to be familiar with the previous games before Way of the Sword. We follow our protagonist Miyamoto Musashi (whose appearance is based on Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune), where after a fatal encounter with the demonic Genma, is revived with an Oni Gauntlet attached to his arm. This allows him to absorb souls, but also leaves him reluctantly responsible for stopping the corruption spreading across Kyoto.<\/p>\n
Musashi is not immediately likeable, and I think that is partly the point. He is arrogant, impatient and far more interested in proving his strength than saving lives. His exaggerated expressions and dismissive remarks give the story an enjoyably pulpy quality, although the humour and more serious moments do not always sit well together. The wider plot is fairly conventional, but Musashi\u2019s gradual shift from self-absorbed fighter to reluctant hero gives it enough personality to keep me interested.<\/p>\n
Learning when not to swing<\/h2>\n\n
Image: Capcom<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The sword fighting is easily the best aspect of Way of the Sword. Light and heavy attacks are simple enough, and mashing buttons will only carry you through the easier encounters. But stronger enemies demand that you recognise whether an incoming move should be parried, deflected or avoided entirely. Get the timing right and you can damage an opponent\u2019s stamina, create an opening and finish the exchange with an Issen<\/i> strike that lands heavy damage, if not outright kill them.<\/p>\n
There is a pleasing physicality to every clash. Swords scrape, enemies recoil under heavier blows and finishing moves are brutal without becoming meaningless visual noise. The RE Engine helps with animation that sells the weight behind Musashi\u2019s movements. Even after several hours, a clean counter followed by an execution rarely stopped being satisfying.<\/p>\n
Fallen Genma release different-coloured souls that restore health, replenish abilities or provide currency for upgrades. Absorbing them takes a moment, however, and doing it carelessly can leave Musashi exposed. He also gains a bow and supernatural techniques as the game progresses, but the game is at its most enjoyable when it leaves two swordsmen trading blows.<\/p>\n
Boss battles make particularly good use of these systems. Many forced me to stop attacking recklessly, learn their rhythms and work out the right response. A few took several attempts, but victory generally felt earned. Grotesque Genma and flamboyant rival swordsmen also look as though they wandered in from an expensive samurai horror film.<\/p>\n
The difficulty outside those encounters is less convincing, however. Regular Genma are often too easy on the default Action setting, only for a boss to deliver a considerable spike in challenge. Tougher combinations appear later, but there is still a mismatch between Onimusha\u2019s disposable enemies and the stricter timing demanded by its major duels.<\/p>\n
Too much time between the good fights<\/h2>\n\n
Image: Capcom<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Way of the Sword is not open-world, but it uses Kyoto as a hub between linear story missions. Those missions are generally well paced, moving Musashi through bamboo groves, fortresses and unpleasant Genma-infested spaces. Kyoto is less compelling here, where its muddy streets look alike, and locked routes and awkward barriers turn nearby map markers into unnecessary wandering.<\/p>\n
More frustratingly, the hub is tied to an upgrade system that asks you to gather cloth, leather, iron and other materials. Improvements are useful, but searching corners for crafting ingredients feels like work that has wandered in from a larger game. Basic side quests do little to help either, and several enemies and bosses return often enough for Musashi himself to complain about facing them again. Truly, even I sympathise with him at this point.<\/p>\n
There are great optional stories here and there, including the Curious Cases provided by Lady Murasaki, but Way of the Sword still feels longer than it needs to be. A main playthrough takes roughly 20 hours, while exploring more of the side content can push that closer to 30. There is plenty of strong material across that time; I just wish Capcom had been more willing to just let the fantastic sword combat carry the game.<\/p>\n
Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n
Image: Capcom<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a successful return for a series that has been absent for far too long, although it also feels caught between two eras. Its direct combat, campy horror and larger-than-life hero brought me back to the Capcom of the early 2000s. But its crafting materials, map icons and hub-based chores belong to modern game design habits that I felt would have been better off ignoring.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the part Capcom needed to get right is also the part it handled with wonderful pom. The swordplay is deliberate without feeling slow, accessible without becoming shallow, and backed by larger-than-life boss fights that make full use of it. Way of the Sword may have a few blunt edges, but when steel meets steel, Onimusha feels very much alive again.<\/p>\n
P\/S: Capcom, can we please bring back Takeshi Kaneshiro for the next Onimusha game?<\/p>\n
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available now for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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