Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Onimusha: Way of the Sword isn't just an excellent series revival from a company that has seemingly mastered them, taking a proper understanding of the early entries' appeal and matching it perfectly to modern sensibilities. It's also just plainly the best action game this year, and probably for the past few years.

Onimusha's return was significant in its own right. But the real value of Way of the Sword lies in the fact that it doesn't simply bring the Onimusha name back. Capcom understood what made the series so beloved and has blended those qualities with the evolution of modern action game design.

This triumphant revival delivers a deep, rewarding combat system and a stunning cinematic presentation despite a sluggish start. While the Kyoto hub feels slightly padded and sub-bosses are occasionally recycled, the breathtaking RE Engine visuals and exhilarating boss encounters ensure a top-tier experience. It successfully modernizes the classic formula without losing its identity to the soulslike trend.

While repetitive side activities and weak non-combat pacing occasionally stall its momentum, the game completely makes up for it with top-tier counter-based combat and thrilling swordplay. Despite a lack of compelling replayability, it delivers pure satisfaction the moment you draw your blade.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a spectacular, challenging samurai action game that will put your reflexes to the test in a ruthless way. It isn’t a ‘soulslike’, but it draws on some of its principles to create electrifying combat.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword successfully revives the series with rewarding swordplay, cinematic combat, and a compelling new protagonist. Uneven pacing, audio problems, awkward movement, and limited accessibility options keep this promising new beginning from reaching its full potential.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is worth playing for the combat alone, but the game around it doesn't live up to the standards that it sets from a pure gameplay perspective. Full of filler, overlong and focussed on the wrong things, there is a much better game in Onimusha: Way of the Sword if some of the pieces were arranged differently.

Is the best swordsplay combat game I have played since Sekiro and by far also the most polished one, top tier performance and bosses and story with characters make you care about the story too which is not a common thing in swordsplay games these years.

Too long game, repetitive, boss recycling, gave up at 93% of story. Just bosses one after other. Lame story, boring cut scenes, great combat.

El juego se hace repetitivo antes de llegar al 66% de su totalidad. Se reciclan bosses (añadido que puedes volver a enfrentarte a ellos en la sala de entrenamiento), el mundo semi-abierto que es la ciudad de Tokio corta mucho el rollo, las misiones secundarias son olvidables y prácticamente de recadero... El combate es otra cosa, te hace sentir un estratega y un verdadero maestro de la espada, pero para mi gusto es demasiado táctico, lo que hace que la defensa (parry y esquiva) sea fundamental y obligatorio para superar combates. Esto hace que se eche un falta un super ataque o algo que te haga sentir verdaderamente poderoso, añadido que en contra del resto de juegos de la saga, solo puedes usar la katana y nada más

What a letdown! 20 years of waiting for an empty, pointless open world. Sluggish, boring gameplay. An uninteresting storyline. I fell asleep in front of the game multiple times.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]