Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — oldschool action adventure game with modern combat Mataeo SmithMon, August 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC 0 Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on PS5 and Xbox Series XlS on Sept. 4 Credit:Capcom I personally had high hopes for Onimusha: Way of the Sword when I played the demo back in October, and Capcom certainly delivered. I was a bit disappointed when the developers confirmed that this game wouldn&x27;t be openworld, but it still works as a linear samurai adventure whose combat could rival hardhitters like Sony&x27;s Ghost series.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — old-school action adventure game with modern combat
Mataeo SmithMon, August 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC
0
Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on PS5 and Xbox Series XlS on Sept. 4 -Credit:Capcom
I personally had high hopes for Onimusha: Way of the Sword when I played the demo back in October, and Capcom certainly delivered.
I was a bit disappointed when the developers confirmed that this game wouldn't be open-world, but it still works as a linear samurai adventure whose combat could rival hard-hitters like Sony's Ghost series. Onimusha separates itself with a deep combat system that admonishes impatient button-mashing and carelessness - more on that later.
The story is so-so. I didn't really care for any of the characters through my experience, but Capcom did get a laugh or two out of me.
But in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, combat is everything, and thank goodness the developers got it right.
• 007 First Light review: James Bond returns in a Hitman-like game that tests your wit and charm
• Pragmata review — combat rarely gets old, but Diana's voice certainly does
The tale of the Oni
The story follows samurai Miyamoto Musashi, a nomad who seeks to establish himself as the best swordsman around. After defeating the grandmaster samurai of a reputable school, he's attacked by demons who've slipped through a subteranean portal connecting Earth and Hell.
They kill him, but he's resurrected as an Oni, a magical samurai warrior tasked with gatekeeping the portal, donning a mystical gauntlet that can absorb souls. We don't see too much emotion from Musashi, who complains about his new duties throughout the story and reminds us that he's saving the world just because he has nothing better to do.
The story follows samurai Miyamoto Musashi, a nomad who seeks to establish himself as the best swordsman around
We do see a hint of character development from Musashi in passing as he's confronted by other swordsmen who use the gauntlet for more sadistic purposes.
The way of the sword
Onimusha's combat is stimulating, chaotic, and very fun.
The parry mechanic plays a major role in fights, as you'll need to watch enemies' movements and react accordingly. This is definitely not a soul-like game, but it isn't easy either. Musashi can parry, dodge, counter, shoot arrows, and summon Oni weapons that each have their own special ability - like a pair of daggers that dig out healing souls that let Musashi heal, and a spear that generates a tornado and damages multiple enemies at once.
Every enemy will leave behind red demon souls, which you'll use to upgrade your equipment and abilities
The timing window for parries isn't too hard and takes just a little practice to master for run-of-the-mill enemies. Bosses will try to throw you off with delayed strikes and combos that took me a couple of tries to really memorize.
Windows for counters, which require players to hit the strike button just before an enemy's attack lands, is much tighter, making it all the more rewarding when you land a devastating blow after fading through a demon's sword.
Advertisement
Every enemy will leave behind red demon souls, which you'll use to upgrade your equipment and abilities. Eventually, Musashi can counter after perfect dodging or deflect an attack to completely drain a target's stamina meter. One of my favorite abilities is "Blaze Mode," which activates when you parry enough attacks. Musashi's blade becomes covered in blue flames, which looks cool and increases damage to enemies.
Onimusha really shines with enemy variety
Every ability can be practiced at an altar, so you can get your timing right.
Practice is important because this game throws a lot at you. Enemy grab counters need to be timed accordingly or they'll take a sizable amount of your health and perfect dodging is essential when facing beasts whose attacks are impervious to parries
Boss battles, which are largely fun, can be replayed for rewards as well.
All kinds of Hell
Onimusha really shines with enemy variety.
There are basic demon swordsmen, dinosaur-like reptiles who morph into spiked death wheels, terrifying floating heads that shoot dark flames, and occasionally become suicide bombers, and grotesque blobs that split into two enemies.
A horde of these enemies is no big deal, but things can get heated when they mix. The retile death wheels can be parried and sent spinning into other enemies or even into the wall, where they'll become stuck.
A suicide-bomber head can get lost in a crowd of demon swordsmen. The game will throw different challenges at you, and the difficulty mounts as you edge toward the end of the game.
The environment is certainly your friend, as Musashi can instantly drain an enemy's stamina by throwing a wooden board toward them or launching a red barrel at an archer just out of reach.
Something that is not your friend, though, is the lock-on mechanic. It's very annoying to switch targets as it's slow to respond and often doesn't move to the enemy I want to hit. The fact that it's essential to combat makes it worse because trying to fight without it is even more annoying. Pick your poison, I guess.
Small world
Another critique I have is the level design. You'll spend the majority of your time sifting through shrouded wilderness and towns plagued by hellish smoke.
Once in a while, you'll be treated to different scenery, but I would have loved to see some more creativity here.
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories
Rating 8/10
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is much more than a hack-and-slash game; it's an old-school action-adventure game that thrives in combat, but doesn't show the same passion for its story and level design.
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: August 31, 2026 at 06:09PM on Source: RED MAG
#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle