Developer Capcom has been on an upward trajectory lately, thanks to big wins for the Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Devil May Cry franchises, which have, fortunately, led to some classic Capcom games getting another chance in the spotlight. It’s been 20 years since the last main entry of the samurai action-horror series Onimusha, and it’s finally getting the modern reboot it sorely needs.
With Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom is giving the classic series a reboot that leans into its action-horror roots, and doing it all while putting a keener, more personable eye on protagonist Musashi Miyamoto’s reluctant journey through demon-infested Edo-period Kyoto. Along with our three hours of hands-on time exploring the surprising inclusion of metroidvania-style zones, we got some insights from game director Satoru Nihei and producer Akihito Kadowaki about what it took to really give the Onimusha series a sorely needed second chance in the spotlight.
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“We had so much to consider when it came to updating the Onimusha series, and obviously, the core element of the original games is the action – but that in particular was something we especially wanted to focus even more on with Way of the Sword,” said series producer Akihito Kadowaki.
“One of the things that they really wanted to do was to uphold that kind of respect for the action with the earlier past games, in that you have to take your time and focus on your attacks. But we also wanted to add a modern spin to it, and expand on it to make it feel more modern and impactful. Then there were the more iconic elements such as maintaining the oni gauntlet and the soul absorption, which blend into the combat experience. We wanted to ensure that Onimusha lives up to the original games, but builds upon them as well.”
“We wanted to ensure that Onimusha lives up to the original games, but builds upon them as well.”
Much like the classic games, Onimusha: Way of the Sword focuses on the adventures of a samurai fighting demons and other monsters, leveraging both mortal and demon weapons to slay demons and evil humans taking advantage of the chaos. The original game was initially conceived as a samurai-action, dark-fantasy spin on Resident Evil’s survival-horror gameplay, which is still present today, albeit loosely.
Onimusha games struck a nice balance of stylish action and more thoughtful exploration, but where Way of the Sword differs is in its more cinematic, developed adventure, with a more fantastical re-interpretation of real-life samurai Musashi Miyamoto (with facial modeling based on legendary action film star Toshiro Mifune).
In Way of the Sword, Musashi is a wily and opportunistic vagabond, but a gifted swordsman nonetheless. He is reluctantly tasked with saving Japan from a corrupted Yoshitune Minamoto after demons have been unleashed throughout Kyoto.
Granted a powerful Oni Gauntlet that augments his vitality and sword skills, and with the help of a benevolent spirit, Miyamoto’s personal goal is to free himself from the gauntlet and leave Kyoto. Still, he’ll eventually embrace the path of protector of Kyoto and cut down the demonic warlords that have taken over.
Capcom has embraced a Del Toro-style horror in this new take on Onimusha.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword really goes all in on this particular refresh of the series, especially when it comes to cinematic storytelling, sharper, more impactful combat, and a more open exploration of its world. While later entries veered into some wildly over-the-top fantasy scenarios involving time-travel and fighting demons in 2000s-era Paris, Way of the Sword tonally has a more grounded style as a samurai action-horror spectacle.
Though that’s not to say the grounded approach lessens the fantastical element. Instead, it goes for a visually cinematic style with realistic characters, movement, and animations, which further emphasizes those character moments and the measured feel of action. This ends up really meshing well with the dark fantasy elements of cutting through undead and facing off against demonic bosses. It gives players that feeling of taking part in a classic samurai action film that suddenly dives into Guillermo Del Toro-style horrors that need to be hacked up.
Where this more tactical and grounded feel really shines is with the core combat, which especially emphasizes an almost rhythmic style compared to other action games. Firstly, it’s important to stress that this Onimusha reboot is not a soulslike game.
The game features some elements of a more measured, patient approach to action, but it is not as unforgiving and occasionally grueling to play. It’s also not as fast and demanding as games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so no need to worry about parrying a 6-hit combo in quick succession.
Way of the Sword brings fluid combat and a nice environmental surprise.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword goes for a more controlled, steady combat pace. One where reading your opponent’s moves and carefully deflecting, parrying, and evading strikes is key to survival. But there’s also a give-and-take where you’ll need to monitor your own poise to avoid being staggered when trying to defend yourself. When you get into the thick of it, it gives off the impression that you are a master in the midst of battle, where you’re two steps ahead of every enemy and can guide the flow of combat with your choices in engagement.
Playing as Musashi, who is ever the opportunist, he also has a variety of ranged attacks and demon weapons to lean into. Once you unlock the upgrade trees, it reveals some surprising scaling with Musashi’s abilities. I particularly liked the blazing art skill, which powers up his sword strikes with an added flame effect provided you can maintain a careful momentum in combat.
But a low-key fun option is using environmental objects to get one over on foes. Along with pushing abandoned carts into enemies, you can also prop up broken doors to use as shields, or toss them into crowds of enemies. The core combat and opportunities within these scenarios really do well showcasing Musashi as a wild fighter before he becomes a legend.
Boss encounters are Way of the Sword’s showstopper when it comes to combat.
That said, Way of the Sword‘s combat is a particularly unique style and flow that can take some time to get the feel of. Admittedly, I did struggle for a bit with finding that flow and pace – particularly on the more challenging boss battles. However, my 3 hours of hands-on time really helped me settle into the pacing, and I was so impressed with how well the steady movement and tense combat can feel.
It really captures the honed focus that samurai action heroes have in films, which gives way to some satisfying moments of action where I was using the Issen skill to dodge and land a deathblow in a quick, effortless motion. The act of deflecting attacks is also particularly satisfying, as it feels like it’s not just a moment to break an enemy’s defense, but an opportunity to set up a particularly ruthless offensive.
The common fodder presents plenty of opportunities to cut loose and unleash your skills, but where Onimusha: Way of the Sword really shined for me was during the showstopping boss encounters. Like the original games, these encounters can feel initially daunting, but the skill set and tools you have reveal just how evenly matched you are, even against the larger and more ruthless demons.
The Orge-like boss in the early demo really did well to showcase the environment destruction in the game, and the opportunities that can come from that – like when the boss can get his weapon stuck in a structure, allowing you to tear into him as he’s distracted. It was such a thrilling encounter, as it not only captured those cinematic moments where I would end up getting flung to a wall by strikes, but also my subsequent counteroffenses that had been tearing away his armor. It was such an exciting boss battle that made me feel that I had begun to master the art of deflecting and countering well.
“Kyoto is very rich with a lot of legends and myths throughout history”
Another area that impressed me with the game was how it builds out the setting of a corrupted Kyoto. Much like previous games, Onimusha: Way of the Sword focuses on the steady exploration of a Japan in turmoil, fighting through castles and ruined communities swarming with demons.
But where Way of the Sword differs is in being a more open-ended area to explore, where you’ll meet more of the community and unlock more. Onimusha 2 laid the groundwork for this aspect, but Way of the Sword really runs with it in a big way, which is something the developers wanted to focus on, especially with the reboot.
“There were two factors in mind for designing the world – first of all, Kyoto is very rich with a lot of legends and myths throughout history, so we wanted to have a space where players could explore and discover those kinds of mysteries for themselves. So we put some quests and activities throughout the game that take you down that road,” said game director Satoru Nihei.
“On top of that, we also wanted to add a way for players to be able to grow at their own pace. If they were to get stuck at a boss, rather than banging their heads against it to try and succeed, we wanted to introduce elements where they could go elsewhere in this more open space. They can find things that can help strengthen their character so they can go back and challenge the boss again. So that’s why we moved away from the linear design of the previous games,” he said.
Kyoto is its own character in Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
I particularly liked being able to explore Kyoto once more areas opened up. Along with finding hidden artifacts and combat scenarios, which opened up some fun encounters, I also enjoyed seeing the world feel more lived in.
Musashi and his allies bond over the course of the demon invasion, and even help the surviving citizens try to find safety and keep their sense of community. Even with how bleak the situation was, the community of Kyoto – after slaying one of the more powerful demons – still came together to put on a theater show to lighten the mood, which was surprisingly touching to see in such an action-horror game.
In many ways, Way of the Sword channels a similar approach to God of War (2018), in that it’s a reboot of a series that gives it the mindful, modernized update it needs. There are some modern reboots of classic games that tend to take the original concept and make it more grounded and serious – and, in some ways, distance themselves from the more video-game-stylized. But I’m very pleased so far with how Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s more invigorating combat and personable storytelling take the series in a more fully realized direction.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword not only showcases its world in a more detailed way, but it elevates the samurai action to a level that offers some fantastic, satisfying combat beats that have already got the makings of one of the year’s best action games. I can’t wait to see where Musashi’s journey goes next in the final release.
