"A glorious blade that deserves a sharper foe"
About
Set in a demon-infested Kyoto, Onimusha: Way of the Sword follows a lone samurai armed with the soul-absorbing Oni Gauntlet. He battles the demonic Genma forces in search of a personal purpose. The minute-to-minute gameplay is a mix of third-person exploration and intense, up-close sword fighting. Its combat revolves around the Issen, a high-risk counter-attack performed at the last possible moment to instantly kill most foes and absorb their power.
Verdict
Onimusha: Way of the Sword delivers a superb action core. Mastering the timing of an Issen counter feels just as good as it ever did, turning defence into explosive offence. This satisfying loop is wrapped in a visually stunning package, thanks to the ever-reliable RE Engine. Yet for all its style, the game struggles to provide a consistent challenge. Enemies outside of boss arenas are often too passive, making much of the journey feel like a low-stakes warm-up. It's a strong return for the series, but one that pulls its punches.
You'll like it if …
- +You love mastering high-skill ceiling combat systems based on counters and timing.
- +Flawless technical performance and stunning visuals are a priority for you.
- +Stylish character action games centered on swordplay are your main interest.
You'll dislike it if …
- −You need a consistent challenge from standard enemies, not just from the bosses.
- −Repetitive encounters and shallow quest design quickly bore you.
- −Missing quality-of-life features like an FOV slider are a deal-breaker.
Breakdown
- +The Issen counter-attack system feels incredible to master, turning defence into a spectacular offensive weapon.
- +Combat is fluid and responsive, with a real sense of impact behind every slash and parry.
- +Boss fights are a highlight, demanding players learn attack patterns and use their full defensive toolkit.
- −Standard enemies are far too passive, often standing still and turning many encounters into a waiting game.
- −The lock-on system can be unreliable when fighting groups, causing frustrating camera shifts.
- +The core combat has a high skill ceiling, rewarding mastery of its parry, deflect, and Issen systems.
- −Enemy variety is thin on the ground, leading to repetitive fights between major boss encounters.
- −Weapon progression is shallower than in past titles, with alternate weapons feeling more like abilities than distinct styles.
- −Puzzle elements, a staple of the original series, are almost entirely absent.
- +The protagonist Musashi has a strong, captivating personality that drives the plot forward.
- +Kyoto's dark fantasy atmosphere is well-realised and creates an engaging backdrop for the story.
- −The English voice acting and localization are of noticeably poor quality.
- −Story pacing is often stalled by long, unskippable dialogue sequences.
- +Built on the RE Engine, the game is visually gorgeous with detailed character models and fluid animations.
- +The soundtrack effectively builds a tense, fitting atmosphere for demon-slaying.
- −While the Japanese voice track is excellent, the default English dub is jarringly subpar.
- −The camera sits too close to the character and lacks a field-of-view slider, which is especially constricting on ultrawide displays.
- +Technical performance is excellent, with smooth frame rates across a wide range of PC hardware.
- +The game is polished and largely free from crashes or significant bugs.
- −Tutorials are overbearing, frequently interrupting play to explain basic concepts.
- −Poor implementation of DualSense controller features on PC.
- −The absence of basic options like an FOV slider is a frustrating oversight.
score
