Capcom has revived the Onimusha series after a long hiatus. Back in the day, Onimusha earned the nickname "Sengoku-era Resident Evil" and became a major hit action-adventure franchise following the classic Resident Evil games. But no new entry had come out in years — until now.
Onimusha has historically cast film actors as its heroes or companions, including Kaneshiro Takeshi, Jean Reno, and Matsuda Yusaku. This time, the protagonist is Miyamoto Musashi, with actor Mifune Toshiro's likeness used as his face model. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is set in 1600s Kyoto and follows Musashi's fight against the Genma, supernatural demonic beings.
Way of the Sword leans hard into the sword-fighting action the series has always been known for. Onimusha has long been famous for its "Issen" system — a mechanic where you counter an enemy's attack — and this entry brings back the thrill of cutting down foes in a single blow through Issen, now wrapped in a much wider variety of actions that make it look even more spectacular.
Both the protagonist and enemies have a Stagger Gauge that depletes when you block, parry, or deflect incoming attacks. Once it's fully drained, the target enters a Stagger Break state, opening them up to a devastating Stagger Issen for massive damage.
Combat has real weight to the sword strikes, and mixing light and heavy attacks into different combinations against enemies makes for satisfying, strategic fights. Blocking, dodging, or parrying enemy attacks keeps the sword-combat fantasy alive throughout.
Compared to earlier Onimusha games, puzzle content has been scaled back significantly in favor of much more cinematic combat. With puzzles taking a back seat, there's almost no puzzle-related friction, and combat carries proportionally more of the game. True to Capcom form, the hit feedback is excellent on its own, and the cinematic presentation makes just watching the action fun too — boss fights in particular lean on varied attack patterns and movie-like staging to really sell the thrill of combat, making them arguably the game's highlight. Also worth noting: this isn't a Soulslike. The difficulty sits at a comfortable middle ground — neither too easy nor too hard — and a difficulty setting lets you dial it up or down freely. Navigation is also forgiving thanks to the minimap, so you won't get lost easily, making the game noticeably more accessible than a typical Soulslike.
Progression alternates between combat encounters and free roaming across an open-world-style map, mixing in exploration, collecting, and character growth. The map isn't huge, but it's densely packed, so there's real pleasure in finding a way around blocked paths and exploring as you go.
On the downside, the action is excellent, but after extended play sessions you start to wish for more enemy variety, and fights in the same region can start to feel repetitive. Character progression also feels a bit flat — upgrades to clothing, weapons, and armor mostly just bump numbers up without any visual change. It would have been nice to see something added or altered in presentation once you hit certain milestones; as it stands, that's a minor letdown. The female character designs also feel like they're missing a bit of charm.
Overall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword — a comeback a full 20 years in the making — captures what made the series great while delivering satisfying sword-fighting action. The story holds up fine even if you haven't played the earlier games. Between its dark setting, a compelling lead brought to life through strong performance and animation, and its stylish action, this is a game that leaves you looking forward to whatever Capcom does with the series next.
Source: GameY (게임와이) — published 2026.09.27
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