Not counting weird mobile games, Japanese arcade-only VR titles and remasters of the old games, it’s been 20 years since the last proper Onimusha game. For a series from Capcom that looked set to become one of their core brands at the start of the PS2 era, Onimusha felt as if it was dropped like a bad habit seemingly out of nowhere. That’s why Way of the Sword feels so important, as it’s a fresh start for a series in desperate need of one, and Capcom have definitely capitalised on it.
A mix of sequel and soft reboot for the series, Way of the Sword moves the Onimusha series a few years to the start of the Edo period. The game follows the legendary real life warrior Miyamoto Musashi, as he’s killed and brought back to life by an Oni Gauntlet provided by a mysterious stranger in Hell. With an army of Genma laying siege to Japan, a rival with their own Oni gauntlet looking to challenge Miyamoto, and a plot from the bowels of Hell itself to bring chaos to the living world, Musashi sure has his work cut out for him.
The slight time jump and perspective shift has done a world of good, giving players a new opportunity to experience the series for the first time. Musashi himself might also be the best protagonist of the bunch, walking this fine line of being this cocky jerk with a heart of gold, even if he’ll act like he doesn’t want to be there the whole time. Much has been made of Capcom digitally recreating legendary actor Toshiro Mifune as the basis for Miyamoto, but to Capcom’s credit, they’ve made sure to put the work in on his facial expressions and demeanor. It’s hard not to fall in love with the guy’s cocky swagger, exasperated faces and everything in between, making him a more unique hero compared to other Onimusha protagonists.
That same level of care has been extended to the rest of the cast too. From Musashi’s allies like Takemura, Shizuka and Okuni, to his foes like Ganryu and main villain Yoshitsune, all of them have a compelling presence whenever they’re on screen. Yoshitsune in particular is a standout, blending an almost childlike and joyful presence with a psychotic level of violence. It’s arguably more terrifying than the giant spider in Resident Evil Requiem, and I’m an arachnophobe.
While it’s good that the story and characters are much more compelling than in some previous offerings (Jean Reno notwithstanding), Onimusha games have always lived and died based on their gameplay. Here, Onimusha: Way of the Sword sings, but with a couple of small caveats that might detract from the overall experience. This is the biggest Onimusha game yet, with our playthrough clocking in at around 25-30 hours, so don’t expect to blast through this one like you can with previous entries.
The majority of the game takes place in Eastern Kyoto, a small open world that slowly expands as you progress through the game, with you travelling to different areas of the map and completing quests. Occasionally in the main story, you’ll get a mission that takes you elsewhere, which then functions as a more linear level, but there’s only a handful of those throughout the whole game, which is a bit of a shame. There’s only so many times you can walk the same streets during a main quest without it feeling a bit like padding. It also doesn’t help that there’s plenty of reused boss fights, and that’s before the Capcom Standard Finale Boss RushTM.
It’s the core combat itself that’ll keep you coming back throughout the game’s run time though, because it’s absolutely sublime. You’ve got your standard set of one hand or two hand attacks, along with a dedicated ranged option that’s easier to use than ever. Defensively, the game opens up massively, with plenty of room for skill expression if you’re trying to be stylish.
For safer options, there’s blocking and parrying, along with deflecting which drains more stamina but removes the ability to deal follow-up damage. There’s also no proper dodge rolling like your Souls games, with Onimusha using a “spot dodge” mechanic similar to Smash Bros called Reflex Dodge. Series fans will also appreciate knowing that Issen counters are back in force, dealing massive damage to anyone who can attack with the right timing. Getting that timing is easier said than done, but once you do? It feels phenomenal.
Fighting isn’t as much about dealing an overwhelming amount of damage before your enemy can attack, though you can certainly do that against the fodder enemies. Bosses, however, need to be exhausted by having a stalwart defense against their onslaught, and it’s utterly thrilling. Some have said that Sekiro best captures that idea of swordplay as a dance between two opponents, and I feel like Onimusha excels in that pursuit too. Dodges, counter attacks, even the minigames during combat where your weapons clash with each other; all are different moves in the choreography of the fight, and it’s beautiful to behold.
Where Onimusha somewhat falls down, unfortunately, is the lack of variation throughout the game. There’s skills to unlock, and new Oni weapons to find that offer different benefits, but the Oni weapons are merely just one time use skills attached to their own gauge. There’s no other main weapons, just the one sword, and it would’ve been cool to see Musashi properly using other weapons in the game. In real life, he was a renowned dual swordsman, but he only ever pulls out the second sword for specific Issen finishers. Even just a second sword style would’ve meant we’re not cycling through the same moves and finishers so quickly.
It’s a shame because compared to how bigger and expansive this Onimusha is, not having as wide an arsenal feels like a step backwards compared to Onimusha 2 and 3. It’s not a deal breaker, as after 30 hours with the game, I was still entertained, but between a lack of main weapons and new styles, along with the bloated open world and repeated enemy encounters, there’s a bit of a sense that Onimusha: Way of the Sword was made with perhaps less resources than other Capcom games that launched this year. Not surprising given that the last game was a sales flop, but still.
Regardless, this is still an excellent return for a series that shouldn’t have disappeared in the first place. Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s excellent combat, tense boss fights and compelling characters make this one of the better games of this year. I’m just hoping it’ll be successful enough to finally trigger Capcom to port Onimusha 3 to modern platforms.
A code was provided by PR for the purposes of this review.
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