Onimusha: Way of the Sword Reviews
Onimusha: Way of the Sword shines with excellent combat, fantastic bosses, and a Musashi full of personality. Some sections slow the pace down, but when it gets good, it gets really good.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
No longer slumbering, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a fully realized successor to Onimusha that makes it more than it ever was. CAPCOM has managed to reinvent and reinvigorate the series for new and old fans. Onimusha: Way of the Sword offers excellent soulslike combat and systems within a character action game, representing a new hybridization of game design I’m all for. Parries carry the game to make the combat exciting, deep, and rewarding. As Takamura Ono says, “Just sublime, boy.”
Onimusha: The Way of the Sword lowers the barrier to entry with relatively easy parrying, while still delivering that satisfying combat feel for veterans through the series' signature 'Issen' mechanic. Furthermore, it attractively reinterprets familiar narratives by weaving bizarre occurrences at historical locations into captivating 'ghost stories'.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a fantastic revival of the franchise that once again proves that Capcom can seemingly do no wrong this console generation. The sheer quality of the blade-to-blade combat, the gorgeous visuals, and the epic storytelling make it impossible to put the controller down, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword offering a deeply rewarding adventure that honours its PlayStation 2 roots whilst carving out a brilliant new path for the franchise.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword sets a new standard when it comes to reviving long-forgotten IPs. The series returns with a vengeance in the RE Engine, where Capcom has shown clear improvements in overall optimization and presentation. And to top it off, the game offers some of the most intuitive combat designs in an action game, which, paired with well-crafted boss fights, creates a memorable experience in multiple ways. After 20 years of dormancy, it feels like the franchise is getting its Resident Evil moment, and we’re sure to see more of the IP in the near future.
Manages to effectively straddle the line between quicker action and deeper satisfying sword combat
Onimusha: Way of the Sword opens up a bright future for the series, providing plenty of room to refine existing ideas and introduce new solutions. Ultimately, it may move away from what defined the original game, but it does so in a way that can appeal to both new and longtime fans through a polished, high-quality structure.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword delivers exhilarating swordplay built around intricate clashes and counters, while the charismatic Miyamoto Musashi and a strong emotional cast keep the journey compelling. Its open world can feel tedious and parts of the story fall short, but none of that dulls the brilliance of its combat—an experience so satisfying that simply fighting is reason enough to keep playing.
Review in Korean | Read full review
I haven’t embraced its open world map quite as much as Capcom probably hoped I would, but those are minor issues. All in all, despite my already sky-high expectations, Onimusha: Way of the Sword ended up being even better than I could have anticipated. By borrowing elements from pretty much every acclaimed samurai game out there, it somehow manages to create a gameplay loop that feels entirely like its own thing. It’s got heart, it’s a feast for the eyes, and it boasts one of the best combat systems I’ve experienced in recent memory.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a very good action game that suffers from a fair amount of unnecessary repetition. Despite this significant flaw, it offers plenty of enjoyable gameplay that’s both spectacular and challenging, especially on higher difficulty levels. If you’re a fan of this kind of gameplay, you’ll find plenty to keep you entertained for hours.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a triumphant return for the series, with Issen-based combat that rewards precision and risk like few action games before it, anchored by a magnetic protagonist and genuinely moving storytelling.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Capcom’s long-awaited return to the Onimusha series after 20 years lives up to the name. Starring Japan’s legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, Onimusha: Way of the Sword delivers sword combat worthy of its protagonist, showcasing katana-based action at its finest. The game’s deliberately slower combat pace may sound awkward on paper, but thanks to its high-quality animations and finely tuned combat system, it instead becomes one of the game’s greatest strengths. Musashi himself, brought to life with the facial likeness of Toshiro Mifune, is also charismatic enough to carry the story and makes it easy to become invested in his journey.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Overall, I am thoroughly impressed by Onimusha’s comeback. In practice, it is yet another Capcom title that more than earns its place among the modern gaming greats, and it is an easy recommendation for fans of action games, particularly thanks to its excellent story and superb combat mechanics. At the same time, I cannot help but wonder how much better it could have been with a little more variety and slightly more thought put into the pacing. That said, these complaints are fairly minor when viewed in the bigger picture. Capcom has once again hit the mark and shown how a proper samurai adventure should be made.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a well-crafted, atmospherically dense comeback that impresses with solid combat mechanics, strong presentation, and a polished German localization.
Review in German | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword marks a successful return for a series that had been absent from the spotlight for a long time. Capcom has managed to modernize the formula without losing the unique character that made Onimusha stand out, with the combat system undoubtedly being its greatest strength.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword delivers an excellent combat system and epic boss battles, but its game structure stretches itself unnecessarily, resulting in too much repetition.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a superb samurai action game with exceptional combat, memorable bosses, strong characters, and a striking horror tone.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is one of those games where, whilst playing, I found myself thinking time and again: “Blimey, this is phenomenal.” The combat, in particular, left a lasting impression on me. The combination of parries, dodges, Issen attacks and spectacular boss battles ensures that you’ll want to draw that sword time and time again. The Japanese atmosphere, music and visual splendour also make this a particularly atmospheric adventure. Unfortunately, the repetitive Malice and Rift missions, recurring sub-bosses and the inevitable back-and-forth running mean the game doesn’t quite reach perfection. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even when I got thoroughly beaten as Musashi, I found myself staring at the screen with a smile. Following Resident Evil 9: Requiem and PRAGMATA, Capcom proves once again that it still knows how to deliver top-class games. With Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the company has hit the bullseye once more.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a spectacular, challenging samurai action game that will put your reflexes to the test in a ruthless way. It isn’t a ‘soulslike’, but it draws on some of its principles to create electrifying combat.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
That kind of comeback after twenty years makes up for the wait. The dynamic combat and boss fights are the best thing that happened to action games this year. It’s just a shame that, in between them, the game makes you do the exact same thing for a few hours too long.
Review in Polish | Read full review