Onimusha: Way of the Sword Reviews
Capcom dusts off one of its longtime franchises in “Onimusha: Way of the Sword,” featuring fantastic characters and bosses and a fun combat system that balances risks and rewards. It isn’t perfect as the pacing can get uneven once exploration is thrown in. Sometimes, though, you just need a stepping stone to get back on the right track after losing your way. In that sense, I feel quite confident that Onimusha is back on solid ground.
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
Onimusha: Way of the Sword delivers a truly immersive experience, featuring breathtaking visuals that vividly bring its fantastical world to life, alongside engaging gameplay that keeps players captivated throughout. Its compelling storyline adds depth and emotional weight, showcasing Capcom's skill in creating a masterpiece that stands as a strong contender for Game of the Year.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a bloody and satisfying return for a series that has been missing for far too long. The brutal sword-fighting, interesting story, incredible environments and entertaining dialogue kept me hooked, even when the camera decided to fight me harder than the Genma. Onimusha is finally back, and it was well worth the wait.
If you’re a fan of action games, samurai, Japanese history, demonic fantasy, or simply great sword combat, Onimusha: Way of the Sword should definitely be on your radar. An excellent comeback that further confirms Capcom’s impressive form.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a must-play because Capcom has managed to recapture its essence and adapt it to the modern era. The combat system is undoubtedly its greatest strength, delivering some spectacular moments. Add to that a fantastic setting, memorable boss battles, and top-notch audiovisuals. Not everything is on the same level, but it proves that the franchise has an excellent foundation for the series’ future.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is an action-packed welcome back that’ll give fans both new and old something to be excited about. It’s a game that respects the past with its familiarity while also inserting its own flavor to make it stand on its own against other single player narrative games while even paying homage to action games that more or less could’ve replaced it.
Capcom has modernised the formula without sanding off its personality, combining deliberate swordplay, grotesque demons, and a rather rollicking adventure marked with dark twists and turns. The end result is a bloody, stylish and surprisingly amusing-in-spots slasher that understands the appeal of cutting through Genma demons with increasing degrees of supernatural bullshit. It’s not trying to be Warlords again. It’s forging its own blade. And after nearly two decades of waiting, I’m more than happy to be storing it up on my katanakake with the older ones.
It's hard not to think about what Onimusha: Way of the Sword could've been in the context of prior entries - especially the first game. What is here, though, is still a thrilling action game (once it takes the training wheels off) with a loveable cast of characters and unique identity amongst CAPCOM's other goliath franchises.
Capcom's Onimusha reboot successfully combines old-school linearity with contemporary melee mechanics. The result is a throwback action-adventure bolstered by ultra-satisfying and modernised combat, as well as some of the most surprisingly unsettling comedy and horror moments in recent memory.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a successful comeback for a series that has been absent for far too long. The combat system is precise and entirely built around timing, undoubtedly representing the greatest strength of this new chapter in Capcom's franchise, while the atmosphere of a Kyoto overrun by Genma malice manages to deliver some truly evocative moments. Some limitations in the side activities and a certain degree of repetition prevent the adventure from reaching excellence, but Musashi and his journey through a world of samurai and demons still manage to leave their mark. A compact, spectacular experience that remains, above all, faithful to the spirit of the Onimusha franchise.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword perhaps doesn't make the best first impression and takes a little time to warm to, but once all of its system are in play, it becomes pretty enthralling. Ultimately, it's a game worth picking up – even if only for its spectacular, and challenging, boss fights.
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Review in Italian | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a fantastic return for a franchise many thought Capcom had left behind. Even when I thought combat had hit its peak, the game kept layering on deeper mechanics, richer upgrades, and thrilling boss encounters that demand your absolute best. In a stacked month of massive releases, Musashi’s journey isn't just worth your time—it's an absolute must-play for action fans.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword never treats gameplay as a mere bridge between cutscenes, nor does it equate cinematic presentation with reducing the player to a passive spectator. Instead, it integrates its cinematic ambitions into the very fabric of its gameplay. Fluid animation, precise character movement, and the deliberate rhythm of combat generate the same sense of spectacle, scale, and dramatic weight that cinematic games often pursue by diminishing player agency and leaning heavily on scripted sequences. Here, cinematic presentation does not come at the expense of interactivity; it emerges organically from it. Onimusha has returned with remarkable force, and Way of the Sword feels less like the conclusion of a long-awaited comeback than the beginning of a new chapter.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword successfully revives the series with rewarding swordplay, cinematic combat, and a compelling new protagonist. Uneven pacing, audio problems, awkward movement, and limited accessibility options keep this promising new beginning from reaching its full potential.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword offers a solid foundation in certain aspects, particularly with its protagonist, Musashi. In addition to the combat system and several distinctive ideas in its boss encounters. However, the game did not utilize these elements well due to a lack of enemy variety, an overly easy difficulty curve, lackluster level and quest design, and shallow exploration. These shortcomings held the experience far below its true potential, ultimately rendering the game a wasted opportunity on all fronts.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Rebooting a classic franchise is never an easy task, but Onimusha: Way of the Sword pulls it off with precision, delivering a fun, action-packed samurai adventure that will appeal to both veterans and newcomers to Capcom’s saga. The fact that even its occasional difficulty spikes don't prevent a recommendation proves it is well worth wielding the Oni Gauntlet and putting an end to the demonic hordes as Miyamoto Musashi. And, fortunately for us, the Switch 2 is a great platform for doing just that.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword confirms Capcom’s success in masterfully reviving the franchise, pleasing both new and returning fans with its humorous plot, agile combat, and expansive exploration. Although it has its shortcomings—such as excessively tough bosses, limited enemy variety, and minor exploration flaws—these issues do not diminish the brilliance of this excellent title.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword not only rescues the franchise but elevates it to a new level, positioning itself as one of the best games in Capcom's recent history. The edge of the sword has been sharpened with perfection, patience, and respect for the source material. Without a doubt, one of the best releases of the year!
Review in Portuguese | Read full review