@deehar's review of Onimusha: Way of the Sword
★★★★
“If you live by the sword , fighting is everything” Onimusha: Way Of The Sword is the revival of an IP that used to become very famous during the PS2 era. It’s an action adventure game where you play as the protagonist, Miyamoto Mushashi, a swordsman who enjoys fighting swordsman who enjoys fighting for the sheer thrill of the duel, only to find his skills tested against something far beyond human. Onimusha core combat is about reading and reacting to enemy’s attack, you will spend as much time circling your opponent, studying their tells and footwork, as you do swinging your blade. While there are complaints that the mobs are very easy and not being as “reactive” as it supposed to be. Later on the game, enemy becomes much more challenging. Not to mention, bosses present genuinely daunting spikes in difficulty that will push your reflexes to the absolute limit. While the combat is amazing, there are a few things I wish they had included, such as more variety in Musashi’s attacks. Even though the game provides a diverse arsenal, the combat can occasionally feel repetitive since you primarily rely on just light and heavy attacks, followed by your reactions to dodge and parry. I can’t help but compare it to games like Ghost of Tsushima, which features dynamic stances, or Sekiro, which offers multiple unlockable abilities. Onimusha does have a skill tree, but the upgrades mostly focus on improving existing mechanics rather than giving you entirely new ways to play. I was quite surprised when reviews mentioned a 25 to 30-hour playtime for Onimusha, a length largely driven by its new semi-open world structure. While I generally enjoy this kind of exploration, and I’m currently trying to 100% the game myself—I have to admit it feels quite bloated. It can become tedious for players who just want to experience the main story, especially since side exploration mostly just yields basic upgrade materials. Furthermore, the quest structure in the first 15 hours is frustrating; the developers force you through unskippable side content between main missions, essentially acting as drawn-out tutorials for new map features. Where Way of the Sword truly shines is in its narrative delivery, anchored by a genuinely menacing villain, Minamoto no Yoshitsuna who casts a shadow over the entire campaign. His presence gives the story a much-needed sense of urgency and dread, elevating the plot beyond a simple demon-hunting revenge tale. This high-stakes atmosphere bleeds perfectly into the boss encounters. The visual design of these Genma generals is absolutely superb, blending twisted samurai armor with grotesque demonic features. Mechanically, these fights are thrilling and demanding. However, they hit a comfortable sweet spot which require you to learn their patterns and master your parries. It's challenging, but always approachable. Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with what Capcom has done this year. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a fantastic action-adventure, hack-and-slash title that is sure to draw in a lot of newcomers eager to try the IP, myself included. I genuinely enjoyed the game from start to finish and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a flashy, approachable samurai game that doesn't demand a crazy, hair-pulling level of difficulty.
Open this review on Memorycard
Download Memorycard on the App Store Get Memorycard on Google Play