Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review - A Capcom Classic Returns

First Released September 4, 2026 Systems Leave a Review Overview Score Published Aug 31, 2026, 11:01 AM EDT Like Dino Crisis before it, Onimusha was a mostly dormant franchise that enjoyed a five year run from 2001 to 2006, but now it's finally back. In many circles, Capcom could be considered the king of action. The better parts of the Devil May Cry series might earn that moniker on its own, but the studio has been quietly (and loudly) pumping out action hits for decades. That includes the Onimusha series, which had an incredible five-year run back in the 2000s, but remained dormant afterward for nearly two decades. Now it's back, and arguably better than ever. In a stunning move, Capcom announced that it was bringing back Onimusha in 2024, and the results are staggeringly impressive. Just know that there are a few hangups. The Classic Swordsman Franchise Is Back In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, you'll take control of a fictional version of Miyamoto Musashi, one of the most famous swordsmen of all time.Musashi is skilled with a sword, and he knows it, but he also has the power of the Oni, which he uses to battle the evil Genma (essentially the demons of the Onimusha world) in an alternate version of Kyoto, Japan. Musashi is entertaining and a goofball, but he doesn't sway too far in any given direction. While he could end up becoming way too crass/cold or too goofy, Capcom perfectly encapsulates his cockiness and strength through combat-based dialogue. Every so often, you'll slash up an enemy and Miyamoto will make a comment on it, whether it's a nod of respect or a dig. Yep, Musashi straight up roasts or chats with some enemies, which makes for a really fun experience during some of the more heated combat sections. The rest of the cast (with a few exceptions) doesn't make as much of an impact, but no one is really on screen so much to the point where you get tired of them. There's a lot of supporting cast members in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and all of them do their job, especially the voice actors for a few big bosses. Onimusha's Combat Is Top Tier Capcom In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, you have a ton of options in any given combat. A dodge and block are available, but both of those can be timed for a perfect dodge/parry, respectively, and holding the block button while pressing jump will forcefully "deflect" projectiles and weapon swings back at their opponent. All three of these concepts are viable when fighting most enemies in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. In other words, if you want to skillfully dodge exclusively, you'll be able to do that. If you want to parry every hit, you can. If a projectile is coming straight at you, you can dodge it or deflect it. Some players may never even use the deflect mechanic throughout the entire journey. These are simple concepts in many action games, but not all of them are available at once or in the early games of many titles. In Onimusha, it feels like you have most of the tools you need after 30 minutes, with more available through skill trees, obtained through locating items and earning Red souls. Yep, that's right: souls. True to form for the series, Musashi is wielding a magical gauntlet, which bolsters his power level and lets you suck up various souls (that provide health, [mana], currency, and more). Like past games, you'll need to be strategic when you wield it to avoid enemies sucking up their own souls for themselves if you're too slow, or opening yourself up to attack. Onimusha becomes even more strategic on harder difficulties than you might expect. You'll often need to bob and weave while absorbing souls, and enemies are so aggressive overall that you often need to heal or use a recovery item after a quick dodge or parry. Clashes are cinematic and flashy, right up there with some of Devil May Cry's best animation and sound effects. There's something thrilling about reaching backward and seeing Musashi effortlessly block something from behind, while he quips, and you counterattack with a custom combo. Onimusha even utilizes two "clash" systems: one where you need to press the opposite button (light or strong) you initiated the clash with, and another where you literally have to mash an attack button to break. Playing through the game, it was wild to see just how well this mechanic was used, as it never felt like it was happening too much or in a cheap way. One thing used too often is a rogues' gallery of what I'd call "elite" enemies. They're definitely bosses, but they come up very often, and after the fourth or fifth time fighting them, they can grate. I should clarify, the action system is so fun to play that these enemies rarely felt like a chore to replay, even on the fifth attempt. But if you're the type of player who can learn enemy patterns very quickly, you might feel winded clashing with these bosses several times. For reference, this is a recurring issue with past games in the series, especially the second entry. To be clear, these are all good fights at minimum, and some of the boss battles really dial things up to a wild degree, including the final battle, which will likely get talked about online for months. Amid Some Hub Issues, Onimusha Has Truly Returned One of the key problems with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, beyond the repeated enemies, is the hub of Kyoto. The hub eventually opens up to a wide array of city streets, alleys, and islands to explore (as well as completely separate instanced areas), but initially it's very static and stuffy. Some entrances to secret areas are also way too hidden (like, behind a crate where you need to crawl into a small hole), and not having access to a lot of the map initially is a bummer, as sometimes you can see where you need to go, but you just can't get there yet. Onimusha was typically a linear experience, so I understand the need to innovate, but I would have preferred a fast onboarding process for the map. Even with some of those shortcomings, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a triumph. There's a lot to really dig into here if you're a hardcore action fan, especially if you jack up the difficulty and let it rip.