{"id":8431,"date":"2026-09-04T22:09:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T22:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8431"},"modified":"2026-09-04T22:09:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T22:09:43","slug":"review-onimusha-way-of-the-sword-modernizes-a-dormant-samurai-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8431","title":{"rendered":"Review: &#8216;Onimusha: Way of the Sword&#8217; modernizes a dormant samurai series"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>Kintsugi is an idea that\u2019s woven through \u201cOnimusha: Way of the Sword.\u201d The traditional Japanese art of repairing broken objects with golden lacquer seeps through the narrative. It\u2019s in parts of the environment, and it runs through the skin of its characters. It reflects Capcom\u2019s approach to resurrecting this long-dormant franchise.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8429\">Fall films 2026: These festivals and special screenings spice up the season<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A new entry in the \u201cOnimusha\u201d series hasn\u2019t been made for 20 years, and this new chapter, directed by Satoru Nihei, aims to piece together and transform the series into something new without discarding the past. The project carries over the staples that have made the series distinct.<br \/>\n<span><iframe allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"youtube-player\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Gbmd6YFm5oU?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" style=\"border:0;\" width=\"640\"><\/iframe><\/span><br \/>\n<strong>THE STORY SO FAR<\/strong><br \/>\nIt features a samurai modeled after a famous Japanese actor. In this case, the late Toshiro Mifune serves as the template for Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary real-life swordsman from the Edo period. He\u2019s famous for never losing a duel, but upon meeting demons called Genma, he loses his life and awakens with an Oni gauntlet. That armament gives him the power to battle the creatures, and he soon finds himself embroiled in a fight to save Japan from another historical figure, Minamoto no Yoshitsune.<\/p>\n<p>The military commander from the distant past has defeated the Oni who have guarded hell, and he commands an army of Genma with the goal of destroying the seals that keep the netherworld and Earth separated. Musashi becomes part of a crew that fights the Genma and Yoshitsune\u2019s minions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A MORE OPEN WORLD<\/strong><br \/>\nCapcom modernizes much of \u201cWay of the Sword,\u201d giving players a wider three-dimensional world to explore, revamping its structure and upgrading its combat. First, players will mostly explore Eastern Kyoto, which acts as an open-world hub where several missions take place. The developers lock away much of it, and as Musashi earns more abilities, it unlocks new areas to explore. In addition, he can fast-travel to faraway areas through Spirit Mirrors.<\/p>\n<p>With such a large map, the scope of the adventure widens, and Capcom\u2019s team adds several side quests. But instead of overwhelming players like a Ubisoft title, Nihei and his team take a more measured approach, sprinkling the quests after each major upgrade. Sadly, the side quests aren\u2019t creative, and some rewards are lacking for the work involved.<\/p>\n<p>The level design is reminiscent of the modern \u201cResident Evil,\u201d with simple puzzles that require Musashi to use his Oni Vision to discover hidden enemies blocking doors or find targets for his Oni Bow, such as door locks or gunpowder barrels. In the kintsugi-inspired Oni Refuge levels, he must fire his arrows at blocks to move them so he can advance. These minor obstacles break up the fighting, which is the core of the experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>COMBAT UPGRADE<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen Musashi first acquires his gauntlet, he wants it off. The prideful samurai is upset that he died and bears the scars of his defeat as kintsugi-like cracks on his skin. Over the course of the campaign, he comes to grips with his loss and uncovers a more important lesson about strength.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8427\">Eight arrested in deadly San Jose shooting during downtown World Cup surge<\/a><\/p>\n<p>That growth should coincide with the mastery of the game\u2019s combat, which echoes \u201cDark Souls.\u201d Success in \u201cWay of the Sword\u201d is about reading opponents, learning their attack patterns and parrying their strikes. The learning curve is steep and will frustrate players, but the gameplay is deeply rewarding once mastered. There\u2019s a moment when it all clicks, and players understand they can handle any enemy with the right timing.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>That part of the combat is great, but \u201cWay of the Sword\u201d has notable flaws. At times, especially during boss fights, the camera ends up stuck in corners, making already tough confrontations harder. The other issue is that it\u2019s so agonizingly slow to use items that it feels unresponsive. Players can\u2019t just tap a button to use power-ups. They have to hold the button down for a second, and it can be frustrating when looking for an opening to use them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PROGRESSION<\/strong><br \/>\nAs in other \u201cOnimusha\u201d titles, \u201cWay of the Sword\u201d features its own set of weapons and upgrade trees. Players build up a meter by collecting souls, and these allow them to attack with one of six Oni melee weapons. They each have a different function but only three felt usable. Meanwhile, players will collect Oni and Power stones that allow them to upgrade the aforementioned weapons and Musashi\u2019s samurai skills. Some of them such as Fall Recovery are essential to victory.<\/p>\n<p>The progression creates another way for players to overcome a difficult boss. If players are having a tough time, they can upgrade Musashi\u2019s sword, armor, gauntlet, weapons or abilities by grinding out Red Souls through combat. If it\u2019s still too hard, Capcom includes a Story Mode, which lowers the difficulty so players can still enjoy the story.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s Capcom\u2019s other area of improvement. The publisher\u2019s teams are getting better at crafting narratives, as seen by \u201cPragmata\u201d earlier this year, and \u201cWay of the Sword\u201d continues that progress. The plot isn\u2019t Shakespeare, but the campaign does have its emotional moments, where you can see a deeper effort as the team tries to weave a cohesive story, while preserving the \u201cOnimusha\u201d legacy and creating something better.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>\u2018Onimusha: Way of the Sword\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>3 stars out of 4<br \/>\n<strong>Platform:<\/strong> PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC<br \/>\n<strong>Rating:<\/strong> Mature<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8425\">Why is Bellarmine playing on Saturday night at San Jose City College? Bells AD explains<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Capcom resurrects a franchise where swordsmen battle Genma and historical figures thanks to an Oni gauntlet<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review: &#8216;Onimusha: Way of the Sword&#8217; modernizes a dormant samurai series - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8431\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review: &#8216;Onimusha: Way of the Sword&#8217; 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