Onimusha: Way of the Sword revives classic franchise with brilliant, divisive combat
Capcom's revival of its classic samurai action series, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, is drawing high praise for its core combat but mixed reactions to its modern structure, per multiple outlets.
IGN's review raves about the game's "incredible action" and "excellent story," calling it a "remarkable video game." The outlet highlights the connection players can forge with protagonist Miyamoto Musashi, a resurrected swordsman forced to wear a demon-absorbing gauntlet containing the spirit of a woman named Shizuka. IGN praises the game's character-driven narrative and its "incredible" Japanese voice cast.
Eurogamer's review focuses heavily on the combat system, which it says makes you "feel as adept with a blade" as the legendary Musashi himself. The outlet details the "issen" counterattack mechanic, describing a combat loop that heavily rewards precise parries and deflections over aggressive attacks. It calls the system a "tightly-constructed power fantasy" but notes it will be "hard" and potentially "aggravating" for some players.
However, VGC reports that the game's "rock-solid combat foundation" is let down by "dated missions and uneven pacing." The review criticizes repetitive boss fights, calling them "obvious padding" that artificially inflates the game's length, which VGC clocked at around 30 hours. It suggests a more linear, focused experience would have been preferable to the game's open-world Kyoto setting.
Multiple outlets confirm the story follows Musashi and his gauntlet-bound partner Shizuka as they fight a demonic invasion with the help of fellow warriors Takamura and Okuni. The game is available now, including on Nintendo's Switch 2, where Nintendo Life awarded it a 9/10, calling it a "superb samurai revival."
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