Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Reviewed On: PS5
Available On: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
Release Date: September 4, 2026
Review Copy Provided By: Capcom
Capcom is definitely on a roll this year with game releases that are well worth your time. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the next game in the Onimusha series. Onimusha refers to a group of warriors who wield the power of the Oni tasked with guarding the gates to Hell. You do not need to have played the previous Onimusha games to be able to play this game, as this is not a direct sequel but more of a standalone game in the Onimusha universe.
The game starts by showing us our protagonist, Miyamoto Musashi, who begins a duel with a samurai master, and then he tries to flee to escape the onslaught of students who want to get revenge on him. However, he dies soon after from being attacked by an undead creature called Genma.
We then find him later floating in the river of blood flowing to Hell. A white-robed man picks him up and attaches a gauntlet to his arm. This then brings him back to the world of the living, and he’s now able to fight back against the Genma.
In the beginning, I really wasn’t sure if Musashi is the kind of protagonist you want to root for. He seems arrogant and abrasive and rude at times. But then along the way, he grows on you and becomes a character you do want to root for. The game really did a good job of bringing the characters to life, as they have their own goals, dreams, and things that you can root for and against. They definitely left an impression on me, and they are characters that will have an impact on you for a while.
Now let’s talk combat in Onimusha. Despite having a Story mode that focuses on the story of the game, Onimusha is not the easiest game to play. It forces you to learn the mechanics of the game the way the devs have intended for you to play it. You can’t just hack and slash your way through everything, especially not the boss fights. So the sooner you learn the intricacies of its gameplay, the sooner it will be for you to find it “easier” to play.
The combat relies heavily on Souls-like mechanics like parrying, deflecting, and dodging. Being able to master these three key elements could be the difference between you making it out of life-or-death situations. The game also has this mechanic called Issen, which I would call the perfect dodge or parry. It takes a precise window to execute. Specifically, in order for you to execute Issen, you need to press the attack button at the split second before the enemy’s attack hits you. This results in a high-risk, high-reward execution because being able to execute Issen correctly will result in your enemies being executed immediately.
I really like the mechanics of the game, but at the same time you really need to be good at precision timing and being able to press the buttons correctly at the exact timing window. Otherwise, the game punishes you severely, and sometimes you can’t really come back off of it. But practice makes perfect, and just like any other game that requires precision timing, the better you are at doing them, the easier the game feels for you.
The sword is your main weapon in the game, and you have access to a basic slash and a heavy slash. You also have access to a bow, which can be unlocked through story progress. This allows you to kill enemies from a distance. I’m just a little confused about the bow, though, because it seems it has a very short range. You can only hit enemies within a certain range, so even if you think the enemy looks near, if you’re not in range, then you won’t be able to hit them. You also have access to a special set of equipment called Oni Armaments. These armaments are basically a one-shot skill, and depending on what it is, it can deliver devastating damage to enemies. I mostly use them to be able to get purple souls from enemies which you need to power up your Oni Awakening gauge.
The Oni Awakening gauge is basically the Ultimate skill of your character. When the meter for the Oni Awakening is full, you activate it. You will be able to use Issen until the meter runs out. You are also invincible in this state, as any damage you take gets taken out on your Oni Awakening meter instead of your health bar.
As I said earlier, you need purple souls to fill up the Oni Awakening meter, but these are not the only souls you have access to. This is part of the core mechanic of the game as well where you get souls from attacking or killing enemies. Depending on the attack or skill you used, you can harvest different colored souls for different things. Red souls for your health, Yellow souls for your stamina, and so and so forth. This is a unique mechanic that I think you can only find in Onimusha. When the souls show up, you have to gather them to be able to utilize its full potential. However, you also have to be careful because the enemies can also harvest these souls and make themselves more powerful, especially bosses.
Other features of the game include the skill tree, where you can unlock powerful skills that can help you win battles. Unlocking them requires you to collect power stones. These skills are tied directly to your parrying and dodging skills which lets you unlock more powerful versions of the skill.
Graphically, the game is really good. The quality of the animation is beautiful, and having access to photo mode, you can get pretty cool moments out of every encounter. However, it looks like they didn’t put much attention on the water effects. When it rains, you can barely see the particles of the rain, and it doesn’t really have any effect on the character. The mud particles, though, do have an effect on your character. But the rain doesn’t clean out the mud off your character, so it’s a little bit confusing why some effects affect your character, and some don’t.
In the audio department. The soundtrack is really beautiful and haunting. It really lends to the atmosphere of the game, and it amplifies the exciting and tense moments of the game. The sound of clashing swords feels so real, and any sound effects are clear and very audible.
The world of Onimusha is vast, and there are many things that you can do aside from the main quests. Replayability-wise, I would say if you are up for more challenge, you can replay the game on its most difficult setting. The world itself is vast, and there is a lot to explore. Even places you’ve been to before are worth revisiting because of the many side quests and collectibles that you will need to collect in order to make your character more powerful.
Overall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a fun and challenging action-adventure game. It is definitely not for someone who just wants to feel like a god and hack and slash at everything. It requires patience; it requires observation; it requires precision. When you are able to do all of this, the game rewards you with satisfying wins and glorious victories.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword (PS5)
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a fun and challenging action-adventure game. It is definitely not for someone who just wants to feel like a god and hack and slash at everything.
The Good
- Awesome Combat and Gameplay
- Great Audio
- Lion Dogs!
The Bad
- Questionable Rain Graphics
- Short Range Arrows
