Onimusha: Way of the Sword gets its most important feature right: sword combat has weight. Parries are readable, counters hit hard, and enemies react clearly when an attack connects.

That combat carries Capcom's revival. The campaign repeats several ideas and has slow stretches, but difficult encounters consistently show why the game works.

Combat Rewards Timing

Positioning, timing, and reading an opponent matter more than repeating one attack sequence. Parries work because the animation is clear: enemy attacks have readable commitments, successful defense is obvious, and failed follow-ups are easy to understand.

Miyamoto Musashi fighting a Genma enemy in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
The combat is at its best when a duel becomes a conversation in steel.Official screenshot

Some enemies demand patience while others are vulnerable to sustained pressure. The best fights require both approaches. Finishers are forceful without obscuring the action, and the camera is reliable in most encounters.

Kyoto Looks Excellent, But The Pacing Slows

The corrupted Kyoto setting gives Capcom room to mix historical texture with grotesque fantasy. Temples, streets, and interiors carry enough detail to feel inhabited before the Genma turned them into arenas. Character animation is even better. Musashi moves like a heavy, dangerous person rather than a cursor sliding between targets.

The main problem is pacing. The campaign repeats some boss ideas and places slow sections between stronger encounters. Those sections are manageable, but they make the uneven mission structure more obvious.

Story And Verdict

The story gives Musashi enough arrogance, humor, and room to change that he is more than a delivery system for finishers. It does not reinvent the wandering swordsman, but it gives the action a human center and keeps the darker material from becoming one long growl.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword battle in a richly detailed Kyoto environment
Kyoto is lavishly built, even when the route through it drags.Official screenshot

The swordplay is excellent and the presentation is consistently strong. Repetition is the main weakness, and several encounters repeat lessons the player has already learned.

Way of the Sword succeeds because its core combat remains satisfying despite the pacing problems. It is a strong return for Onimusha, even if the campaign needed tighter editing.

Score: 8.5/10

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.