The Capcom boardroom must be the happiest place in the world in 2026. Not only does the company have two potential Game of the Year titles in Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata, but it also has Onimusha: Way of the Sword on the way. The only question is, does the latter deserve to be in the same category as the former two? It’s complicated, but the best answer is not yet, though it’s far from a blunt instrument.
It’s been a while since the last Onimusha video game, but this latest entry doesn’t require the player to have knowledge of what came before since it does a good job of getting everybody up to speed with the lay of the land. In a nutshell, samurai Miyamoto Musashi receives the Oni gauntlet, which is the only thing keeping him alive but also giving him supernatural abilities. Through this experience, he gains a greater purpose: to protect the beautiful Kyoto from the monstrous demons known as the Genma.
There’s action, dark fantasy, and a powerful arc about redemption embedded in this story, as Musashi establishes himself as a highly likeable protagonist in the series. His quips are entertaining and maintain the levity (though even a few of the bosses have a good sense of humor too), and it’s hilarious how this poor guy just wants to take a nap – but he can’t with all the demon nonsense around him. Apart from this, saying anything further about the plot ventures into spoiler terrain, especially since so much happens from the get-go, so let’s preserve everybody’s enjoyment of playing this for the first time here, shall we?
As a swordsman, Musashi’s attacks revolve around his single katana. Yet this isn’t a button-smashing hack-‘n’-slash-’em, since Musashi relies on defense as much as attack in this game. Learning how to parry, dodge, and block turns out to be more effective than just swinging the blade, because this drains the opponent’s stamina and opens up the opportunity for “Break Issen,” which is effectively this game’s version of a fatality. It’s also worth mentioning that the direction in which Musashi deflects an attack makes all the difference and potentially opens up the opponent for another attack, giving an additional layer to the realism of the combat.
That isn’t all in the weapons department, though, since Musashi acquires a bow, while Oni Armaments allow for specialized attacks featuring other weapons. To do this, you need to fill up the meter with blue souls, then hit the trigger during battle for a big blow.
Speaking of souls, Musashi collects three different colors for his gauntlet – red, yellow, and blue. The red allows the character to buy upgrades for their inventory, weapons, skills, and costumes; the yellow increases the life bar; and the blue, as mentioned above, is used for filling up the Oni Armament meter and unleashing special attacks. It’s important to get into the habit of collecting these souls, because if you don’t, there are enemies who’ll gobble them up and use them against you.
After the demo’s release and hands-on preview, gamers provided one main criticism about Onimusha: Way of the Sword: it’s too easy. Capcom stated it would address this, but it’s still not that demanding for a player. Crowd control isn’t much of a challenge at all, and you’re likely to slice and dice through these underlings without much issue, though some of the boss fights test your skills. If your blocking and parrying aren’t mastered by the time you encounter someone like Daidara – who also loves to snatch souls – you’ll need a few tries to get past him.
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It’s a catch-22, really. In order to build your defensive strategy for the boss fights, you need to experience challenges along the way; however, if you never use any defense techniques against these zombified low-level enemies, how are you supposed to master them for when they matter the most? So, yes, the difficulty level in the meat-and-potatoes part of the game is still way too easy for its own good. Having said that, this is something that Capcom can fix with future updates – and if it does so, then there’s a different conversation to be had about how good this game is.
Despite the disappointing ease of gameplay right now, there’s a lot to love about Onimusha: Way of the Sword. The story draws you in and understands how to walk the tightrope of satisfying players of the previous games in the series and welcoming newcomers to the lore. Musashi is a great (and funny) protagonist who you want to root for and spend time getting to know more about. On top of that, the game knows how to balance the serenity and splendor of Kyoto with the nightmare fuel supplied by the Genma. All in all, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is yet another win for Capcom in what’s turning out to be a fantastic year for the company in terms of high-quality releases.
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Onimusha: Way of the Sword |
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An Oni Gauntlet-wielding samurai makes a stand in Kyoto against the encroaching Genma menace. Through gritty, blood-soaked brawls, he searches for his reason to fight. What fate awaits at the end of his path? |
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| Release Date: September 4, 2026 |
| Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S |
| Developer: Capcom |
| Genre: Action-Adventure |
The Review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Onimusha: Way of the Sword's unbalanced difficulty level frustrates, but every other part of the game more than makes up for it.
PROS
- Miyamoto Musashi is a fantastic protagonist in a magnificent story
- The Genma designs frighten
- The swordplay and environmental combat are rewarding to master
CONS
- The low-level enemies are too easy to defeat
