Onimusha Way of the Sword Review — Is Capcom’s Samurai Comeback Worth It?

TL;DR

• Onimusha: Way of the Sword released on September 4, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
• You play as a young Miyamoto Musashi fighting demonic Genma in Edo-period Kyoto.
• Combat is the biggest strength — parries, deflects, Issen counters, and the Oni Gauntlet feel great.
• The story is self-contained — no prior Onimusha knowledge needed.
• The game runs on Capcom’s RE Engine and looks stunning across all platforms.
• A few pacing and open-world filler issues hold it back from being a masterpiece.
• Overall: a confident, well-built comeback that action fans will enjoy.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the return nobody was sure would ever happen. It has been over 20 years since the last mainline entry in Capcom’s samurai action series. After two decades of silence, Capcom has rebuilt the franchise from scratch — new hero, new setting, new engine. The result is one of the most satisfying action games of 2026. If you are wondering whether this one is worth your time and money, this review covers everything you need to know before you buy.

Before you jump into the full game, it is worth checking out our Onimusha: Way of the Sword Beginner’s Guide — it covers the basics so you are not lost in the early hours when things get tough.

What Is Onimusha: Way of the Sword?

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is an action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It is a full franchise reboot — not a sequel. The game does not continue the story of older entries like Onimusha: Warlords or Dawn of Dreams. No previous characters return. Even Jean Reno is gone. This is a clean start.

The game launched on September 4, 2026, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), and Nintendo Switch 2. It is priced at $69.99 for the standard edition. A Digital Deluxe edition at $79.99 includes additional content.

You can grab it directly from the official Capcom website, on Steam, the PlayStation Store, or the Xbox Store.

Onimusha Way of the Sword

Onimusha: Way of the Sword — Story and Setting

The game is set in Kyoto during the early Edo period, roughly between 1603 and 1613. The story follows a young, hot-headed version of Miyamoto Musashi — the legendary real-life swordsman who was historically known for his undefeated dueling record. Capcom’s version is sharp-tongued, impatient, and full of bravado. He is not the wise, older Musashi from historical texts. He is a young fighter who arrives in Kyoto looking to prove himself.

Things go badly very quickly. Musashi beats the head of the Yoshioka sword school in a duel. The school’s students chase him through the streets. He runs into his rival, Sasaki Ganryu. The two fight — and are both killed by demonic creatures called Genma. Musashi wakes on his way to hell, where a mysterious figure called the Man in White forces an Oni Gauntlet onto his arm and sends him back to the land of the living.

That Oni Gauntlet is the heart of the game. It lets Musashi absorb the souls of defeated Genma to grow stronger. The problem is that Musashi believes real strength comes from skill alone, not from supernatural power. That conflict drives the story from start to finish. He does not want the gauntlet. He cannot remove it. He has to use it anyway.

Back in Kyoto, Musashi meets two key allies. Ono no Takamura is a veteran warrior and fellow gauntlet bearer who acts as a mentor figure. He has been holding back the Genma for centuries. Izumo no Okuni is a former kabuki dancer who gets swept into the fight and holds her own against the demons. Both of them are based on real historical figures, which gives the story a grounded feel even when things get supernatural. Inside the gauntlet itself lives a spirit named Shizuka — who Musashi casually calls “gauntlet lady” — and she guides him throughout the adventure.

The main villain pulling the strings is Dokyo, a sinister figure running a hidden underground laboratory beneath Kyoto, using it to create new Genma and spread Malice through the city. The word Malice refers to a dark corruption slowly taking over Kyoto. Sealing the gates of hell and stopping that spread is what drives the whole campaign forward.

Musashi’s face is modeled after legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, with likeness rights secured from Mifune Productions after two years of negotiation. If you have seen Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films, you will recognize that face immediately.

The story is completely self-contained. You do not need to have played any older Onimusha game to enjoy it. Newcomers and longtime fans are on equal footing here.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword — Combat System Explained

Combat is where this game really shines. It is the reason most reviews are positive even when critics have complaints about other parts of the game.

The system is built around reading your enemy and reacting correctly — not mashing buttons. You have light one-handed attacks and heavy two-handed attacks. But the real depth comes from your defensive options.

Parry, Deflect, and Issen

You have three core defensive tools. A Parry is a timed block that stops an incoming attack, staggers the enemy, and can knock them into a wall or another enemy for bonus stamina damage. A Deflect has a tighter timing window but does more stamina damage and, importantly, can send enemy arrows and projectiles flying back at them. Then there is Evade, a quick sidestep for when neither blocking option is practical.

Landing enough parries fills your Blaze Gauge. When it is full, you enter Blazing State, which boosts damage output, soul collection, and makes your moves look spectacular. Inside Blazing State, a well-timed Deflect becomes a Break Issen — a powerful strike that can kill most weak enemies outright and cut through boss health bars fast.

The Issen is the returning signature move from the older games. Wait for the absolute last moment before an enemy lands a hit, strike back, and Musashi flickers to the side and cuts them down in one clean blow. Getting it right feels incredible. Getting it wrong gets you hit hard. There is a real skill gap between players who figure out the timing and those who do not, and that gap makes the game feel genuinely rewarding to get better at.

Blades can also lock together mid-fight, creating a brief tug-of-war moment. Hit the attack button at the right time to break free and land a key blow. Environments play a role too — you can knock enemies into torches, walls, and objects for extra damage.

Oni Gauntlet, Souls, and Armaments

When enemies fall, they drop souls. The Oni Gauntlet absorbs them. Yellow souls recover health. Red souls act as upgrade currency for buying items, upgrading gear, and unlocking new skills. Blue souls charge your Oni Armaments — special powerful weapons you can use when the gauge is full.

Absorbing souls is not automatic. You have to do it yourself, and while you absorb, you are open to attack. Choosing the right moments to collect is a small but meaningful skill check throughout every fight.

As you progress, Musashi unlocks Oni abilities that affect both combat and exploration. Oni Vision lets him see things hidden from human eyes, useful for puzzles and finding secrets. Oni Strength lets him break through enemy defenses and clear obstacles in the world. Oni Agility gives him explosive movement, including the ability to run along walls and reach new areas.

The game’s director, Satoru Nihei, has been clear that this is not a Soulslike, despite the parry-heavy combat inviting that comparison. There is no punishing death penalty. You are not meant to grind against walls of frustration. It is a character-action game in the classic Capcom mold. The combat rewards skill, but the game does not require perfection to progress.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword — World, Exploration, and Pacing

The game uses what some call a wide-linear structure. Kyoto acts as a central hub. From there, you travel into specific areas to complete missions, seal Oni gates, fight bosses, and push the story forward. Between missions, you can explore, do side quests, collect hidden items, and take on optional challenges.

The Kyoto setting is richly detailed. Real locations like Kiyomizu-dera have been carefully recreated and then twisted by the Genma invasion. The development team researched the city deeply, drawn in by its dark myths and historical legends. Walking through a version of Kyoto that looks gorgeous but feels haunted and dangerous works really well for the tone of the game.

However, this is where some critics have pushed back. Several reviewers noted that the open-world elements feel like padding. Side missions can feel repetitive. Some encounter types appear over and over across the campaign’s roughly 20-to-30-hour length. The second half of the game does not introduce much that is new, essentially recycling the challenge of the first half. For some players, this will be a minor annoyance. For others, it may test their patience.

The story moves at a good pace in the early hours, but the structure — complete a stage, return to hub, watch a cutscene, repeat — can start to feel mechanical if the side content loses your interest.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword — Boss Fights

The boss fights are widely considered the best part of the game. Each major boss has a distinct design, a distinct fighting style, and a personality that comes through in the encounter itself.

Sasaki Ganryu is a recurring rival boss. He fights like a human duelist — parries, deflects, blade locks, and a powerful grab that appears once his health drops low. Fighting him tests everything the combat system has taught you. He does not spam simple patterns. He punishes lazy play.

Other memorable bosses include Benkei, a legendary warrior reimagined through a demonic lens, and Shuten Doji, encountered at Mount Oe. The optional hidden boss Byakue can be unlocked in the demo by landing ten Issen counters in a row — a measure of how demanding the game can be when it wants to push you.

Boss voice acting leans into theatrical, anime-style energy. It is dramatic and a little campy in the best way. Reviewers across outlets called out boss design as a consistent highlight even when other parts drew criticism.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword — Visuals and Performance

The game runs on Capcom’s RE Engine — the same technology behind Resident Evil Village, Devil May Cry 5, and Monster Hunter Wilds. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, performance mode targets a solid 60fps at upscaled 4K. Quality mode locks to 30-40fps at fixed 4K with more environmental detail. Xbox Series S drops to 1080p but also hits 60fps reliably.

The visual quality is exceptional. Environments are dense with detail — light filtering through forest canopies, stone streets slick in the rain, temple courtyards filled with ash and smoke. The RE Engine’s facial animation technology is at its best here. Character expressions during cutscenes are among the most realistic and emotionally readable in any recent game.

On PC, the game is Steam Deck verified. It runs at a mostly solid 30fps on the handheld with default settings, which is impressive given the visual fidelity. For PC players on full hardware, the game scales well.

The enemy designs are excellent and varied. Genma come in many forms — fast, slow, armored, long-range, demonic — and the higher-tier enemies have genuinely disturbing designs that fit the dark fantasy tone. The horror elements are real. This is not a lighthearted samurai adventure.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword — Story Endings

The game has two endings. The standard ending shows Musashi defeating the Genma threat but remaining bound to the Oni Gauntlet, leaving his fate open. The true ending requires collecting all Oni Memories, completing every Takamura Training Session, and defeating Ganryu in the optional duel. Doing all of that unlocks a resolution where Musashi chooses his own fate and can free himself from the gauntlet’s hold.

The true ending is the more satisfying conclusion, but it is not hidden behind impossible tasks. Most thorough players will naturally complete the requirements across a single playthrough if they engage with side content.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword — Review Scores and Reception

The game released to strong reviews. On Metacritic, it holds an 88 on Nintendo Switch 2, 85 on PS5, 83 on Xbox Series X, and 82 on PC. OpenCritic shows 94% of critics recommending it. These are genuinely strong scores for a franchise reboot that had 20 years of expectations riding on it.

The most consistent praise goes to the combat, the boss design, the visual quality, and the character work. The most consistent criticism targets the open-world filler and the pacing dip in the second half of the campaign.

Who Is Onimusha: Way of the Sword For?

This game is a great fit for you if you enjoy action games that reward timing and skill over button-mashing. If you liked the combat in Devil May Cry, Ghost of Tsushima, or Sekiro — and you want something that is less punishing than Sekiro but still has depth — this sits right in that space.

It is also a good starting point if you have never played an Onimusha game before. The story requires zero background knowledge. The gameplay systems are introduced at a sensible pace. Story mode is available for players who want to focus on narrative without the combat pressure.

If you are a long-time fan of the original games, the core DNA is intact — the Oni Gauntlet, soul absorption, Issen, the dark samurai horror tone. The execution is modern, but the spirit feels right.

Final Verdict — Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a strong, confident comeback. The combat system is excellent. The bosses are creative and memorable. The visuals are among the best Capcom has produced. Musashi is a likable protagonist, and the supporting cast makes you care about where the story goes.

The pacing stumbles in the second half, and some of the open-world mission design feels thin. But those are complaints about the wrapper, not the core. When the game is doing what it does best — putting you in a tense swordfight against a powerful enemy with the right music and the right stakes — it is as good as action games get in 2026.

If you have been waiting 20 years for Onimusha to return, the wait was worth it. If you are new to the series entirely, this is still a very good game to start with.

Score: 8.5 / 10

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