Onimusha: Way of the Sword is triumphant return for Capcom’s samurai series

Onimusha: Way of the Sword marks the long-awaited return of Capcom’s iconic samurai action-adventure series, introducing a brand-new story and a legendary new protagonist in Miyamoto Musashi.

Nearly 20 years after the last mainline entry, Onimusha: Way of the Sword brings the franchise back with a thrilling combination of intense sword combat, RPG elements and supernatural Japanese mythology. Thankfully, Capcom’s long-awaited comeback has been well worth the wait.

Set during Japan’s Edo period, Onimusha: Way of the Sword sees Kyoto overrun by supernatural entities known as the Genma, a familiar threat for returning fans of the series.

When the reluctant hero Miyamoto Musashi is killed in battle, he is resurrected by a mysterious guiding spirit and bound to the powerful Oni Gauntlet. Now, Musashi must fight his way through a demon-infested Kyoto, uncover the truth behind the Genma invasion and send these supernatural pests back to hell, all while discovering a new purpose in life and coming to terms with a new destiny that awaits him.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a blend of two worlds

Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom

During our hands-on previews of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, we came away impressed by the overall experience, although its combat didn't initially feel particularly challenging. Even on the normal Action difficulty, most encounters were relatively straightforward, while the boss fight against Sasaki Ganryu wasn't quite as demanding as expected. Thankfully, the final game appears to have addressed that concern.

While I had little trouble cutting through the standard Genma grunts, Sasaki Ganryu took me four or five attempts to defeat. During an earlier hands-on preview, once I had learned his attack patterns, I managed to take him down on my second attempt. In the full game, however, finally defeating him resulted in a genuine moment of celebration, and perhaps a few choice words of encouragement directed towards my television. As I delved deeper into Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the boss encounters became increasingly challenging, even as I continued to level up Musashi’s abilities and improve his equipment.

Playing on Action difficulty strikes an excellent balance. The regular enemies aren't overly demanding while you're exploring Kyoto, but the difficulty ramps up considerably whenever you encounter a boss. In fact, having relatively easy encounters against the standard enemies makes the boss fights feel even more significant, turning them into major spikes in difficulty rather than just another enemy encounter.

Then there's Story difficulty, which essentially serves as the game's easier mode. When testing it out, I found that the standard enemies weren't dramatically easier, but the bosses were noticeably more forgiving. The mode also provides on-screen prompts showing when to block, parry, dodge and attack. If nothing else, Story difficulty works brilliantly as a training ground. It allows players to learn a boss's attack patterns and rhythm before eventually stepping up to Action difficulty when they're ready for a greater challenge.

Speaking of training, Onimusha: Way of the Sword also includes a dedicated training mode where you can practise Musashi's abilities and replay previously defeated bosses. You'll even earn in-game rewards for completing these challenges, giving you another reason to keep honing your skills.

Most importantly, Onimusha: Way of the Sword doesn't forget what made the original games so enjoyable. This is unmistakably an Onimusha game, with its satisfying swordplay, supernatural enemies and emphasis on timing.

Musashi's movement isn't quite as free as Wolf in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, particularly during boss encounters, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, Onimusha: Way of the Sword feels like a more accessible middle ground between the two games, retaining the intensity of Sekiro-style sword combat without demanding quite the same level of precision.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a graphical splendour

Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom

Powered by Capcom's in-house RE Engine, it should come as little surprise that Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a visual spectacle. Kyoto is vibrant, atmospheric and packed with horrific demons, while villagers go about their daily lives around you. The result is a world that somehow manages to look like a living nightmare while simultaneously making you want to explore every corner of it.

The cinematic cutscenes take the visuals up another level. Not only do they look fantastic, but they also do an excellent job of advancing the story and developing its characters. From the detailed environments and combat animations to the facial expressions and cinematics, practically every aspect delivers the visual polish you'd expect from a major Capcom release.

The mesmerising soundtrack is another highlight, perfectly complementing the Edo-period setting and adding another layer of atmosphere to Musashi's journey. The excellent voice cast also does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life.

That said, I'd strongly recommend playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword with its native Japanese audio. This may ultimately come down to personal preference, but hearing characters from ancient Japan speaking with strong English accents occasionally pulled me out of the experience. Switching to Japanese audio made the world feel considerably more authentic.

Final Verdict

To conclude, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is another fantastic release from Capcom and a triumphant return for one of its most beloved franchises. Its standalone story, while still containing references to the wider series, makes it an excellent entry point for newcomers, while its faithful combat and classic Onimusha DNA should delight returning veterans.

After more than 20 years of waiting, fans can finally return to this beloved samurai action series, and that patience has absolutely been rewarded. Onimusha: Way of the Sword delivers a modern take on the franchise without losing sight of what made the original games so special, making this one comeback that was well worth the wait.

Pros: Rewarding combat for all skill levels, oozes atmosphere, lush visuals, fantastic audio design

Cons: Initial playthrough might not be challenging enough for some

For fans of: Onimusha: Warlords, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

8/10: Excellent

Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be released on September 4, 2026, on PC, PlayStation 5 (version tested), Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.