Onimusha: Way of the Sword review – Stunning visuals and sublime combat

It’s been 20 years, but the Onimusha series is finally back with a brand new release. And it couldn’t have come at a better time: with most action games these days being Soulslikes, it’s nice to play something that’s more flashy and cinematic. You’ll note that what I didn’t say there is less challenging. That’s because when it gets going, Onimusha: Way of the Sword can be just as tough as the likes of Dark Souls et al.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword gets off to a shaky start. After introducing you to its protagonist, Miyamoto Musashi, and electrifying you with its opening scenes, it falls into a bit of a lull. You’ll move through its first location slicing through enemies like a warm knife through butter, and it’s only when you come face-to-face with your first boss that you’ll really need to put some effort in. And that remains one of the game’s biggest issues throughout: its standard enemy encounters likely won’t trouble you at all.

They do eventually start getting more fun than those in the first hour or so, though, thanks to some of the lesser foes being thrown at you posing at least some kind of threat. And there’s a decent variety to them as well. But still, it’s the boss fights here that really get your adrenaline pumping, whether its a sub-boss that you’ve fought numerous times before that’s just been birthed from a Rift, or one of the many proper bosses that pose more of a unique challenge.

With a combat system heavily reliant on you parrying, dodging and deflecting attacks, this is the type of game where you can be cut down in seconds if you don’t keep your wits about you. But Sekiro this is not. There’s a steadier flow to the action here, with a perfectly timed-parry, especially against a boss, being accompanied by a thrilling animation of metal meeting metal and your opponent being visibly put off balance, creating an opening for you to capitalise upon.

Timing is everything in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. If an enemy swings their weapon at you, for example, the point at which you press the block button will determine whether you block attack or parry it. Some enemies will try to grab you as well, though you can counter their grapple with a well-timed press of the dodge button. Alternatively, for some attacks you might want to be more risky and use offence as a defence; press the attack button just before an enemy attack lands and you can perform a powerful Issen, which kills many enemies outright while causing significant damage to bosses.

When it comes to bosses, though, you really do need to be on your ‘A’ game. Your standard attacks will whittle their health down, sure, but to do real damage you’ll need to consistently parry, dodge and counter their attacks, fully depleting their stagger bar so that you can perform a critical hit and really show them who’s boss. Get in the zone and there’s nothing like Onimusha: Way of the Sword out there, with battles really having an intoxicating flow that’s only heightened by the spectacle of it all.

There is one issue that can be irksome, though, and that’s healing. I don’t know how many times I’ve been close to death while fighting a boss and tried to heal, only for it to simply not work or my opponent not giving me a second, resulting in a game over screen. It just seems really finicky about when it works, and it would be nice if the bosses weren’t quite so relentless after already just landing a major attack you on.

That’s not the only issue that might annoy you from time to time, either. During your adventures in Onimusha: Way of the Sword you’ll have to track down many, many Rifts which can feel a little repetitive, with you having to fight off waves of enemies at each before you can suck them into your gauntlet. You’ll also be cutting down lots of flower-like growths that create malice, a thick red fog that saps away at your health when you’re in it. But the good news is that you’re never too far from a challenging fight or thrilling set-piece to get you engaged again.

It’ll likely take you between 20 and 30 hours to complete Onimusha: Way of the Sword, though it largely depends on the difficulty you choose to play on, and how much side-content you engage with. With a large Kyoto hub to explore, the materials earned by helping those in need and opening random chests can be used to upgrade your gear, giving you more of a fighting chance. You can hunt down items and gather souls to unlock and upgrade a variety of skills, too. Head straight through the game without building up Musashi and you might even struggle to beat some bosses on the easier Story difficulty towards the end.

Needless to say, Onimusha: Way of the Sword isn’t a perfect game. Its balancing could do with some tweaking, its pacing is a bit off in the early hours, and sometimes it can feel a little repetitive. The saving grace is that it more than makes up for its shortcomings in other areas. That’s to say its combat, which is truly mesmerising at times, will pull you through. It also helps that it looks absolutely gorgeous, and that its story is elevated by fantastic facial animation and a brilliant assortment of unhinged characters. It might not be the best game that Capcom has released this year, but Onimusha: Way of the Sword is another win for Capcom nonetheless.