A little repetitive at times, Onimusha: Way of the Sword shines brightest in its spectacle-filled boss battles.
Last year, around this time, Capcom had a number of upcoming titles it was showcasing at Gamecom.
One of those titles was Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the latest in a series of games dating back to 2001, which melded together historical Japanese figures from the Edo period and dark fantasy into a very different kind of samurai title.
Now, 25 years later, Way of the Sword has looked to up the ante in every regard. The game has also garnered a fair bit of interest too, following some successful beta sessions, and resulting in a good amount of hype for this game, which is the fourth instalment in the franchise.
So, can it honour its predecessors while also breathing some new life into the franchise? We spent a week with it on PlayStation 5 to find out. This is what we learned.
Way of the Sword introduces a new protagonist in the form of Miyamoto Musashi, yes, that Miyamoto Mushashi. Arguably the most famous swordsman in Japanese history, he is a figure who has found his way into several modern day media, including manga/anime, Record of Ragnarok and Baki.
This interpretation of the character is far different, as he is a little younger than he is normally depicted, and as such, still a little wet behind the ears. He still has an outstanding reputation as a duelist, however, and in this game, we meet him while on the path to further enhancing said reputation.
The writing and voice acting have done a great job of making Musashi arrogant, but still loveable, throwing a few instances of slapstick now and then in order to cut through the overall dark tone and setting of this game.
We won’t dive too deep into the storyline here, but after Musashi is fitted with an Oni Gauntlet, and set on his way to Kyoto in order to protect the gates to hell, his caliber of enemy ratchets up several-fold. He also has an ongoing feud with Sasaki Ganryu, who is another warrior fitted with an Oni Gauntlet, and also a historical figure that Musashi had a famous duel with.
As such, the makers of the game have leaned heavily on Japanese history, mixing it nicely with folklore to create a world that has the feel of an Edo era Kyoto, but looks unlike any interpretation we have seen in gaming to date.
As for the rest of the characters, they are all included to serve Musashi’s quest of proving his skill as a swordsman, and set up the world as it descends further into the absurd with hellish visions.
Now for the combat, which is ultimately what this game will live and die by. Here, the developers have looked to keep the system as simple as possible, with a heavy emphasis placed on parrying and countering, leaning into the mechanics associated with yielding a katana. Or two, in the case of Musashi.
The Oni Guantlet is not a weapon in and of itself, but is rather used as a tool to access additional weapons while fighting. Access to said weapons is done by retrieving enemy souls that Musashi can earn after kills, and these souls add up over time in order to unlock perks. Once the skill tree has been successfully unlocked, you will also gain access to a fully fledged Oni mode for Musashi.
What we particularly like about the gameplay is that it rewards you for parrying, as well as pressing the right button at the right time while taking on enemies. This is specifically what makes the boss battles so engaging, as Musashi never feels out of his depth. That is not to say that things are easy, with a number of boss battles proving tough when more than one enemy is pinging at you, but the ability to counter attacks with quick reactions, feels like a superpower in-game.
The engaging and exciting boss battles, however, are contrasted by a lot of boring enemy encounters as you move from one part of the map to another. As such, the story can often feel like you’re having to trudge through waves of weak enemies in order to earn the right for a more testing boss battle. It therefore means Onimusha: Way of the Sword can feel repetitive, and a bit of a grind, with those rewarding moments being a little too far and between.
We would have liked to have something more engaging to do, as the puzzles in the game also end up being a repeat of going to new areas of the map and clearing out all the enemies.
For that reason, we have to say that the overall balance is off, and while Onimusha: Way of the Sword offers some great highs, the lows can feel quite laborious.
Added to this is a distinct lack of exploration of the environments that you’re placed in. Those who want a little more openness in their games then, may be left disappointed. We also have to mention that the movement of Musashi, specifically when it comes to interacting with objects, are a little too sensitive, as you have to position the character just right in order to slide through narrow walkways, open doors, or unlock chests.
It is not a deal breaker, but is an element of the gameplay that we picked up on, and detracted from an otherwise well polished game.
At R1 499, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is on the pricier side of things. While it is set in a feudal era Japan, to call it a fully fledged samurai game would not be wholly accurate.
We would rather call it a sophisticated hack and slasher, requiring more deftness than something like God of War, but not being as punishing as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It sits in a nice middle ground, and offers players a brutal gameplay experience if that’s what they want, but also delivers a more cinematic experience if you’re keen on that too.
In our experience, Onimusha: Way of the Sword can be a little mixed. There were often times when we found the general gameplay a little repetitive. However, the boss battles and larger action sequences are so compelling, you’ll put up with the boring stuff.
For fans of the series, and the genre, the tougher parts of the game will be well worth the wait, but for more casual gamers, the current price tag will be difficult to justify, especially with some other big games on the horizon.
Game
Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Visuals
8
Audio
8
Story
7.5
Minute-to-Minute Gameplay
7
Gameplay Loop
8.5
Value
8
Overall Score
7.8 out of 10.
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