Onimusha: Way of the Sword review

Capcom has successfully revived Onimusha, its long-dormant samurai action series, with Way of the Sword—the franchise’s first mainline entry in 20 years. The game draws inspiration from legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, emphasizing combat as its central pillar.

Way of the Sword represents a significant departure from the series’ PlayStation 2-era roots, abandoning fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds for a modern, semi-open-world structure. The game emphasizes layered melee combat informed by two decades of action game evolution, while maintaining Onimusha’s signature blend of Japanese history, mythology, and inventive creature design. Unlike recent Soulslike-influenced action games, parrying plays a role but the game is not positioned as a Soulslike experience.

Released September 3, 2026, the game has received strong critical acclaim. It currently holds a Metacritic score of 86 overall, with platform-specific scores of 88 on Nintendo Switch 2, 86 on PlayStation 5, and 82 on PC (where it is playable on Steam Deck). The positive reception positions Way of the Sword as part of Capcom’s impressive 2026 lineup.

However, reviews are not uniformly glowing. Some critics note that demanding boss encounters and repetitive enemy design can feel excessive, with uneven pacing throughout its roughly 20-hour campaign. The shift to modern design sensibilities and mission structure has drawn mixed responses, with some reviewers feeling the game relies too heavily on demanding duels at the expense of exploration and variety.

Despite reservations about length and structure, critics generally praise Way of the Sword as a successful franchise revival that delivers compelling combat-focused gameplay.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword review

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