Not Everything Needs To Be A Soulslike, And Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Shows Why
Dark Souls’ 2011 release, building on the foundation of Demon’s Souls, ignited a seismic shift in action game design that has reverberated throughout the industry for over a decade. The game’s defining mechanics—stamina meters, methodical movement, and esoteric world design—became the blueprint that virtually every action game developer felt compelled to follow, creating a landscape dominated by Soulslike imitators.
This homogenization of game design has left limited room for action titles willing to forge their own paths. The standardization around the Soulslike template has constrained creative diversity, with few developers daring to defy the paradigm shift that repositioned these mechanics as industry orthodoxy.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword stands out as a refreshing counterpoint to this trend. Rather than capitulating to the Soulslike formula that has become nearly inescapable for action games, the title represents a deliberate rejection of the prevailing design consensus. This approach underscores a broader conversation within the industry: not every action game needs to follow Dark Souls’ successful formula, and breaking from established conventions can offer meaningful gameplay variety.
The article argues that the industry’s overreliance on the Soulslike blueprint has created an opportunity for games that dare to differentiate themselves through alternative design philosophies.