Review: Onimusha: Way of the Sword (9/10)
Capcom's five-year RE Engine reboot blends 'formula' with 'gratification.' Based on 9 hours of testing and aggregate scores, an analysis of its sharp action system.
In action games, “formula” and “gratification” are usually antonyms. Yet this work, polished by Capcom for five years using their in-house RE Engine, rarely blends the two so seamlessly—and without letting one drag down the other.
On launch day, Metacritic showed a cross-platform aggregate score of 82 to 90, OpenCritic recommended it at 94%, and Steam sits at 85% positive reviews. This article is based on 9 hours of playtime, completed within 24 hours of release.
Polish on the Blade
The polish of this product was destined from the project’s inception. In early 2020, after the RE Engine toolchain was massively expanded, producer Akihito Kadowaki secured this long-dormant IP; director Satoru Nihei set the tone—this is not a Soulslike. The core focus is “restoring the collision of swords through action.” To achieve that “collision,” the team brought real swordsmen into the motion capture studio; for that single frame of feudal Japan on screen, they even brought in monks from Kiyomizu-dera as historical consultants.
This investment ultimately lands in the game feel. Feedback is direct: almost no boss requires the player to die a third time (admittedly, a slight exaggeration). It operates on two loops—one is the traditional positive feedback loop of learning moves, accumulating power, and becoming stronger; the other is the high-speed interactive gratification. The former makes you want to win; the latter makes the process of winning exhilarating. The industry sentiment that “Way of the Sword ≈ Sekiro” is acknowledged here: both share the skeleton of “learn—accumulate—surpass,” yet this title retains the interactivity of rapid clashes—two qualities rarely found together in this genre.
Two Controversies, One Tolerance
A lack of monster variety is a hard flaw, but the layout compensates. This is an unavoidable shortcoming. However, the team clearly understands the root cause: by utilizing stage-unlocked skills and recombining scene layouts, they peel apart the repetitive experience bit by bit. The variety is small, yet every fight is executed without perfunctoriness. IGN’s confidence in giving a perfect 10/10 score lies precisely in this un-perfunctory combat.
Side quests and progression: Typical canned filler. Open-world progression and checklist-style side quests are the standard formulaic framework. In most titles, this is a demerit, and the mid-tier scores on leaderboards—Metacritic’s 83/85 range—are largely deducted here. But I do not intend to be harsh here: when the action foundation is solid enough, flaws in stats and pacing retreat to a secondary position.
A stance approaching tolerance. I tend to view games as a dialogue with the creator: experiencing a game is fundamentally the same interaction as reading a book—talking face-to-face with the production team. Seeing designs that are clearly flawed, I may criticize, but I continue on, observing whether the other party realizes the same issue and attempts to remedy it within their means. Instead of demanding perfection as a consumer, one adopts the attitude of a conversation partner, letting the other person finish speaking. This tolerance naturally applies to the expectations of a reboot IP.
The Basis of the 9
It harmonizes “formula” and “gratification,” standing firm on a meticulously polished action system—a system it executes fully. For this, it deserves a higher score—this work is rated 9/10. Paying the price for its flaws is a way to affirm this level of polish. This score lands in the upper echelon of Metacritic (aligned with Nintendo Life’s 9/10 and Push Square’s 9/10), consistent with the majority of media’s recognition of the action gameplay.
It is worth remembering what Onimusha: Way of the Sword has successfully proven—when a creator spends five years earnestly polishing the one thing they do best, the remaining regrets are often not worth becoming a reason to refuse it. This is perhaps the best way for the “Onimusha” series to return after seventeen years of silence.
Review based on personal testing; score data aggregated from Metacritic / OpenCritic (retrieved 2026-09-05).