The first reviews for Onimusha: Way of the Sword are now live, and Capcom’s return to the long-dormant franchise after 20 years has made a strong impression on most critics.
The game has received the following scores:
10/10 — IGN
9/10 — PSU, Forbes, PSX Brasil, Noisy Pixel, Shacknews, Screen Rant, Push Square, Nintendo Life
8/10 — GameSpot, GamingBolt, Giant Bomb, TheSixthAxis
7/10 — Game Rant, GamesRadar
6/10 — VGC
At the time of writing, Onimusha: Way of the Sword has an average score of 85 on Metacritic and 86 on OpenCritic.
Reviewers have largely praised the combat system, boss encounters, storytelling, and presentation. However, some critics have pointed to a lack of enemy variety, repeated mini-boss encounters, and repetitive side quests as some of the game’s weaker aspects.
Polygon’s Giovanni Colantonio described the experience as a "battle worth surviving," while admitting that the game tested his patience at times.
«Even when your power is rising through piecemeal RPG progression, it always feels like you’re in the duel of your life».
He also praised the way the swordplay complements the game’s themes, although he felt that the hardships did not necessarily leave him feeling rewarded by the end of the journey.
Game Informer’s Wesley LeBlanc also criticized the repetition found in some of the side content.
«Capcom… struggles to justify the repetition, too, with no discernible reason beyond those darned demons doing silly little demon things».
According to LeBlanc, this makes Musashi’s adventure feel unnecessarily padded. Still, he believes the game’s excellent combat makes up for many of its less impressive moments. Unlike some modern action games, Way of the Sword continues to teach players new ways to use its mechanics well beyond the opening tutorials.
George Yang of RogerEbert.com similarly praised the combat, particularly the boss fights. He described the encounters as exhilarating and highlighted the system’s "weighty" and "meticulous" feel.
IGN gave the game the highest score among the listed reviews. Will Borger awarded it a 10/10, praising its combat, storytelling, and animation.
«Capcom has done a remarkable job of translating aspects of [Toshiro] Mifune's on-screen mannerisms, right down to his habit of scratching the back of his head and the way he walks».
Not every reviewer was equally impressed. Kotaku’s Jackson Tyler argued that Capcom changed too much of the original formula in an attempt to modernize the franchise.
«Instead of a coherent interconnected space you explore throughout the game, there is an open world with side missions and collectables».
Tyler believes the developers removed some of the series’ defining characteristics and replaced them with modern progression systems, multiple currencies, and additional activities.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.
As a Reminder, The Blood of Dawnwalker received positive reviews, but there was still some criticism.