After more than 20 years away, Onimusha is back. Capcom’s long-running samurai action series returns with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, putting legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi at the centre of another supernatural battle against the Genma.
Now that the review embargo has lifted, we have a much clearer picture of whether the comeback was worth the wait.
The answer, based on the current reviews, is largely yes. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is sitting in the mid-80s across the major aggregators, with OpenCritic around 86/100 and roughly 94% of critics recommending it. Metacritic has the PS5 version around 85/100, although these scores can change as more reviews are added.
Emmanuel Umahi
Critics love the combat, but disagree on the rest
IGN is the most enthusiastic of the major outlets, giving Onimusha: Way of the Sword a perfect 10/10. Reviewer Will Borger praises the game's Issen system and the satisfaction that comes from mastering Musashi's defensive abilities. The review also highlights Musashi as a charismatic protagonist and praises his relationships with Shizuka, Takamura, and Okuni.
For IGN, those elements come together to make Way of the Sword more than a successful revival. It is an excellent action game in its own right.
Forbes is almost as positive, awarding the game 9/10 and suggesting it could be the best Onimusha game yet. Ollie Barder particularly praises the visuals, animation, and cinematic presentation, while also noting the influence of Toshiro Mifune and Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy.
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