Onimusha: Way of the Sword es un clásico de acción moderno y elegante

It’s such a simple decision, in Onimusha: Way of the Sword pressing the Block button allows you to deflect or stop attacks from any direction. Your character, Musashi Miyamoto, will perfectly swing his katana into the right position, sometimes readjusting for multiple attacks on the fly. It’s a unique gameplay option that says a lot about this game, and offers a lot to the player, built to master more than just combat. Additionally, blocking without looking just feels magnificent.

The long-awaited follow-up to Capcom’s grimdark feudal fantasy series has you play as a master swordsman who gains the Oni Gauntlet ability attached to each of the main characters of the series, and he takes on the task of destroying the invading demons by any means necessary.

At first glance, you might expect this to be another entry in the thriving souls genre, but in the first playthrough, I discovered a game that, although not without challenge, is much more interested in making you feel good than making you get good. This is a refined action game, one that constantly rewards you for experimenting with its systems and feels almost impossible to look bad, even in the hands of an inexperienced player.

A large part of this is due to animation. Every strike, dodge, and, yes, the act of blocking without looking feels like it’s reacting to the situation you find yourself in, always looking natural. The fights against regular enemies rarely have the start-up rhythm you might have expected, instead, you plan through these battles, dispatching demons, deflecting arrows (particularly charming when you realize you can send them back at the enemies surrounding you), and wrapping up skirmishes with the signature emission attacks of the series.

In these regular battles, offense is often the best defense: smaller enemies with smaller strikes exhaust their stamina, opening opportunities to unleash an emission (with a appropriately exaggerated animation). Stronger enemies will force you to dodge more often (which can trigger a slow-type Bayonetta), or block more effectively, complete with beautiful visual effects and generous stagger windows.

The message is clear: you’re not playing as a character learning the ropes. This is already a master of his craft and acts accordingly. For Musashi, these fights should feel simple: the difficulty is more about how you handle a crowd than how you deal with individual fighters in it.

But when the game pits you against a samurai companion, Sasaki Ganryu, it’s a sword fight worthy of classic movies that the developers have drawn from (even the main character’s image is based on the legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune). It’s possible that the game suddenly adopts that souls comparison here, but it resists, it’s not easy, but you get the feeling that Capcom would prefer you to choreograph your own movie-style encounter, resisting the urge to really stop and learn, repeat, and master a fight.

Healing items are limited by their inventory space but relatively abundant, ensuring you can recharge at key points. Extracting an emission attack against Ganryu gives a built-in bet: dealing massive damage or gaining more souls (used as currency and more). And the game prioritizes speed over precision: both you and Ganryu will buzz around the arena, dodging, swinging, and clashing in showers of sparks. It’s absolutely thrilling, with some of the smoothest and best combat I’ve seen from an action game in this generation.

As a preview of what’s to come, it has absolutely piqued my interest. It feels like a classic action game waiting to emerge.

Onimusha: The Way of the Sword Arrives for the Xbox X|S Series in 2026.

Onimusha: The Way of the Sword

Capcom Co., Ltd.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Fight through bloodstained battlefields of intense swordplay. Explore the historic Japanese capital of Kyoto from the Edo era, twisted by malicious clouds of malice. With each stage wrapped in mystery, danger, and intrigue. Battle against the underworld monsters known as Genma in a dark fantasy story. Follow the tale of a samurai who wields the Oni Gauntlet, a mystical artifact that grants its bearer the power to slay Genma. Through bloody, arena-style fights, seek your reason to fight. What fate awaits at the end of your path? Note: This content has not yet been rated. Age rating information will be posted at a later date.