# Onimusha: Way of the Sword Revives Capcom’s Samurai Franchise with Demanding, Philosophy-Driven Combat

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-revives-capcoms-samurai-franchise-with-demanding-philosophy-driven-combat/
- Published: 2026-08-31T17:12:18+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-31T23:15:20+00:00
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Gaming, Music, Research, Science

## Key points

- Onimusha: Way of the Sword reboots the series as a modern action RPG
- Follows Musashi battling demons with a talking cursed gauntlet
- Praised for tough, thematic combat but hurt by repetitive bosses

## Summary

Polygon's review of Onimusha: Way of the Sword confirms Capcom's samurai series has been reworked as a near-total reboot rather than a direct sequel. Gone is the fixed-camera, Resident Evil-style exploration of the original four PS2-era games (2001–2006); in its place is a modern action RPG blending influences from Dark Souls, Star Wars Jedi and Yakuza, with players alternating between linear combat levels and a hub village offering side-quests and collectible dogs. The story follows the real-life swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, modelled visually on actor Toshirō Mifune, who is cuffed to a talking demonic gauntlet after a near-death encounter and reluctantly drawn into fighting monstrous Genma overrunning Edo-era Kyoto, voiced by Kenichiro Thomson as a cocky, unwilling hero.

Combat centres on demanding, parry-focused duels against a limited roster of recurring bosses, with RPG-style progression steadily raising Musashi's power without ever making the fights feel easy. The review praises how the game's punishing difficulty ties into its themes about strength and perseverance, calling it a rare hard game with something genuine to say about its own challenge, though it also criticises the second half for repetitive boss encounters and overly convoluted Genma lore that dilute the earlier momentum. Overall, it is judged a promising but uneven revival: thrilling in its best duels, but weighed down by needless repetition over its roughly 20-hour campaign.

## Coverage

- [Eurogamer: Onimusha: Way of the Sword review](https://www.eurogamer.net/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-review)
- [Polygon: Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review: Capcom’s Samurai Epic Overstays Its Welcome](https://www.polygon.com/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-review/)

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.