Onimusha: Way of the Sword Reviews Suggest Capcom Has a Fourth Hit This Year

Anyone anticipating an end to Capcom’s phenomenal winning streak in 2026 might want to think again, because the momentum certainly doesn’t stop with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Resurrecting a beloved franchise that has languished in darkness for two decades—outside of minor remasters—this samurai action title refreshingly diverges from contemporary industry trends. While precise parrying remains vital to survival, Way of the Sword firmly rejects the grueling conventions of the Soulslike genre.

Capcom’s modernized approach to martial combat has largely resonated with critics. At the time of publication, Onimusha: Way of the Sword boasts a respectable Metacritic average of 86. This places it just three points behind Resident Evil Requiem (89), one point ahead of Pragmata (85), and neck-and-neck with Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. Whether this critical acclaim will secure the title a broader presence at The Game Awards 2026 beyond the Best Action Game category remains to be seen.

Even among glowing reviews, critics frequently temper their praise for the game’s stellar combat and narrative depth with frustrations regarding bloated ancillary mechanics. Writing for Polygon, Giovanni Colantonio described the experience as a “battle worth surviving,” despite admitting that the game occasionally tested his endurance.

“Even as your strength expands through incremental RPG upgrades, every encounter feels like a desperate, life-or-death duel,” Colantonio noted. “And when old adversaries you thought you had permanently laid to rest return to haunt you, you are left with no choice but to stand your ground and fight.”

“Brutal swordplay intertwines seamlessly with thematic explorations of inner fortitude, creating the rare punishing game that actually has something profound to say about its own difficulty. Yet, by the time my journey concluded, I couldn’t honestly say that all that suffering left me feeling enriched.”

Much of this fatigue stems from limited enemy variety and a heavy reliance on recycled mini-boss encounters throughout the campaign.

Game Informer critic Wesley LeBlanc similarly pointed out the repetitive nature of the side content.

“Capcom struggles to justify this repetition, often chalking it up to little more than demonic mischief,” LeBlanc observed. “It ultimately stretches Musashi’s odyssey thin, particularly when the primary antagonists possess such compelling motivations—making it glaringly obvious that a tighter, more streamlined adventure was buried within.”

Nevertheless, LeBlanc emphasized that the sheer excellence of the combat mechanics largely redeems the game’s less inspired phases. Unlike many contemporary action titles, Way of the Sword continuously challenges players to master new skills long after the introductory tutorials have concluded.

Echoing these sentiments, George Yang of RogerEbert.com lauded the exhilarating boss encounters. He praised the combat’s “weighty” and “meticulous” execution, which renders every skirmish deeply satisfying, even when trading blows with familiar Genma foes for the umpteenth time.

Meanwhile, Will Borger awarded the game a perfect 10/10 in IGN’s review, offering high praise for the refined combat mechanics alongside Capcom’s exceptional storytelling and animation standards.

“Capcom has done an extraordinary job channeling Toshiro Mifune’s iconic screen presence, right down to his characteristic head-scratching and distinctive gait,” Borger noted. “Recreating the likeness of a deceased actor is always a delicate undertaking, but Capcom handles it with immense grace.”

Conversely, Kotaku’s review, penned by Jackson Tyler, presents a far more critical perspective. Comparing Way of the Sword unfavorably against its predecessors, Tyler argues that Capcom stripped away too much of the franchise’s distinct identity in a bid to appeal to contemporary mainstream audiences.

“Instead of a tightly woven, interconnected world to explore, players navigate an open environment cluttered with side missions and collectibles,” Tyler explained. “Rather than a deliberate resource economy that encourages strategic combat decisions, we are given an overwhelming web of currencies feeding into multiple overlapping progression tiers. This is Capcom’s ultimate vision for reviving Onimusha: hollow out its foundational identity and substitute everything else with something superficially similar. Ultimately, it’s a game fundamentally at war with itself.”

Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

Your appreciation for motion-controlled swordplay may vary

Source: Polygon