Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Is Best When It's Silly, And Despite Some Gloomy Open World Slogging, Sometimes Even Remembers It

The initial moments of Onimusha: Way of the Sword establish a highly entertaining, chaotic tone. The game begins with the wandering ronin Musashi waking up beneath a bridge, shouting a surprisingly British exclamation at local children, and fleeing from a massive crowd of martial arts students. This opening sequence blends physical comedy with action, showing Musashi kicking wooden planks at his pursuers and rescuing a dog. According to Rock Paper Shotgun's James Archer, this goofy and brash introduction sets the game apart from typical, overly serious fantasy slashers.

Despite this strong start, the game struggles to maintain its comedic energy as the campaign progresses. Archer notes that while the early hours are filled with humor, the game quickly shifts between different tones, ranging from dark feudal horror to the invincible style of a shonen manga hero. There are also long stretches of silence where players simply follow map markers through Kyoto. While Archer has only defeated a few bosses so far, he observes that the game's narrative and pacing frequently lose the momentum established in the opening scenes.

At its core, Way of the Sword features highly polished action-adventure mechanics. The game is particularly notable for its smooth and satisfying sword-deflecting system, which stands out in a genre increasingly crowded with parry-focused combat. However, Archer argues that the game could have achieved greatness rather than just being good if it had embraced its comedic potential more consistently. The opening sequence succeeds because it subverts the archetype of the master swordsman, showing Musashi winning a duel only to get covered in pig manure while fleeing an army of disciples.

The character design and animation contribute significantly to the game's charm. Capcom has animated Musashi with expressive facial contortions and awkward physical movements, such as when he struggles to squeeze out of tight hiding spots. His perplexed expressions, modeled after legendary samurai cinema actor Toshiro Mifune, are paired with an excellent English voice performance by Kenichiro Thomson. These visual and vocal details often succeed in bringing a smile to the player's face, even during quieter moments.

The combat system itself incorporates physical and reactive elements that can lead to amusing scenarios. Players can parry charging opponents to redirect them into other enemies, causing them to collide with enough force to break their stances. This momentum-based combat can also send enemies crashing into walls, where they sometimes become hilariously stuck and flail around. Additionally, the game features environmental objects like boards, carts, and barrels that Musashi can throw, drawing comparisons to the prop-based martial arts style of Jackie Chan films.

Unfortunately, these interactive environmental props are only sparsely distributed throughout the game's levels after their initial introduction. While the standard sword duels are mechanically sound and well-designed, they lack the memorable quality of the chaotic, physics-based encounters. Archer suggests that a more compact and focused game structure would have benefited both the combat and the presentation, as the current semi-open world of Kyoto often forces players through restrictive corridors without adding meaningful story or action opportunities.

The pacing of Way of the Sword is further slowed by numerous cutscenes and non-player character conversations, many of which lack the humor or expressive animations that make the protagonist so engaging. This structure results in periods where the game's highlights are separated by empty exploration. Nevertheless, the occasional appearance of bizarre, highly energetic boss monsters reminiscent of Metal Gear Rising helps to re-engage the player, ensuring that the game's core strengths are never entirely forgotten.