Onimusha is finally back, and Capcom’s penchant for sound storytelling and moreish combat shine through a bleak, Genma-infested Kyoto.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword sees the storied series return to its roots, while adding just enough modern sensibility to entice a fresh audience. Its strong cast, well-realized narrative, and dopamine-inducing combat are all top-notch, though some of the finer details elsewhere are lacking. It's a laser-focused samurai action thriller that is sure to delight, and hopefully marks the beginning of a new era for Onimusha.
Between the promise of extreme mastery espoused by the likes of Sekiro and Nioh, and the sprawling open-world narratives of the Ghosts series and Assassin's Creed: Shadows, students of the virtual blade have arguably never had it so good. When Capcom announced that Onimusha would finally return after two decades, it was ready to thread the highly-competitive subgenre's needle. The eyelet, I can confirm, is perfectly fit for Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Its approachable yet fulfilling combat system, horror-filled, wide-linear rendition of Edo period Japan, and frontman, bona fide sword saint Miyamoto Musashi, make for a potent combination.
Way of the Sword takes place during the fledgling years of the Tokugawa shogunate, as Musashi first reaches Kyoto to challenge the head of the famous Yoshioka school, Yoshioka Seijuro. Having historically notched up a flawless dueling record, Musashi is effectively the Mayweather of the samurai world, so, unsurprisingly, his in-game counterpart makes light work of this introductory bout. Less than enthused by their master's defeat, Seijuro's seething students pursue the young ronin in an amusingly animated street chase - the exaggerated expressions of the iconic Toshiro Mifune, Musashi's silver screen facesake, on full display. Onimusha has never failed to impress with its opening segments, and Way of the Sword continues the trend.
Unluckily for Musashi, he runs into rival swordsman Sasaki Ganryu. Even more unfortunately for the pair, they're run through by the demonic Genma, sending them down to Hell. Upon arrival, Musashi is plucked from the bloody river by a mysterious man in white, forcibly equipped with an oni gauntlet - an artifact that draws power from the souls of the departed - and zipped back up to the world of the living. Upon returning to Kyoto, Musashi is led to master swordsman and fellow gauntlet wielder Takamura, alongside his dancing disciple, Okuni. We quickly learn that Takamura's been keeping the gate to Hell locked up tight for some 800 years, fighting the Genma day-in, day-out. Way of the Sword maintains some of Demon Siege's anachronistic energy in this sense, albeit nothing nearly as off-piste as Samanosuke cruising along in the Blanc-mobile.
Busy keeping the hellish legion and their ringleader at bay, Takamura enlists Musashi's help to deal with Kyoto's growing Genma problem. The city and its surrounding areas have become swamped in malice, providing the perfect storm for rifts to form and demons to spew forth. Musashi, however, is reluctant. While the fledgling legend now possesses the power of the onimusha, and with it the means to fight the Genma, he immediately rejects it, wishing only to rely on his own strength to win battles. As it transpires, the gauntlet's the only thing keeping Musashi alive, so he eventually yields and agrees as a means to potentially find a way to get shot of it.
Much of Way of the Sword's narrative concerns itself with the true meaning of power, and it does well to illustrate its myriad forms, as well as the dark temptations it brings, through some beautifully produced cutscenes. Musashi wrestles with these complexities throughout, learning the hard way at times that his impressive skill and unwavering confidence aren't always enough to get the job done. Though the essence of Musashi's character remains consistent, he gradually becomes more co-operative, not only with the gauntlet and its spiritual denizen, Shizuka, but with the allies he makes along the way. It's a fairly typical hero's journey, but Capcom's execution is stellar, deftly spinning in heartbreaking moments and comedic relief as Way of the Sword progresses.
Way of the Sword's early game is fairly pedestrian, getting you up to speed with Musashi's new tricks. It's largely a cycle of find rift, kill Genma, profit, with the odd boss thrown in here and there to make sure you've cemented the basics. It's a bit of a slow burn for the first couple of hours, and your ability to appreciate everything Kyoto has to offer is hamstrung by a perimeter of intense malice, but it's interspersed with some well-placed narrative beats to keep things ticking over. It's not long, however, before things really start to ramp up.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.pcgamesn.com/onimusha-way-of-the-sword/review
