The Japan Times reviews Capcom's Onimusha: Way of the Sword
In Japan, The Japan Times praised Capcom's Onimusha: Way of the Sword for its boss battles, although it called regular encounters with enemies a weaker part of the game. It is the first game in the series since 2006 and a reboot of the franchise in the action-slasher genre.
Events in demonic Kyoto
The player controls the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, whose appearance was modeled after the late actor Toshiro Mifune. The events unfold in Kyoto at the beginning of the Edo period. According to the plot, the boundary between the human world and the afterlife weakens, and the city is filled with genma — monsters known from previous entries in the series.
After being killed by genma, Musashi goes to hell but returns to life as an onimusha, a demonic warrior. He is granted power by a mysterious gauntlet received from an oni, whose motives remain unknown.
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Bosses and regular enemies
As the review's author notes, ordinary genma are mostly passive: the player can often defeat them with sequences of regular attacks without fully using the parrying system. In contrast, he considers boss battles to be the game's main strength. These opponents include a many-armed wish-granting spirit, a demon with a cleaver and grotesque lungs on its back, and Musashi's resurrected samurai rival.
During these battles, dodges, blocks and counterattacks with light or heavy strikes are available. The window for a counterattack is considerably shorter, but successful actions are accompanied by dynamic animation. The game also allows players to fight any previously defeated boss again.
The review's author believes that these encounters compensate for the uneven pacing between key battles. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is also mentioned alongside Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata as part of a strong year for Capcom.
