REVIEW
ONIMUSHA : WAY OF THE SWORD
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is an excellent entry in the Onimusha series, featuring great combat, an interesting protagonist, and a compelling storyline. However, it has shortcomings, such as repetitive enemies and bosses, as well as relatively small maps to explore. Even at the final stage, you face same enemies again which you had been facing since the start of the game.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay consists of blocking, parrying, dodging, and counter strikes. You have various weapons for charged-up special attacks, which vary greatly, the real issue is the limited variety of enemies. You carry a limited inventory throughout the entire game, and while upgrading pouches helps, they don't significantly increase the available usage of items. The zones you explore are relatively small, except for the main zone where you do most of your grinding and side quests. Facing the same enemies and sub-bosses repeatedly makes the game feel more suited for handheld devices than for a console. At times, there is a total lack of voice acting, which is typically experienced in handheld games. You have only one weapon, which you can upgrade, along with armor and accessories like charms that add additional bonuses once upgraded. I enjoyed the initial bosses more than the later ones, as the game becomes challenging relatively quickly, even in normal mode, referred to as action mode in the game. Unlike previous Onimusha games, the puzzles here are basically non-existent, which can be either a good or bad thing depending on your personal preferences. The common progression hurdles in the game are locked doors that are from the inside. While the combat is excellent with high-quality animations and feel, the lack of weapon and variety makes the a dull experience by midway. You can upgrade armor, oni gauntlet and pouches and charms. You can get various pouches besides the default pouch that lets you heal. Other pouches include variety, like some offer health regeneration, aggressor pouch that refills oni power and reflex gauges for counterattacks, resistance pouch and awakening pouch. There is a power up mode, called Oni awakening, where you become powered up and do not get any damage from enemy attacks for a limited time. Like the skill bars, the bar for oni awakening fills up as you fight on. It is very handy for boss fights but it unlocks at the end of the game.
GRAPHICS & AUDIO
Solid graphics. Just like Resident Evil Requiem, the RE Engine showcases its graphical prowess. The few dungeons in the game have unique lighting that makes them look distinct from the majority of the game. Although there is not much to explore, whatever is there looks great. I wish it had more areas like the initial mountainous path to the temple region. Characters and armor look detailed, as do the enemies and even the NPCs. In terms of the audio, there is not much ambiance going on besides crows, rain, and the occasional thunder. The combat theme and overall audio are good.
STORY
The story involves a classic Japanese ronin/samurai trope mixed with fantasy elements. Like most Japanese games, you typically face major enemies repeatedly; for instance, the boss you fight in the demo becomes a recurring boss later in the game. It doesn't feature a wide variety of cast members, as the game revolves around a combat-focused theme. Instead, the narrative focuses on a spirited fighter who suddenly acquires a unique relic called the Oni Gauntlet. Living inside the gauntlet is Shizuka, a mysterious Oni lady who grants him the ability to collect the souls of the demons he slays, known as the Genma. At one point, he even wonders if he needs to turn evil and collect human souls after being defeated for the first time by his arch-rival, Sasaki Ganryu. However, as he uncovers the horrors of cruel human experiments and the mysterious past of Shizuka Gozen—the lady who grants him his power through the relic—the narrative shifts. Ultimately, the story focuses on clearing the land of evil. The relationship between the spirited Musashi and Shizuka Gozen adds great narrative depth, and side quests give villains some welcome screen time.
SIDE-QUESTS
Onimusha: Way of the Sword features highly repetitive side quests where you basically hunt down the same limited pool of enemies you have already faced in the main hub. Ironically, these enemies continue to roam around just like ordinary NPCs, even after you have successfully cleared the Malice Rifts from the entire area. While there are a few quests that involve uncovering treasure chest locations, the rewards are often a letdown and hardly feel like proper treasures. The only good aspect is that you get to see one of the side villains involved in the quest, which gives her some much-needed screen time. However, facing the same bunch of enemies, including the annoying archers who keeps firing arrows at a relatively faster pace, and facing the same sub bosses ruined my mood to do side-quests. You unlock various pouches via side quests that offer materials as reward and by finding various treasures in the main zone of the game. Upgrading pouch increases available uses. Then there are various charms for specific purposes and upgrading them enhances them.
OVERALL
Onimusha: Way of the Sword needs a greater variety of enemies and boss encounters, larger areas to explore, and a wider selection of weapons. Otherwise, it is still a solid entry in the series that offers great combat, high-quality animations, and excellent graphics.