Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. Until 1868, Kyoto served as not only the home of the Emperor, but also the centre of cuisine, art, and culture for the entire country. In the world of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, then, when the plague-like Malice descends on the city, it’s not just a matter of a small town or village being overwhelmed. It’s the centre of the Japanese world at the time having a demonic nightmare thrust upon it.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword sees players taking on the role of Musashi, a samurai who is as awkward (in a good way) and bumbling as he is skilled with a blade. It’s hard not to relate to someone who seems at once to be both honourable and deeply inconvenienced, so of course things couldn’t get more inconvenient than when he ends up a little, well, dead. From there, Mushashi must stop an otherworldly evil, all while putting down the ghastly beasts that have invaded Kyoto with it.
At its core, Onimusha is a hack-and-slash brawler, with light RPG and horror elements. Much of your time in the landscape of Kyoto and the areas around it will be spent swinging Musashi’s sword until it makes contact with the heads of any unfortunate souls who happen to be on the other side of it. Musashi feels appropriately heavy but fast, and once you get the hang of the combat down, feels perfectly suited for samurai goodness.
His tool set is equally varied, including his sword, several celestial weapons that you can pull out to level the playing field, and even his fist in a pinch when a guard needs breaking. Everything marries perfectly to make Musashi feel wicked and powerful, while simultaneously seeing him break like a butterfly against the game’s sadistic bosses. Seriously, some of these guys are rough, even on the not-so-appropriately-named “Story” difficulty. Oh, sure, you’ll see the story, but only after you get smacked around like a doll.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of customisation to help you handle all that difficulty. Unlockable outfits might not be the bane of every enemy’s existence, but charms that can be levelled up, a perfectly sized skill tree (that is paced rather well, it should be added), and upgradable gauntlet, cloth (equaling health) and sword definitely will be. The charms, which give boosts to things like healing or damage when attacking an enemy on fire, are a nice touch.
Then there’s the presentation, which is nothing short of aesthetic perfection. Whether it be the expert class world building, the near perfect atmosphere, or the exquisite voice performances, Onimusha feels like a world most sullied by the evil attacking it. Even when just walking down a street in Kyoto with no enemies to be seen, there’s something grimy and oppressive in the air that feels almost real.
There’s plenty of extra stuff to do as well, such as hunting down dogs (super cute ones, by the way), helping out random passers-by being attacked, having rematches with bosses, and even some good old side questing just to round out the mix. It’s a real joy to see that Onimusha: Way of the Sword is just as exciting outside the bombastic combat and boss battles as it is within, proving it has plenty of staying power even in those more solemn moments.
im glad this one turned out alright.