Gameplay
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is an action-adventure video game played from a third-person perspective. The game follows a samurai named Miyamoto Musashi (modeled after Toshiro Mifune), as he explores a dark fantasy version of Kyoto during the Edo period and combats rival swordsmen, demons and other supernatural threats. [1] Musashi's primary weapon of choice is a sword, which can be used to strike enemies, parry their attack, or deflect incoming projectiles. A prolonged parry allows Musashi to "steer" his enemy, calling them to fall towards a certain direction. [2] Musashi can also enter a "guard" stance, which blocks attacks from all directions. [3] Striking and parrying will deplete an opponent's stamina, allowing players to use "Break Issen", a move which instantly executes an enemy by dismembering them. Performing consecutive parries or dodges grants Musashi combat buffs, enabling him to swiftly execute enemies in succession or unleash a multi-hit attack, respectively. [4] He can also use the environment to his advantage, such as flipping a table and using it as a temporary shield. [5]
Throughout the game, Musashi is equipped with a sentient gauntlet that consumes the souls of defeated enemies. The game has three types of "souls". Yellow souls replenish the player's health, red souls can be used to buy upgrades, and blue souls allows players to use "Oni Armaments", which are special weapons that deal large damage to enemies. Hitting enemies with Oni Armaments in turn provide players with yellow souls. [6] Using Break Issen on boss characters do not execute them instantly, though it grant players a choice to deal massive amount of damage or gain more souls. [7] With the gauntlet, Musashi can also activate "Oni Vision", which enables him to identify the location of all demons and enemies in an area. [6] Way of the Sword is a largely linear game, though it also has open areas and side quests. [3]
Development
The game is currently being developed by Capcom. It was part of Capcom's efforts to revive some of its dormant franchises. [8] According to producer Akihito Kadowaki, members of Capcom had always wanted to continue the Onimusha franchise, though the publisher was unable to allocate resources for it. The game was greenlit in early 2020, when RE Engine, Capcom's proprietary engine, had its utilities and functions massively expanded. [9] The game were designed to be accessible while remaining challenging for experienced players, with director Satoru Nihei adding that it was not a Soulslike and their main focus was to modernize the series and "express the clashing of blades through the action". [10] In contrast with the previous games, combat was designed to be more deliberate, requiring players to observe their opponent's moves and decide the timing of each strike. [3] The team invitied real-life swordsmen to their motion capture studio to ensure combat in the game was grounded in reality. [11]
The narrative of Way of the Sword was not related to the previous games or the Netflix animated series, as Capcom wanted players new to the franchise to understand the game's story with ease. [12] However, like previous games in the series, genma remained as the main antagonist. [2] Capcom considered Mifune to be "the quintessential samurai action actor", and it took two years of discussions and negotiations with Mifune Productions to secure the license to use his likeness in the game. [13] The game was designed to be "cinematic", with Capcom investing significantly into the game's motion capture technology and animation process. [5] The team consulted with temple officials, such as those from Kiyomizu-dera, to ensure that their depiction of feudal Japan was realistic. [14] The game is expected to be around 20-hour long. [15]
Way of the Sword was revealed at The Game Awards in December 2024. It is set to be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. [16]
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