Onimusha: Way of the Sword: Musashi, Mifune's Face and a Demon-Filled Kyoto
Capcom's samurai series returned after two decades with a legendary swordsman, a movie star's likeness and one very sharp blade. Here is what makes the new Onimusha tick, and why the Switch 2 version won the best reviews.
It took Capcom two years of negotiations with the company that manages the estate of Toshiro Mifune to get the rights to his face. Mifune, the star of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, died in 1997. In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, he lives again as the model for Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's most famous swordsman.
The game launched on September 4, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, three weeks earlier than its original September 25 date, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version revealed in June. It was the first new mainline Onimusha since Dawn of Dreams in 2006, and it sold more than 1 million copies on launch day.
Kyoto, 1604, and things that should not exist
Way of the Sword is set in a dark fantasy version of Kyoto in the early Edo period, starting in 1604. Musashi, a wandering samurai, finds the city overrun by Genma, the demons that have plagued the series since 2001, and is bound to a living Oni Gauntlet that feeds on souls. His enemies include rival swordsmen, demons and the main villain, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, known as the Man in White.
The story is not connected to the earlier games or to the Netflix anime, so newcomers can start here. To get the city right, Capcom consulted temple officials, including those at Kiyomizu-dera, and motion-captured real swordsmen.
One sword, no excuses
Director Satoru Nihei has said the game is not a Soulslike. Its goal is to modernise the series and show the clash of blades, and it commits to that idea completely: Musashi has one sword and no alternative weapons. You attack, parry, guard or deflect projectiles, and use the scenery, for example by flipping a table for cover.
The signature move, Break Issen, kills regular enemies instantly. Against bosses, it offers a choice: heavy damage or a burst of extra souls. Souls come in three colours: yellow restores health, red buys upgrades and blue powers Oni Armaments. Oni Vision reveals every enemy nearby. The adventure is largely linear, with a central hub that opens up and holds side quests, and runs about 20 hours.
How critics scored it
The reviews were strong, and unusually, the best scores went to the Nintendo version. On Metacritic, Way of the Sword scored 90 on Switch 2, 85 on PS5 and 83 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, with 95% of critics recommending it on OpenCritic. IGN gave it a perfect 10/10, while Push Square, Nintendo Life and Shacknews gave it 9/10.
Some critics were cooler. Video Games Chronicle gave it 3/5, and Game Informer, despite an 8/10, described the action as excellent but noted some ageing elements. The common thread was praise for the swordplay and atmosphere, with questions about how much the structure had moved on from the 2000s.
A big night for Capcom
Launch-day sales of more than 1 million made Way of the Sword Capcom's fourth game of 2026 to reach that number, in a year that also brought Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata. It is also up for Console Game of the Year and Best Audio Design at the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards.
Why it matters
Twenty years is a long time for a series to sleep. Way of the Sword shows Capcom can revive a franchise without turning it into something else. It stays a focused, linear action game in an era of open worlds, and that restraint is exactly what many critics enjoyed.
If you liked Sekiro or Ghost of Tsushima but want something tighter, this is a good next step. For the bigger picture of Capcom's run, read our 2026 AAA year so far.