Forbes says Onimusha: Way of the Sword may be one of the finest games of this era, and the review makes that judgment by pointing to a sharper combat model and a cleaner structure than the series used before. The new game moves the action into ancient Kyoto with full camera control, while the old fixed view is gone.
Ancient Kyoto and full control
The review places the series in context first: Onimusha was one of the definitive games of the PlayStation 2 era, built around ancient Japanese history, folklore, gruesome body horror, and a hero carrying an Oni Gauntlet against Genma. Way of the Sword keeps that core fantasy, but it drops the older fixed-camera layout for a modern third-person action setup.
That shift is not cosmetic. The game uses a discrete open-world structure in ancient Kyoto, but it still breaks into big levels that end with bosses. The hub is described as measured and manageable in size, so the design asks players to move through a more open space without losing the series' tighter, stage-based rhythm.
Upgrades and Stamina pressure
The progression systems push the same direction. The sword, clothes, and gauntlet can all be upgraded from items found in the game world, while charms also improve different attributes. Health comes from the initial Hozuki pouch, and more Hozuki pouches unlock as the game progresses, which gives the run a steadier sense of growth than the older entries.
Combat follows that same layered approach. Block and dodge options are in place, parries are integral, and successful parries or dodges drain enemy Stamina. Regular attacks chip away too, and once Stamina is gone, powerful attacks can often kill ordinary enemies outright or strip a large chunk from a boss's health.
Story mode before Action difficulty
The sharpest practical advice in the review is simple: start on Story mode. The game opens with Story mode and Action difficulty, but Story mode shows the combat messaging that teaches the timing windows, while Action difficulty turns those prompts off unless you switch them back on manually.
That recommendation matters because the combat asks players to read movement, not just mash attacks. Issen returns as well, triggered by pressing the attack button just before an enemy lands a blow, so the first run is less about brute force than learning when the game wants a block, a dodge, a parry, or a counter.
For a series that had gone a long while without a new installment, that is the real change in Way of the Sword: it keeps the harsh timing and demon-hunting identity, but it makes the structure easier to read. The review's bottom line is hard to miss, and it is unusually direct for a game built on old bones.
