De første anmeldelsene av Onimusha: Way of the Sword er inne – Capcom har laget enda en GOTY-kandidat

September is shaping up to be one of the year's biggest months for major, highly anticipated releases. One of them is Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom's latest project, which, judging by early reviews, looks like a real contender for Game of the Year.

Ahead of the game's release this week, critics have already shared their impressions on Onimusha: Way of the Sword. As expected, the reception has been strong: the new installment is drawing praise for its narrative, combat system, the deep backstory of protagonist Miyamoto Musashi, and its stunning visuals powered by the RE Engine. On the downside, some reviewers pointed to a lack of enemy variety, repetitive boss fights, and some disagreement over level design. Onimusha: Way of the Sword currently sits at 85 on Metacritic (based on 72 critic reviews) and 86 on OpenCritic, with 94% of critics recommending the game. You can check out some of the reviews below:

IGN – 100/100:

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be perfect for 10 seconds. Onimusha: Way of the Sword understands that desire. Each time I landed a perfectly timed Issen, pulled off a risky deflect, or landed a combo at just the right time, I felt like I had accomplished something. I had put myself to the test, and I’d succeeded. It’s a testament to Way of the Sword’s combat that I could beat it without using some of the systems designed to help you progress – not because you don’t need them, but because it leaves room for you to truly understand its action and overcome their absence through sheer determination. Even if I hadn’t intentionally made things harder for myself, though, I still would have loved spending time with Okuni, Takamura, Murasaki, Shizuka, and nearly all the denizens of this world. I still would have thought that Musashi himself is one of the coolest, most interesting protagonists in any video game, and I would have loved going on this journey with him. I still would have savored the creative fights against Ganryu and Benkei and a dozen others I won’t spoil here. My journey reflected Musashi's, and Onimusha made that possible. The best part of life is the challenge. You have to learn to love the fight.

PSX Brazil – 100/100:

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a fantastic return for one of the most promising franchises in the entire industry. With an excellent story and exceptional combat, Capcom hits the mark once again, delivering a title that is a true spectacle. Capturing the best of its blend of samurai and horror, it transforms into an exciting and action-packed experience that should be remembered as one of the best of the year.

Push Square – 90/100:

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is an often outstanding action game that bears all the hallmarks of a modern Capcom masterpiece. Its combat is clearly the main draw and it's a superb system once it gets rolling. The boss fights in particular are some of the best you'll find on PS5. But even beyond the sword-swinging skirmishes, Way of the Sword impresses with great characters and eye-popping cutscenes. This is a fantastic revival of a franchise that's been sleeping for far too long.

Forbes – 90/100:

Onimusha: Way of the Sword may be the best game in the series and by quite a large margin. Definitely start out on Story difficulty to find your feet and get used to the game’s pacing of enemy attacks, but once you’re in the zone, it is a genuinely wonderful game from start to finish.

TheGamer – 90/100:

Capcom’s willingness to return to old franchises is continuing to pay off, because Onimusha: Way of the Sword is yet another banger from a developer that just cannot stop winning. It’s easily the best game that it’s released this year, which includes behemoths like Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata, and if you’re an Onimusha fan praying that this new game will finally revive the series, you should be very excited about the future. Now do Dino Crisis next, Capcom.

CGMagazine – 80/100:

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a great modern entry into the long-running and long-dormant Capcom series. The combat and story are great, but open-world bloat makes this Capcom's most divisive release in years.

• PSU – 9/10
• Noisy Pixel – 9/10
• Shacknews – 9/10
• Screen Rant – 9/10
• Nintendo Life – 9/10
• Gamespot – 8/10
• GamingBolt – 8/10
• Giant Bomb – 8/10
• TheSixthAxis – 8/10
• Game Rant – 7/10
• GamesRadar – 7/10
• VGC – 6/10

This is another well-received Capcom release this year and a plausible Game of the Year contender. Resident Evil Requiem, released back in February, became the fastest-selling game in its franchise and Empire's pick for best game of 2026. The studio also launched a new IP in April, Pragmata, which has similarly earned strong praise from players and critics and could grow into a full franchise. Capcom recently confirmed the odds of that happening have gone up since the game's sales have already exceeded internal projections.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword will release on September 4 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.