I went into the Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo completely blind. I had never played any of the previous games in the series, nor did I know what to truly expect. I simply downloaded it and gave it a try. After playing through it with a beaming smile on my face, dismembering demons and having a good ol’ time, this might be one of the best action games since Elden Ring. Better yet, you can join in on the fun with a great preorder discount ahead of launch.
From the opening moments, I was hooked. You play as legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi as you traverse a dark fantasy take on Kyoto, facing rival samurai, demons, and even more threats that the full game will offer. Even though it’s a 25-year-old series, with the last entry launching back in 2006, there’s no requirement to play previous games. Capcom has already said that Way of the Sword is a fresh starting point for newcomers.
I was surprised by how weighty the combat felt, even with the initial bouts focused on teaching me the ropes and taking me from terrible to somewhat okay. Musashi’s prowess with a sword makes the gameplay flow naturally from one attack to the next, but it doesn’t feel like he’s moving around like Dante from Devil May Cry. Instead, every one-handed slash and cathartic two-handed hit have the weight they deserve, making dealing with crowds even more satisfying.
It’s even more exciting when you eventually deplete an enemy’s stamina, whether through a flurry of sword strikes, well-timed parries, or the tuck-and-roll of a dodge. As you slowly whittle down your enemies until they’re exhausted, you can use a break to dismember them, sending the demons back to their shadowy graves and, of course, looking awesome while doing it. Despite offering plenty of different mechanics for dealing with Musashi’s enemies, the game doesn’t feel overwhelming. The demo has done exactly what it should: It sold me on Capcom’s next title.
If you’re looking to give Onimusha: Way of the Sword a chance, you can preorder a Steam key for just $57.39 / £49.19 at Fanatical. That’s an 18% discount before the game has even been released. Best of all, you still get the neat pre-launch goodies, including the Lion Dog charm and Sealed Curse sword appearance.
If you’re a little worried about the game being too frustrating, the easier difficulty setting makes things much simpler, prompting you with select actions to perform and giving you the same brilliant combat without the frustration of remembering the right commands. So, if you’re looking to play an action game without the frustration that souls-likes can elicit from some players, this is definitely a good option based on the demo. You can read about the full experience in GameSpot’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword review.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical’s deals team.
