Summary
Developers at Capcom working on the upcoming action titleOnimusha: Way of the Swordhave clarified their intentions with regard to the game’s difficulty. Currently in development,Onimusha: Way of the Swordwill land on the PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S sometime in 2026.
Capcom’s venerableOnimushaseries is seeing a resurgence in activity after years spent largely dormant. The originalOnimusha: Warlordswas an early PlayStation 2 hit patterned off the gameplay style and presentation of theResident Evilseries. Outside of Japan-exclusive browser and mobile spin-offs and the 2018 remaster ofWarlords, the series never left the PlayStation 2 and Xbox generation. Many fans assumed it had become aforgotten Capcom franchise, a relic of a previous generation. Capcom put that sentiment to rest with its showcase broadcast on February 4, where it unveiledOnimusha: Way of the Sword, an entirely new game in the franchise set for modern platforms.
During the showcase,Onimusha: Way of the SwordProducer Akihito Kadowaki and Director Satoru Nihei outlined their goals for the game, includingthree core aspects ofOnimusha: Way of the Swordgameplay. Nihei also clarified the team’s attitude towards difficulty, saying that it’s not trying to make “an impossibly difficult” game. Instead, Capcom hopes to make a game where players experience “thrilling sword fights” and take satisfaction from slaying their enemies.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Will Not Be Impossibly Difficult
From his mention of not intending forOnimusha: Way of the Swordto be “impossibly difficult,” it seems that Director Nihei is setting expectations regardingwhat players should expect fromOnimusha: Way of the Sword, as well as distancingWay of the Swordfrom “Souls-like” action games, which are famous for being challenging to the point of frustration for many players.
Given how long it’s been sinceOnimushawas last in the headlines, clarifying those kinds of expectations is a reasonable move for Capcom. At first glance, a player with no knowledge of the series might look atOnimusha: Way of the Sword’s dark fantasy style and violent combat and assume that it takes after the likes of FromSoftware’sSekiroor Koei Tecmo’sNioh, and have a similar focus on challenge.
BetweenOnimusha: Way of the Swordand the also-announcedremaster ofOnimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, Capcom is on the way towards setting off a fullOnimushafranchise revival. With time and success onWay of the Sword’s part, that could mean a new pillar of modern action games could soon be raised.
