Onimusha: Way of the Sword is yet another excellent action title here, delivering a mechanically complex, challenging, and satisfying experience, with plenty for players to juggle and master. Obviously, overcoming grueling challenges remains a big part of the experience in Way of the Sword from beginning to end, but to make those early hours just a little bit smoother, here, we have compiled a few basic tips and tricks that you should keep in mind as you dive into the game. With all that said, let’s get started.
Don’t Over-Rely on Blocking
Blocking and parrying are central to combat in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but though it’s easy to over-rely on holding down the block button at most times in similar games, we don’t recommend doing that here. Though you will obviously be blocking damage from potential incoming attacks that way, holding down block also depletes your stamina faster, which means your guard breaks quicker, leaving you more vulnerable. Instead, your focus should be on observing enemy movements and attacks and pulling out carefully timed dodges and parries- more on those in a bit.
Don’t Spam Attacks
Onimusha: Way of the Sword retains a lot of the DNA of the series’ older titles, but in modernizing the formula, it does also change the combat in some ways- such as making it more deliberate, precise, and skill based. That means spamming attacks won’t get you anywhere, especially on the combat focused difficulty mode. Enemies are prone to blocking and guarding against flurries of spammed attacks, which in turn also leaves you open to devastating attacks yourself. Instead, it is much more effective to try to find ways to break enemies’ stances in other ways. Speaking of which, one such way is…
Use the Environment
Your sword and your gauntlet are obviously your best and most effective tools in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but using your surroundings to your advantage is also a great way to turn to tide in your favour in skirmishes. Whether that’s from getting enemies to crash into walls, leaving them dazed for a few moments, or using objects such as massive wooden boards, carts or what have you for both offensive and defensive purposes, environmental cues and objects can come in quite handy in the middle of combat- so pay attention and frequently scan your surroundings.
Parries and Deflects
Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s combat- the parry mechanic, which is also one of the game’s brightest highlights. While it is obviously crucial to get the timing of perfect parries down if you want to get the best of your foes (especially the tougher ones), just as important, if not more so, is figuring out when to use parries and when to use deflects. While deflects, unlike perfect parries, don’t allow for immediate follow up attacks, they can be highly useful in other ways, such as redirecting or maneuvering enemies into environmental hazards or traps, or sending arrows flying back at archers- so choose wisely in the moment.
Issen and Issen Break
Way of the Sword adds another layer to its parry mechanics with Issen and Break Issen, which are a great way to be aggressive (which, of course, is always encouraged in Onimusha). In a nutshell, if you strike at an enemy with perfect timing at the exact moment that they are attacking you, your swords will clash and allow you to follow up with either one-hit kill attacks on weaker foes, or chains of deadly hits among groups of enemies. Issen chains can be a great way of thinning out large groups in particular, so try to single out weaker foes that allow for easier Issen opportunities.
Blaze and Reflex Gauges
Something else that you’re going to want to keep your eye on is your Blaze and Reflex gauges. Built up respectively through perfect parries and perfect dodges (or reflex dodges, as the game calls them), both are highly useful tools in combat. Once filled up, your Blaze gauge allows you to unleash deadlier and more devastating attacks, while the Reflex gauge lets you use more effective Reflex combos. When used right, both can be quite handy, especially in the middle of a tough boss encounter.
Don’t Leave Souls on the Field
Enemies drop souls constantly in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but as longtime series fans will tell you, you should be very active in absorbing them as soon as you can. While it might be tempting to just leave them on the field with the intention of grabbing them later in one go, given how useful they can be (especially for healing and building up your armament gauge), it is highly recommended that you find the necessary windows where you can pause from attacking and defending and absorb the souls around you. During boss fights, bosses also tend to suck up souls that have been left unattended, and you definitely don’t want that happening.
Pick Up Items, Explore, Break Stuff
This should go without saying, but you should be grabbing any shiny blue items you can spot on the field, even from a distant. These are what you use primarily to power up your charms, which is one of several ways you can strengthen Musashi, while you’ll also find soul stones, healing items, and more, so yes, it’s definitely recommended that you explore environments to make sure you’re grabbing all the items you need. You’ll also often find barrels, boxes, and what have you scattered throughout the environment, and in true classic action game fashion, all of those are obviously smashable- and yes, you should smash those, because every so often, they will drop useful items for you to grab.
Special Vision
Your gauntlet also equips you with a special Vision, which is handy in exactly all the ways you would expect. Triggering this vision highlights various things of interest in your vicinity, including items, hidden paths, enemies, potential ambushes, environmental traps and hazards, and more. While spamming it isn’t helpful, we would recommend using your Vision every time you enter a new room or area to ensure you have a good idea of what’s waiting for you and what you need to investigate in your immediate vicinity.
Explore Kyoto
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a pretty focused and linear experience, but it does offer the room to explore every now and then, and when it does, you should definitely take up that option. The central hub for Kyoto in particular has a lot of opportunities for farming souls, earning rewards, finding items, and enhancing Musashi’s abilities, so exploring the city and its optional offerings is encouraged.
Don’t Ignore the Training Grounds
A couple of hours into Onimusha: Way of the Sword, you will gain access to the Training Grounds, which are exactly what they sound like- but though training arenas can sometimes be easy to ignore, here, we’d recommend making full use of them. Not only are they a great way of picking up and mastering the way tools you have at your disposal as a warrior in Way of the Sword, you can also replay boss fights, while there are also several rewards to be earned. Not all of those rewards are worth the effort, but some of them certainly can be, so we’d definitely suggest not ignoring the training grounds.
Return to Earlier Areas After Gaining New Powers
Several of Musashi’s abilities are useful both in battle and while exploring. The Strength abilty, for example, can smash through enemy shields, but it can also destroy Malice barriers blocking certain routes. Areas that appeared fully explored may therefore contain additional encounters, Power Stones, upgrade resources and hidden items once new abilities become available.
Mix Powerful Strikes into Your Offence
Rapid light attacks will not always be the safest approach, particularly against enemies that grow more dangerous as a fight continues. Byakue, for instance, becomes increasingly aggressive after being drenched in its own blood. A stream of weaker strikes can push the encounter into this more dangerous state without removing enough of its health.
Against such opponents, look for opportunities to land fewer but considerably stronger blows.
Use the Bow to Disrupt Bosses
The Bow is useful for much more than hitting distant enemies and solving environmental puzzles. During certain boss encounters, carefully placed arrows can interrupt especially dangerous moves and expose the enemy to further punishment.
Watch for vulnerable limbs or appendages whenever a boss begins charging an elaborate attack. When a boss prepares one of its most damaging moves, for example, shooting its tail severs it and inflicts considerable damage.
Use Combat Prompts as a Learning Tool
Optional button prompts indicate the most suitable response to an incoming attack, whether that means dodging, parrying or using another defensive technique. This makes them useful for more than simply reducing the game’s difficulty.
Consider enabling the prompts when facing an unfamiliar enemy or struggling to interpret its attack animations. They can help establish which visual cues correspond to each defensive response.
Upgrade the Medicinal Pouch
Increasing the capacity of Musashi’s medicinal pouch allows him to carry more recovery items into combat. This becomes increasingly important during the latter portions of the game, when boss encounters become difficult.
