But they’re also noteworthy thanks to being very unafraid to try new ideas, be it with the story or gameplay, to make each title stand out. That’s definitely among the reasons Onimusha continues to command respect even though it’s coming back from two decades of dormancy, with a brand new protagonist in tow.

Of course, you already know that Miyamoto Musashi is definitely an entertaining protagonist, and is also one hell of a swordsman. But what makes his blade sing out so well that it’s a song we keep humming to ourselves when we’re not steering it into the innards of Genma with our controllers? Why do we keep thinking about our last few fights, and what we might have done differently to make a well-earned victory seem more stylish?

We’re diving into all of that and more, so draw your blades and let’s start swinging.

A Capable Warrior

It’s a good idea to begin with the tools Musashi has at his disposal in case you’re here after a little time with the demo and not enough with the full release. If you thought things were easy in the demo, know that it was a slice of the game meant to get you leaning into the various mechanics before the full depth of the combat system opens itself up to you. Of course, that also means that the full force of your foes also gets unleashed, but we’re going to talk about Musashi first.

It’s a stroke of narrative genius to frame him as a samurai on the path to mastery of the blade, since that’s exactly what you’re encouraged to do in Way of the Sword. Your katana isn’t just a deadly tool for killing, but an extension of your fighting philosophy, and a brush with which you paint gruesome yet morbidly beautiful pictures. There’s a lot of potential for player expression, and it begins with the emphasis on using your defensive options as well as you swing your blade.

It’s very satisfying to see a narrative justification work so well to sell the mechanical emphasis on a flow state between attacking and avoiding enemy attacks, and Way of the Sword makes Musashi’s search for mastery a pillar of its combat. It requires nothing but the best swordplay you can produce in any given moment. The intersectionality between its mechanics is a means to produce a spectacle in which you weave between attacks while slicing away at enemies, crossing blades with your enemy with intent instead of merely going through the motions of a simpler combat system.

That Musashi himself is at the center of it all is a huge plus that makes each fight one in which taking even a little damage feels personal. You’re immediately spurred on to see how you could have responded better to it, which then brings a very addictive loop of learning enemy attacks, and then making those moves instinctive in a fight. You know, like training to wield a sword, which is something the man you’re playing has clearly done for a significant part of his life.

Of course, a plethora of options are given to you, but with precision behind their utility and excellent enemy variety thrown into the mix, using it all in the heat of battle becomes a flurry of swings, slashes, dodges, and attacks that soon becomes a medley that you’re just making up as you go along. Think of it as picking up a sick-looking guitar and learning how to play it before you’re just belting out solos to an audience that’s just you. Way of the Sword demands the same dedication of you, and the rewards are just as satisfying to earn.

It isn’t a title that wants you to survive the battles it makes you fight. It wants you to absolutely dominate them. Musashi’s serious about getting better with his sword, and the way that the sentiment is naturally embodied in the fluid combat animations he pulls off is among our favorite parts of playing him. Attack animations cancel into dodges or parries so naturally, while enemy attacks are so readable, responding to them feels like an instinctive effect instead of a calculated button press.

You immediately feel like he’s a warrior who’s kept up with his training, and he’s capable of the speed and precision that the Genma he faces down demands of him, Gauntlet notwithstanding. It’s almost like the game’s systems are doing all they can to encourage you to study your opponent and strive for perfection just as Musashi does.

An enemy attack that you haven’t faced yet is merely an opportunity to get better at a mechanic or two, weaving them into your strategy as you familiarize yourself with a new set of attack patterns, strengths to counter, and weaknesses to exploit. A new fight means you block an attack the first time, your mind already thinking about the perfect moment to trigger a parry or deflect the next time the same attack comes your way before you face it a few times and make an Issen Counter muscle memory.

It’s a combat system that gets you to embody the warrior you’re controlling, making you think tactically and do it fast in situations where split-second decisions can make or break your effort to tear through an opponent’s defences, or perhaps have the tables turned on you if you happen to decide poorly. It makes every fight immediately feel like the stakes are higher for Musashi simply because it isn’t enough to merely wield your blade. Instead, you need to make it an extension of yourself, and your fighting style.

The bow you eventually get becomes another valuable tool in your arsenal, as it can be used to interrupt attacks that are giving you trouble, and perhaps even hit weak points in case you can’t reach them otherwise. It quickly becomes a tool that you use instinctively rather than something you remember to pull out from time to time. It’s a showcase of how Musashi gets many options to bolster his implacable determination to be the best fighter in the land, dealing quite ruthlessly with Genma who wants nothing more than to bring his effort to a premature end.

Worthy Adversaries

Other options like your Break and Reflex Gauges are also at your disposal, and they’re important because they present an interesting undercurrent to the game’s combat system when considered as a part of a bigger picture: it doesn’t want you falling into familiar patterns of attacking and defending, something that can become all too easy in a game like this. And it manages to achieve that goal by using a very important part of the fight: the foes you’re facing.

We’ve already talked about the enemy variety on offer, but it’s equally important to think about how each of those foes comes with unique strengths, weaknesses, and several attack animations for you to remember and learn to respond to in the heat of the fight. They vary those attacks very well, and we’d say the enemy AI is a very important part of what makes this one’s combat as enjoyable as it is.

Let’s also consider that the game throws different combinations of them at you quite consistently, and having to keep track of them all might seem impossible. However, you must remember that this is a combat system that wants to make responding to those attacks feel like it’s second nature to Musashi, and by extension, you. One of our favorite parts of making progress in the game was how taking on an enemy that might have given you trouble a few hours earlier becomes an almost disdainful exercise in dispatching them with clinical efficiency.

Of course, getting there means hours of careful study, and a lot of trial and error in getting the timings right. But with fights that are so tangibly rewarding when you control their flow, as well as the gameplay benefits that you get from fights well done, getting things right is rewarded so well you can’t help but strive for mastery of your blade and knowledge of your foes so you can wield it against them with the best possible strategies and preparation.

It’s important to remember that you’re also encouraged to vary your own attacks. If you’ve fought the Byakue, you already know that it gets a serious buff when it’s covered in its own blood. We wish we’d realized that our light attacks were hastening that process before it got that boost. We paused and marvelled at the myriad ways with which the game was actively pushing us out of our comfort zone, forcing us to change tactics on the fly as soon as we realized what was happening. That was one example of how the game calls you out if you’re on autopilot, forcing you to sit up and pay attention to the enemy in front of you.

Conversely, it’s both aesthetically and practically rewarding to one who does, as Musashi’s upgrades aren’t just an extension of his abilities. Every one of them, and each of your victories, is a reflection of you, and the journey you’ve undertaken to get there. It’s a clever way to make Musashi’s character arc feel like it’s your own, and we’re here for all of it.

That you can enable combat prompts at will to help with learning enemy moves before you feel confident enough to take them is evidence that Way of the Sword wants you to learn every enemy and its moves, and unleash the full force of your skills with the creative liberty its systems offer you. Done right, the visual spectacle of a swordsman tearing through enemies while their blades or claws whiz past him almost as if his very aura deflects their attacks is a reward in and of itself.

It all comes to a head with every boss you meet, the fight soon becoming akin to a song that you’re writing on the fly, your fingers flying away on your controller as if you’re performing a particularly challenging solo, while Musashi lets the magic unfold on the stage. The satisfaction isn’t from bringing those fearsome foes down to zero health. Instead, it’s about making that battle feel like a showcase of your own style, and the skill that Musashi lives and breathes for as he takes on the role of an Onimusha.

A Deadly Dance

At its heart, Onimusha: Way of the Sword makes its combat systems force you to embody the very perfection that Musashi strives for by turning it into a crucial pillar of its combat and progression. You’re encouraged to use every move you have, in different ways based on the situation, and against different enemies who come with their own twists for you to keep in mind.

There’s unpredictability and danger baked into every second you’re holding a drawn blade, but also opportunity packed into it all that it feels like the game’s bursting at the seams with a restless energy that comes from facing life and death on the battlefield. It’s only when you’re in danger of dying that you feel the most alive after all. Musashi understands that, and Way of the Sword has a lovely way of hammering the lesson home.

Now excuse us while we go on another Genma-slaying rampage through Edo-era Kyoto.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

This guide for Onimusha: Way of the Sword lists the locations for all seven weapons to be found in the game.

Earth-Shakers

After contending with the descending blade trap in the Underground Laboratory beneath Nijo-jo Castle, locate the secret chest in order to find the Earth-Shakers.

This weapon is your armor and stamina counter/breaker, allowing you to bust armored enemies wide open, and deplete stamina bars.

Firebird Flute

Awarded automatically for finally and permanently sealing a Rift during the ‘Shadows Fall’ mission, in the mid to late game.A ranged, fire damage weapon, the Firefird Flute’s flaming bird projectiles are also homing, and that damage dealt continues to tick over time after impact. A great weapon for whittling down the health of elite enemies from afar.

Bow

An early chest find, the Bow is still unmissable due to being in the direct path of the Refuge. Look for a decorative chest.

The Bow does what you expect it to do: grant Musashi significant ranged attacks to snipe enemies both distant and airborne. This weapon may well be the one you lean on the most, given its utility against targets, their weak points, even objects, and all with a limitless supply of ammunition.

Still Water

Still Water can be found secreted in a chest along the swamp side route leading to north-east Arashiyama. Look for red smoke, and cleanse the area of Genma.

This weapon is a Purple Soul generator, allowing you to harvest large quantities of them from enemies, and thus trigger Awakening much more often.

The Flashing Void

Find this weapon during ‘The Demon on the Mount’ inside of a hidden chest tucked away off of the path leading to the main entrance gates of Mount Oe Castle.

A devastating single-shot strike for outputting massive raw damage to a target, this weapon is probably best directed at elite-tier enemies and above, including story bosses. Also a great Red Soul generator.

The Two Celestials

The first of the weapons you acquire, it is automatically obtained during early story progression in Kiyomizu-dera.

Yellow Soul acquisition from targets will go through the roof, maintaining your health without you having to dip into your pool of healing items.

Wind-Whipper

Awarded during amain story quest, making it one of the unmissable weapons.

A crowd control weapon, the Wind-Whipper will gut low-level Genma demons that attempt to mob you with brutal efficiency, thus keeping you from being overwhelmed on all sides.

Those are all seven weapons and where to find them in Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

Released in 2019, Resident Evil 2 Remake essentially kicked off the trend, revamping the 1998 classic with a new over-the-shoulder perspective, story changes, and more. Switch 2 players get the Deluxe Edition, which includes additional outfits, the Samurai Edge – Albert Model weapon, and even the option to swap to the original soundtrack.

Resident Evil 3 Remake, available in 2020, sold very well, though critical opinion is somewhat mixed on the content removed (including Mercenaries) and the changes made. It’s still worth experiencing, especially due to some new Nemesis encounters.

Finally, Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition packages the universally beloved base game with the Separate Ways DLC. The latter reimagines Ada Wong’s side story as a proper story with unique sequences, gameplay mechanics, and even narrative changes.

All of this should make it easier for those who want to experience the series leading up to Resident Evil Veronica’s 2027 launch. Stay tuned for more details, including its release date, in the coming months.

Proto Man is equipped with a shield that can be used to charge through bots with massive attack power. His unique boomerang attack also offers a major change from Mega Man’s more straightforward shooting capabilities. Both characters can also make use of the chips system to upgrade their playstyles, with Capcom confirming that mixed configurations are possible that can push abilities beyond what the characters are typically capable of.

The presentation wraps up with another look at one of the new bosses that players will get to take on – Twinkle Girl. Along with showing off her fireworks-styled attacks, the video caps things off by Mega Man going into his Dual Override mode to finish her off.

Mega Man: Dual Override is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 on Spring 2027. Just last month, Capcom showcased some gameplay from the title, giving us an in-depth look at Twinkle Girl’s levels. We also got a deep dive on the chips system, which allows players to customize their play style depending on whether they want more offensive capabilities or stronger defenses.

The Dual Override mode was also showcased at length in a boss fight against Big Press Don. The system needs players to charge up a gauge before they can enter a powerful state that allows their character to pull off a devastating attack.

The Nintendo Switch 2 release of Monster Hunter Wilds will also include local multiplayer, allowing multiple Switch 2 users to play together without having to connect online. The trailer announcing the port also gave us a look at the performance and visual fidelity that Capcom has been aiming for, and it looks like the company managed a relatively smooth frame rate of between 30 and 40 FPS without sacrificing too much on the visual quality side of things.

Capcom had confirmed that Monster Hunter Wilds would be making its way to the Nintendo Switch 2 back in June. The company had also announced the Ascendance expansion during the same showcase. Whether or not Ascendance will come to the Nintendo Switch 2 on the same date as it does on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, however, remains unknown.

Reports from last month had indicated that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Monster Hunter Wilds would use dynamic resolutions of between 1080p and1440p while the console was docked. Handheld mode resolution is reportedly set to range from 720p to 864p. The performance target of between 30 and 40 FPS was also reportedly being achieved through heavy use of technologies like DLSS.

We really liked how it makes the Dual Blades feel like no monster can even lay a hand (or talon) on you thanks to how nimble you can be while still delivering tons of damage. The Sword and Shield becomes a similarly engaging dance between offense and defense, its potential enhanced by using the Bracer at the right times. Well, the Gunlance is now the latest subject of this effort, and we can tell you the Boost Bracer makes it a force to be reckoned with.

It extends its combos in just the right ways to ensure you’re not knocked out of its long wind-ups, while those charged attacks now deal a lot more damage thanks to the increased number of hits. The Bracer is definitely an improvement on the Gunlance’s existing moveset, and we can’t wait to see how many get creative with it once you get your hands on the expansion. The trailer’s below if you want to see the new moveset for yourself.

First things first, the Boost Driver. It not only lets the player leap towards a monster quickly, but can also chain into a spiraling Falling Bash. Boosted Actions include your standard basic combo gaining a few more hits at the end. Boosted Perfect Rush seemingly benefits the most, especially since they seem to hit much harder than the base game.

One of the more surprising additions is the return of weapon oils. Known as Bladecoating Slash, it allows you to use items to coat the blade, resulting in different effects. The example showcased here turns it green, and each successful hit restores health.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027, and so far, Capcom has revealed how the Boost Bracer works with the Bow, Greatsword, Charge Blade, Dual Blades, Hammer, and Lightbow Gun. There’s still much more to showcase, especially with the expansion’s appearance at next week’s Capcom Spotlight (which could also reveal the release date). As always, stay tuned for more updates.

Interestingly, being one of the few Indian-origin characters in Street Fighter, the gameplay demonstration for Arjun takes place against the franchise’s other iconic Indian character, Dhalsim. The trailer showcases how Arjun is able to counter many of Dhalsim’s zoning capabilities with his own arsenal of moves that combine strike-based combos with his sheer strength and resilience.

Arjun has several moves in his arsenal, including winding punches, lunging shoulder attacks, and even the ability to create a ring of air that can then be used for follow-up moves like Breathing Shockwave that sends the ring forward as a projectile at a variety of angles. Like most characters, he is equipped with three Super Arts. At level 1, he can mow down his opponents with quick bursts of his breathing technique. His level 2 Super Art, dubbed Instant Oblivion, sends his target flying into the air and far away from him, where a Divine Pillar waits to break their landing. And finally, his level 3 Super Art is Yaksha’s Order, which disrupts his opponent’s inner ear before Arjun pulls off a cinematic attack.

The character will have two outfits available at launch; outfit 1 will be his default one, showcasing his state as a fugitive who is being hunted down for a crime he didn’t commit. The second outfit, on the other hand, will be an idealized version of Arjun that has put his quest for justice behind him.

Arjun’s arrival next month will be a follow-up to the previous character added to the fighting game – Yasmine. She was added to the roster back in August, and her arrival was marked with the release of a trailer showcasing her impressive moveset that focuses on rushing down her opponents with overwhelming speed and deft use of her karambit knife, dubbed Alon.

Arjun will be followed up with two more characters joining the Street Fighter 6 roster – Tifa Lockhart of Final Fantasy 7 fame and Bosch. Capcom hasn’t yet announced exact release dates for these characters, aside from noting that they will arrive in Early and Spring 2027, respectively.

While not too many details about either character have been revealed yet, Capcom has confirmed that Bosch’s story will revolve around training under Luke to incorporate modern techniques into his ancient martial arts style. Tifa, on the other hand, will make use of her Zangan-ryu martial arts style that we last saw in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth.

Capcom had announced back in June that Street Fighter 6 had hit an impressive milestone, managing to sell more than 7 million copies across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The title was originally released back in 2023 and, since then, has seen continuous post-launch support with frequent balance updates as well as roster additions through its various season passes.

“Super Mario Odyssey. It’s an action game that is basically very easy to get into, but at the same time contains lots of more dynamic and challenging parts, something that Nintendo is very good at,” said Nihei (via machine translation). “To give an example – when conducting an action (for example, a jump) in Odyssey, there is usually a reaction to that act (for example, gravity and landing). The specific feeling this brings to the controls in Odyssey is absolutely something that inspired me when I thought about how to get the same tactile feeling with our control in Onimusha.”

Kadowaki, on the other hand, responded with other games. While he brings up Silent Hill f in passing, he credits the Gundam series, and specifically the PS4 title Gundam Versus, with being a major inspiration for Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

“I have spent a lot of money and time on it. Something I think has influenced me from there in my work with Onimusha is probably the character design. The Gundam universe usually has very charismatic and deep characters that drive the story forward, and this is what I also wanted to bring into our work with Onimusha. So, I would probably say that my love for Gundam‘s character design was a source of inspiration there, absolutely.”

These influences have clearly paid off for Capcom, since the company announced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword sold more than a million copies on its launch day alone. This milestone contributed to the overall Onimusha franchise crossing the 10 million sales mark. This success has inspired Capcom to focus on “re-activating IPs that haven’t had a new title launch recently.” While no official announcements have been made, we might see the company bring back older games like its Breath of Fire RPG franchise or the gladiator combat-centric Shadow of Rome.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The title was released alongside a launch trailer that provided some more hints about the core narrative, which involves wandering samurai Miyamoto Musashi on a quest to become the best swordsman in the world and running afoul of Genma.

For more details, take a look at our review, where we gave it an 8 out of 10 thanks to Musashi being an engaging protagonist, great enemy design, and spectacular sword-fighting combat.

This guide for Onimusha: Way of the Sword is all about farming Red Souls as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Best Red Soul Farming Location

The earliest good Red Soul farming spot is around the second checkpoint in the Kiyomizu Temple. Once there, double back into the previous zone to reset the enemy clusters, and then eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Gather up all of your Red Soul drops before triggering the checkpoint again, then just rinse and repeat. This is an effective long-term farm since it scales with your level and gear, maintaining the Red Soul drop at a proportion that is useful to you.

That is one of the most reliable farming locations for Red Souls in Onimusha: Way of the Sword.