Onimusha: Way of the Sword is not a soulslike and will not feature an open world. Read on to learn more about the developers’ vision for the game and Capcom’s reverence to the protagonists’ likeness.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Stays True to the Series
Not an Open-World Soulslike
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the first mainline entry of the series in 20 years, and looks to expand upon what made Onimusha great, and thus will not follow the present trends of having Soulslike gameplay and an open world. In an interview with Automaton on June 19, Director Satoru Nihei shared his thoughts on what the game will focus on.
Despite these recent trends, Nihei revealed that they will not be following suit. He stated, "Onimusha: Way of The Sword isn’t an open-world game, and it certainly isn’t a punishing die-and-retry (soulslike) game either."
However, Nihei assured fans that it will be enjoyable for all types of gamers, ranging from seasoned action players to those new to the genre."In Way of The Sword, our main focus was to express the clashing of blades through the action," he said.
It was previously mentioned by Nihei and Produce Akihito Kadowaki during an interview with Famitsu in March that the game will stick to its roots of having linear progression. According to Kadowaki, the game will feature over 20+ hours of content, and could have a CERO Z rating (Ages 18+ only) from Japan’s rating board.
Capcom Spent 2 Years To Get Toshiro Mifune’s Likeness
Onimusha: Way of the Sword has been in production since 2020, and the developers really wanted to emphasize authentic samurai aspects to the game. This includes the likeness of their main protagonist, Musashi Miyamoto, who will be based on legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune.
Nihei and Kadowaki revealed with Game Watch on June 16 that it took them 2 years to get permission to use the likeness of the famed actor. When conceptualizing about Musashi for the game, Nihei immediately thought about getting Mifune to play the part.
He said, "When I thought about who would be using the keyword ‘a young samurai covered in blood, covered in mud and fighting violently’ in the game, I thought that Mr. Mifune was exactly like him."
Mifune has deep ties in the portrayal of samurais in media as he played as Miyamoto Musashi in Hiroshi Inagaki's "The Samurai Trilogy" films in the 1950s. Capcom also utilized Mifune's likeness for the character of Musashi in the Netflix "Onimusha" anime series that premiered in 2023. This goes to show how much value the company has for his iconic image for the franchise.
Capcom looks to go all-in on highlighting the samurai aesthetic of the game, as well as making it accessible and enjoyable for all gamers. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is set to release in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
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Onimusha: Way of the Sword is "not a soulslike and not open-world," director says. Instead, it expands on what the series is known for
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