Capcom's first Onimusha in 20 years lands an 86 on Metacritic

Capcom's long-dormant Onimusha series is back, and critics say the revival was worth the wait. Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches September 4, 2026 — moved forward from a September 25 date — and review scores landed at 86 on Metacritic (PS5) and 86 on OpenCritic, with 94% of critics recommending it, per InvenGlobal. For anyone who wrote the franchise off after a two-decade silence, this is a confident answer.

The combat

The combat system is the clear standout. Capcom's team recorded around 200 motion-capture moves for the protagonist, with animations adapting based on position, enemy size, and surroundings — meaning fights rarely look the same twice. The result is a parry-focused action game that critics compare favorably to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but with adjustable difficulty settings that make it far more accessible to a general audience. This is not a Soulslike — there's no punishing respawn loop — though the challenge remains real when you want it.

Boss fights draw mostly praise, though a handful of reviewers flag individual encounters as disappointments. The story is serviceable rather than gripping — critics call it predictable — but the Kyoto-inspired setting and character design pick up the slack.

The platform picture

The game runs on Capcom's in-house RE Engine, and visual performance is strong across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The PC version tells a slightly different story: it scores 82 on Metacritic against the PS5's 86, according to GamesRadar+, which may concern Steam players used to scrutinizing Capcom's port quality. The gap is modest but worth watching at launch.

What to know before buying

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available September 4 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The Standard Edition costs £69.99 in the UK and $69.99 in the US; a Deluxe Edition adds a digital soundtrack and bonus content for more. Pre-order bonuses are confirmed, but no edition includes early access.

The campaign runs around 20 hours. Critics note there is no score-attack mode or post-game content equivalent — so replay value once the credits roll is limited. That said, Capcom is calling this the foundation for a revived series, and the scores back up that ambition: it sits alongside Resident Evil Requiem (89) and Pragmata (85) as the publisher's third major critical win of 2026.