A warrior in red and gray wields a glowing sword, facing monstrous demons under a fiery sky.
After playing through Onimusha: Way of the Sword ahead of launch, one thing stands out above the incredible boss fights and grimdark story: this is about as good as swordfighting has ever felt in a game.
The quality stems partly from animation—Miyamoto Musashi feels alive, moving seamlessly from attacks to parries and back again, even against multiple enemies. But it's equally the sheer number of options available at any moment. Within the first couple of hours, Way of the Sword lives up to its name by offering multiple approaches to everything from lowly Genma footsoldiers to cruel multi-stage bosses.
Most notably, the game makes defending feel not only fun but vital—a means of turning moments on the back foot into opportunities to end fights in a few strokes. Here's what you have to work with:
Block
Holding LB lets Musashi block most attacks from any angle, but every hit costs stamina. Run out and you'll lose your stance and a healthy chunk of souls, particularly frustrating when building up a special attack gauge. Whenever possible, you should aim to do something else.
Parry
Hit block just as an attack lands, and Musashi sweeps it away, usually leaving enemies defenseless for seconds. Way of the Sword further incentivizes parrying through the Blaze Gauge—parry enough attacks and you'll enter Blazing State, which increases health and stamina damage, nets extra souls, and looks extremely cool.
Deflect
Rather than a standard parry, block and hit A as an attack lands. Deflection won't break enemy stance but does massive stamina damage (even more in Blazing State), eventually letting you perform a Break Issen—a special attack that kills most weak enemies and cuts down bosses far faster. Deflections also send enemy projectiles back at their source.
Issen
Your ultimate risk-reward ability involves starting an attack in the precise moment just before an enemy lands their blow—with an even smaller window than a regular parry. When successful, Musashi effectively teleports and lands one of his most powerful blows. It looks incredible but requires mastered timing.
Onimusha: Way of the — Xbox
Blade Barrages and Blade Locks
These rarer events have major upsides. Landing an attack at the exact same time as an enemy triggers a Barrage—a mini-duel where you must remember your preceding attack. If you entered with a light attack on X, hit heavy attack on Y to dodge and land a heavy blow (and vice versa).
Locks begin with a parry or deflection, with blades sparking as you fight for control. Hammer X or Y to win and send your opponent spinning away defenseless with stamina missing.
Reflex Dodge
Hit B to dodge, or time it in the parry window for a Reflex Dodge—a flashy maneuver that builds your Reflex Gauge. With a full gauge, time slows and you'll unleash a lightning-fast combo for huge damage (upgradeable). Critically, some attacks like punches and kicks can't be parried or deflected, making knowing when to dodge as important as how.
Beyond these mechanics, unblockable attacks require trained parry reflexes, and abilities unlock late in the game that constantly keep you learning and improving. It's an absolute thrill.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword arrives September 4 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. It's available on both platforms at no additional cost with Xbox Play Anywhere.
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