The Japanese company has enjoyed great success with several of its intellectual properties, which have, so to speak, pushed Onimusha into the background.
Capcom is currently enjoying a new golden age. The Japanese publisher is releasing high-quality new installments in popular series such as Devil May Cry 5, Resident Evil Requiem, Street Fighter 6, and Monster Hunter Wilds. Capcom is also releasing new IPs such as Pragmata. However, the company went through a difficult period during the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era. A complete reboot was necessary for Capcom to return to its glory days.
According to director Satoru Nihei, this, along with the RE Engine, which powers all of the Japanese publisher’s modern games, is the reason why Onimusha is returning after 20 years with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, as sales figures alone would not have been sufficient. Bringing the series back after a 20-year hiatus would be a significant challenge for any developer, even one who isn’t as big a fan of the series as Nihei. That’s precisely why the game was built around the series’ core mechanic, the Issen mechanic, to ensure the new installment truly feels like a genuine Onimusha game.
“While Onimusha was always well-received, there were other major Capcom series at the time, such as Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, and Street Fighter. However, there were also up-and-coming titles in development. As development became more difficult and time-consuming, with all those people focused on those titles, it was very difficult to assemble a team to develop a new Onimusha game, despite the internal desire to do so for a long time. The game’s period action, the Oni Gauntlet, and the tactical elements of soul absorption were critical to its appeal. Players had to decide when to use their abilities and when to hold back. The game also had historical ties to real Japanese history. The previous titles were obviously set in the Sengoku period, or the Warring States period. But mixing historical elements with dark fantasy elements is the core of Onimusha,” Nihei told Game Informer.
Many modern action games are based on parry mechanics, but the Issen mechanic in the Onimusha series remains one of the most unique. It requires both an excellent understanding of an opponent’s move sequences and perfect timing. However, based on the demo, which is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, meaning every platform on which the game will launch, it’s hard not to be concerned about the game’s low difficulty level. Enemies are passive and can easily be defeated with conventional attacks, rendering Issen almost pointless.
Fortunately, producer Akihito Kadowaki has confirmed that the final game will be more challenging. However, given the current trends in modern action games toward instant gratification and minimal challenge, we’ll remain concerned until Onimusha: Way of the Sword is released on September 4.
Source: WCCFTech, Game Informer
