Why 2026 Was The Yr To Carry Onimusha Again After A 20-Yr Hole With Approach Of The Sword

Onimusha: Approach of the Sword is the most recent recreation to grace the duvet of Recreation Informer, and whereas the sport has made fairly a splash within the samurai-action scene, it’s simple to neglect that is the primary entry within the collection in 20 years. Sure, we acquired remasters of the primary and second video games lately, and Onimusha: Daybreak of Desires (the fourth mainline recreation) is coming to PlayStation Plus’ Classics lineup subsequent month, however Approach of the Sword is the primary new entry in 20 years. That’s why, when it was time to interview the sport’s director, Satoru Nihei, and one in all its producers, Akihito Kadowaki, at Capcom’s Osaka, Japan, HQ for this cowl story, my first query was: Why is 2026 the time to carry again Onimusha?

I half-suspected it was a difficulty of gross sales, contemplating the collection has solely bought 9 million copies, a far cry from Resident Evil’s 200 million, Monster Hunter’s 127 million, and even Road Fighter’s 59 million. The opposite half of me assumed Capcom had merely forgotten about Onimusha – after the primary recreation, Onimusha: Warlords (which, after just lately taking part in the remaster on Steam, I can confidently say nonetheless completely rips), launched in 2001, we acquired three sequels within the following 5 years. And that was it: Onimusha disappeared as quick because it arrived. Kadowaki tells me, nevertheless, that Onimusha’s departure from the motion area wasn’t for lack of making an attempt. 

“[Whilst Onimusha] was at all times well-received, there have been, at Capcom on the time, different main collection like Monster Hunter, Resident Evil video games, and Road Fighter, however there have been additionally up-and-coming creating titles,” he says. “And as growth grew to become harder, needing extra time and extra folks, with all these folks targeted on these titles, it was very troublesome to get a workforce collectively to make a brand new Onimusha recreation, regardless of eager to internally for a very long time.” 

Kadowaki says he personally needed to have a hand in bringing the collection again as a longtime fan of Onimusha. It took the RE Engine coming to fruition and a mushy reset in 2020 for Capcom, because the publisher-developer checked out scheduling out the brand new/now-current technology of {hardware} and the video games it meant to make for it, for Onimusha’s return. The workforce has been engaged on Approach of the Sword for six years, and Kadowaki tells me that whereas Capcom paid consideration to the motion area and to what gamers anticipate of it, the workforce labored laborious to make sure Approach of the Sword retained all the pieces that makes an Onimusha recreation an Onimusha recreation. He additionally particularly requested Nihei to direct Approach of the Sword, conscious that Nihei cherished the video games as a teen and needed to make his mark on the collection. A lot to Nihei’s shock, his alternative to make a mark on Onimusha additionally grew to become his first time as a director. 

After I ask Nihei the place one even begins when making a brand new recreation in a collection that’s been dormant for 20 years, he responds with one phrase: Issen. 

Current in each Onimusha recreation, the Issen is a strong counterattack that gamers can carry out by attacking simply earlier than an enemy assaults, usually leading to a essential hit. In the event you’re an Onimusha fan, it’s doubtless one thing you need to hear relating to this collection’ return to the motion area.

“[This] was one of many essential elements of that satisfaction and the texture of the interval motion, and the Oni Gauntlet, the tactical parts of it when it comes to soul absorption, form of weighing when to make use of these talents and when to not, after which additionally the weather of the historic ties to the actual historical past of Japan,” Nihei says. “Clearly, the earlier titles had been set within the Sengoku interval, so the Warring States interval, however simply mixing these historic parts with darkish fantasy parts is the core of Onimusha.”

That is simply the primary of many Onimusha: Approach of the Sword articles I’ve deliberate for Recreation Informer’s month of protection surrounding the sport, and we’ll be publishing unique gameplay and behind-the-scenes movies (in addition to a Fast Fireplace Interview) on the Recreation Informer YouTube channel too. Preserve the Onimusha: Approach of the Sword protection hub bookmarked so that you don’t miss any of it!

Within the meantime, right here’s some further Onimusha: Approach of the Sword studying for you: 

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