r/Onimusha • u/r10n_ • 1d ago
Discussion Onimusha's side quests and lack of enemy variety
Am I the only one who thinks Onimusha's side quests feels like a chore to do? Lion dog, hidden chests, etc. I know it rewards you with items, charms, cosmetics and other stuffs but i feel like it is so dragging.
Speaking of dragging, i keep seeing the same old enemies when i explore. It gets so repetitive and got bored for awhile. The only thing its keeping me was the main story which is good.
Don't get me wrong though, the game is great. The combat is so satisfying, the story is interesting, and the bosses are cool but it is not a perfect game like other people says.
I'd rate it 8/10 respectfully for what its worth. But hey, its my opinion. Whats yours? I'm happy to see your thoughts.
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u/erex711 1d ago
The âarrow missionsâ are probably my only complaint about this game. I didnât mind the repetitive low tier enemies. I actually enjoyed getting sidetracked and âkeeping my blade sharpâ. Everything else OP said is spot on. Im leaning towards a 9/10 tho. Im VERY close to final boss atm
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u/OutlandishnessThis67 1d ago
You might give it a 10 after finish final boss
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u/PeytonWatson14 1d ago
was truly a good fight that keeps you on your toes and makes you bring out every tool learned in the game.
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u/_nongmo 14h ago
Only time I used items. And boy did I use them! Good fight but phase 3 felt a little undercooked, and I really did not enjoy the mini-cutscenes every time I got grabbed/hit with an undodgeble attack by my second attempt, much less my 20th.
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u/PeytonWatson14 10h ago
Yeah phase 3 can feel undercooked if you donât have oni mode ready on standby. Now I think about it, itâs like fighting Benkei before taking his armor off.
But yes the grabs were very long, lol I just had to figure that and the attacks out so I could do the appropriate move to lower the cut events
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u/borkbusterxdddd 1d ago
i literally skip to the final mission because i accidentally took the arrow quest and i reached my limits with the repetitive and boringness of the sidequest so i just skip with tier 3 weapon lol
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u/CocaineNapTime 12h ago
The dog missions were literally just go to the marker on the map. Thats it. Literally cannot think of a more boring quest Iâve ever done.
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u/Medical_String_3501 1d ago
It's a Capcom game through and through, and by that I mean incredibly flawed but extremely passionate and laser focused on doing the things I personally care about (combat and characters) absolutely perfectly. I always describe them as games that are not perfect for everyone, but perfect for me, and I love Onimusha to bits because of it.
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u/Kaminoneko 1d ago
Capcom fans know their flavor and are always down for seconds. Give me the buffet please.
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u/Gnb7588 19h ago
I donât even think the game is flawed, itâs basically a perfected PS2 game experience with modern touches. Playing this brought me back to the 2000s with its simplicity but upgraded with todayâs graphics and combat depth. Iâm so glad Capcom knows what theyâre doing they hit a grand slam this year.
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u/firestorm717 1d ago
Yup, I'm the same way. The most important aspects of a game to me are memorable characters and a stellar combat system, and Capcom delivers those in spades. I can forgive anything else.
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u/RavishingRob 1d ago
Kyoto is such a boring looking place compared to everywhere else the game takes you.
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u/firestorm717 1d ago
100%, it's disappointing how Kyoto looks so bland and boring, considering the amount of time we spend there. In contrast, locations like Mount Oe and the Underground Laboratory are peak design.
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u/PsychoMagnet-Z 20h ago
It's a problem I have with the game's environment design in general. 90% of the world is just different shades of grey and brown.
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u/ZweiChi 1d ago
The hub area is not my favourite part of this game... It really dampens the over all experience of what otherwise would've been a tight game. I totally understand what others mean when they say that this game could've benefited from being shorter...
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u/robe004 1d ago
I actually disagree. I normally play open world RPGs and I find there just aren't enough story missions but there are plenty of side quests and I've been craving a game with more main missions. There weren't as many side quests so it was refreshing for me
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u/tonyb931 11h ago
The problem with that is the main content starts to feel like side content. Like closing your 60th rift and killing byakue 12 times gets boring.
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u/robe004 9h ago
I'm feeling that more on my 2nd play through. Didn't feel it as much on my 1st
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u/tonyb931 9h ago
Thatâs fair, and like others have said at least the combat is good so it never feels bad to play it. I just felt like it may benefit from a little trimming.
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u/Few_Soft_9112 21h ago
Game is a top contender for one of my favs. But youâre right, and I lowkey feel this way About control. But honestly Iâve been having a good time with both games and can look past the little repetitive stuff. I do think the game could have benefited from 1-2 more base enemy type and maybe 2 more boss variants. They could have added some more swordsman types, just change the character model and Iâd look past it
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u/Ultrachocobo 11h ago
Control Resonant's major Sidequests offer compelling narratives and puzzles though, Onimusha doesn't really have that but I agree that Resonant also didn't need the dogs, strollers and co. Imo no game needs such mindless filler material.
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u/Opening_Sundae_4851 1d ago
The hard part is doing it all over again if you play carnage đ©
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u/Sad-Psychology9677 1d ago
Just completed it and Iâm not gonna bother with carnage. Early in my regular playthrough I modded my game so mobs donât attack one by one, and intervals between their attacks are shorter.. that was a good enough difficulty spike for my enjoyment
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u/Ministerium-Wahrheit 1d ago
Iâm glad to see weâre finally waking up from the honeymoon phase and letting Capcom know what should be improved in the next Onimusha.
Just like the god awful interruptions during boss fights.
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u/chocolatehotdog 1d ago
Legit put my controller down and waited for some of them
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u/Ministerium-Wahrheit 1d ago
The ones that bugged me the most were after a finisher. Musashi would just patiently stroll around while the boss gets back up. Can't even heal myself in that time.
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u/Prince_Beegeta 1d ago
Until this game dropped I thought Stellar Blade had the best combat system in gaming. No longer. This game blows it out of the water. Itâs basically Stellar Blade if Stellar Blade had good mob fighting which it doesnât. I honestly didnât give a shit about the world and side quest I skipped pretty much all of that dialogue. Just saw it as a means to fight more enemies which I couldnât get enough of. Between that, a great and deeply impactful story, and Musashi being fuckin goated, this is easily my game of the year so far and one of the best games Iâve ever played. I was engaged from start to finish just running around looking for smoke.
P.S. Lady Murasaki gotta be one of the most beautiful NPCâs literally fuckin ever.
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u/rMan1996 1d ago
Nothing has ever beat DMC5 or Sekiro combat systems for me. Onimusha comes close though.
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u/RedShadowF95 23h ago
That is a fair assessment of the game. Unfortunately, many outlets (and especially players) choose to ignore verifiable issues and overrate the hell out of the game. What's wrong with admitting the game is good but flawed enough that it doesn't reach certain heights?
Pointing out the flaws as a collective, increases the chances of them not being repeated in the future. We all want games to be as great as possible.
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u/r10n_ 21h ago
Exactly, 100%. Just because it is your favorite game doesn't mean its perfect. Its okay to say that it has problems that need to be fixed.
But oh well..
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u/PoohTrailSnailCooch 14h ago
I think people just like it when a game is fun. Onimusha has great replayability for me personally, and what it does really well is having some damn fun combat the whole way through.
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u/jdfred06 14h ago
I think it's around 85 or so on metacritic. I agree with OP's points but feel something in the mid to even high 80s is reasonable. It is a great, if not amazing, game in a few key aspects.
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u/Hungry-Alien 23h ago
Nah you're right. Quests, and the semi open world in general, are the biggest downside of this game. It's just bland and generic, like it was put in the game because "it's an AAA therefore it needs it".
Enemy variety doesn't really bother me given the main focus is obviously the bosses, and on that aspect it's a huge W. Mobs just serve as fillers between bosses and as training dummies, which isn't a bad idea by any means.
Only thing I would change with Onimusha's formula would be to remove the semi open world (it doesn't fit in) and just replace it with a good old level based formula with a HUB area to connect it all. That way you free up resource for better level design, and most importantly you can focus on making more and better bosses, which is the main attraction.
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u/r10n_ 22h ago
I agree with this. A good linear story would be better than a half baked semi-open souless world.
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u/ultimaweapon79 1d ago
With the shear amount of animations whether you parry or deflect each enemyâs attacks a smaller enemy variety makes perfect sense to me
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u/NepetaBestQuest 1d ago
I do agree that the game would have probably benefited from a reduction in scope. Tokyo itself is really smartly designed, and small enough that by the end of the game, navigating it without a map is actually rather easy, but I think I would have preferred it to have a central hub area, maybe that of the temple itself, and then an almost Devil May Cry style Mission structure that allows you to freely replay missions and story beats whenever you want.
The open world does give me an excuse to make Lady Butterfly happy however, so for that reason alone, 10/10
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u/Anonymous000789 23h ago
This is probably my game of the yr but I got a bit fed up towards the end having to fight the same mini bosses and doing the same thing âclosing the riftsâ when in the zones. I think this game wouldâve benefited much more by just being a linear story game with optional paths. I get why they designed it the way they did tho as it makes for the plot.
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u/r10n_ 21h ago
I mean those side quests were okay, but it really ruined the whole immersion of the game. It is unnecessary for them to put this souless side quests where nobody enjoys them. I'd rather put that amount of effort and budget to add some enemy variety and bosses variety.. but hey, we got another byakue and dohatsu-ten(th)!
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u/RealityOfModernTimes 22h ago
Does anyone know how to throw these floating heads, I did it twice and I do not know how
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u/r10n_ 22h ago
was this the exploding floating head? if it is, you gotta press dodge button when it is near you
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u/ResponsibleNature163 20h ago
If youâre on console wait till the very last second he glows blue or purple and puffs up like a balloon and then press O if you are consoles and you should be able to throw them. Goodluck onimusha
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u/dark_tex 1d ago
Itâs a Japanese game. EVERY side quest sucks. Not different from final fantasy. You just gotta skip them imho
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u/Jackiexiao7 1d ago
maybe you don't play enough Japanese game, and most of the open world slop will boring side quest is made by western studio
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u/Knamliss 1d ago
Reminds me of how bad ff16 side quests were. Then I realized it was made by the same guy who does 14. Yuck lol
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u/FondantCritical8017 18h ago
One of the few games where I felt my experience would have been better had I only done the main story
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u/Knuy2012 20h ago
I mean, yakuzaâs side quests are top tier to me, always makes me laugh and enjoy them very much.
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u/Morning-Ambitious 1d ago
I've been avoiding the side content at this point just so that I don't get burned out on it tbh
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u/WizardlyJ 1d ago
I just stopped doing it at some point and took the hit on more upgrades. Was able to finish the game with level 3 gear but yeah it was tedious. The main missions were incredible though
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u/Future-Step-1780 1d ago
I liked the sidequests just because I liked fighting things. They do some devious shit in some of the later sidequests with enemy composition and placement, too.
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u/GleamingBlade101 1d ago
Chasing the open 'world' trend hurt the game more than it helped. I think Onimusha's open world segments tick all the 'sins' of open world design IMO and I think it's a pretty common criticism about the game. The fact that they expect you to do it all over again for Carnage NG+ feels like an incredibly big oversight.
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u/ThisIsBULLOCKSMAN 18h ago
Yea the side quests are a literal chore, capcom likes to skimp on too much lately and people give them a pass because they make a game that excels at one thing but cut corners in other areas. They did it with wilds, re9, pragmata, and now onimusha. And people still dride them to oblivion, I wish people complained more tbh cuz they make such fun games but make them short with no replayability it feels like such a waste
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u/Humble-Speed9136 22h ago
Nah. Overreacting. They just filled the game out giving it more to do than just the story. I enjoyed every bit of that game. The combat was so smooth and engaging that any reason to stroll around and encounter enemies was enough for me.
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u/r10n_ 21h ago
I'm glad you enjoyed every bit of the game! But calling overreacting when i just called out the weak points of the game is not fair.
I'm trying my best to do these side quests and roaming around but i can't just seem to enjoy it all. I'm more than happy to play the main quests
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u/Gnb7588 19h ago
The overreaction is real, Iâve played all the Onimusha games. Oni2 had open world elements, NPC friendship system, cutscene variety, side quests and hidden items, puzzle boxes, etc. and the enemies are exactly the same types you fought then, now.
Anyone can complain, but where is the constructive criticism? A lot of the complaints I hear make me wonder if the person was old enough to have played the first and second games when they came out.
Oni way of the Sword is basically a tightly expanded PS2 experience on a modern console. Take it or leave it. It is what it is and Iâm all for it. Itâs amazing.
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u/Strong-Arugula-6959 1d ago
Yeah, I think the lack of enemy mobs varieties were one of the issues from the game other than the New Game Plus carryover progressions. Even Dawn Of Dreams got more varieties in enemy mobs than WoTS. I sure hope if they plan to make a sequel of WOTS, please add more enemies types and designs.
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u/senzupops 1d ago
I enjoyed the side quests they were pretty simple. The only drag was the last 3 lion dogs. As far as enemies dont all games have the same characters? Its been my top game this year (so far).
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u/Sad-Psychology9677 1d ago
Many games have many more enemy types (see sekiro, Elden ring, nioh). In Onimusha weâre fighting the same grunt mobs from start until the end. And the same 3 or 4 mini bosses over and over and over again.
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u/krakenvictim 1d ago
Yeah the side quests are for sure very weak but the gameplay makes up for it. I do wish there were more variety for enemy types too. Or maybe a game world that felt more alive.
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u/LovegunPW 1d ago
I think the side story stuff was kinda mundane but I liked the lil bits of stories the content with the author gives you. I think you're spot on regarding the enemy be design getting a bit repetitive and I'd have lived more cosmetics as a reward because really there's like 4 capes and that's it.
The bones of the games unreal and having said this I'll probably still replay - I think it'll benefit from the good reviews and engagement and hopefully get some meaningful additional content.
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u/PplsElbow 1d ago
Crappy side quests with like 5 total NPC character models. I think this game would've benefited from how the first 3 games did it.
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u/HustleWestbrook94 1d ago
Lol this might have been the only game where I went out of my way to do all the side quests. I love how theyâre quick and easy.
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u/name-that-isnt-taken 1d ago
Itâs a shame because the main content is so damn good that it really didnât need the side content. I was excited for ng+ so I could just play the story, and the fuckers decided to reset my gear level đ
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u/No-Implement-7403 1d ago
Yeah the side quests in this game are some of the most boring ones in a long while. A stark contrast with the rest of the
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u/dano83112 1d ago
To me all the side quest are important. I equip the Gennma attraction charm and the Red Souls charm. Then while running to these side quest I'm killing lots of Gennma and getting plenty of souls from it.
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u/AufAbwegen666 1d ago
The Sidecontent and Main Hub Area in this game are horrible. Combat is fun though.
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u/Raspy_Prophet 1d ago
And lack of execution variety and stealth execution variety ( although i understand stealth is not really a big part of the game)
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u/ShopperKung 1d ago
agree but in their defense the chore side quest is in between peak story quest so it kinda spacing out the tense story quest so you don't feel overwhelming i know it sounds stupid but there's gonna be like the relax act for you stop and relax
and yeah the enemy variation i'm agree too it too low i was thinking at least they should had enemy with different weapon like Bayue should had had spear, mace, or giant gun or the other guy should had like Sword and Shield, Odachi, Dual Sword for more variation and the can had same moveset but update couple attack would be good
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u/CardiologistPerfect1 1d ago
Yeah. Honestly, I just wish they focused on enemy variety since I feel like making combat absolutely perfect (which includes having enemy variety) would make the side quests more fun on its own. Just my take.
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u/GrandmastaChubbz 1d ago
I agree with that, and itâs a fair assessment, the side quests were weird and repetitive, I wouldâve liked to see more rival samurai challenge musashi throughout out the story based on his life before becoming an onimusha, and a few after.
Also I really wished the sword cosmetics actually came with special effects, like tick damage, increased stagger or boosts to Blaze and Reflex gauge instead of those charms
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u/ebiccommander 1d ago
What's really annoying is for NG+ you don't keep your enhancements for sword, gauntlet, and armor. I had planned to jump right in to NG+ and just skip the less than stellar side content but you need it for upgrades... might mod my enhancements just to skip the grind for carnage in NG+
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u/Behold_My_Stuff 1d ago
I stopped giving a fuck about the NPC dialogue by like the 4th side quest.
None of it matters and none of them are interesting enough to care about.
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u/Substantial-Crow-947 1d ago
I found individual fights within the major levels to be interesting enough to stave off how few enemy types their are. However, the fights in Kyoto get repetitive fast and by endgame I was just running past most regular genma.
I personally really liked the Lion Dogs, I like that each one has a unique color pattern and occasional horn, Musashi has some really great animations for finding them (personally adore the one where he waves the dog goodbye), Murasaki's pretty, and weapon skins were good rewards.
The only noteworthy side quests were the handful that tied together with vengeful man, the kid, and the woman. The rest were pretty unremarkable and the only one that actually annoyed me was the final "go here, kill genma" quest in the graveyard. That area had been visible but locked up for most of the game and I figured whatever eventually let me in there would be more interesting.
The archery missions are a waste of everyone's time.
I think an 8/10 is a perfectly reasonable score, because we spend so much time in a Kyoto sandbox that's uneventful and too often bland compared to everywhere else. I personally sit at an 8.5 maybe a 9 if only because I do find the animation work, characters, and overall combat, especially bosses, to be just that excellent.
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u/snir6590 1d ago
Combat, bosses, cinematics and performance, graphics are 10/10. Everything else is 7 at best
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u/Draykenidas 1d ago
I feel like all combat action games have limited and repetitive enemies. Arkham, Ninja Gaiden, Onimusha, khazan, Sekiro... What is a CAG with multitudinous enemies? How many is enough? You got enough standard enemy archetypes to keep things going and combat interesting. There could be more weapons for sure but I think the enemy complaints are overblown.
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u/r10n_ 1d ago
Well, at least sekiro had different enemies per area. Good environment and excellent enemy placement where you need to think before proceeding.
Unlike onimusha, enemy placement are horrible. Scattered all over the place and next to them were the residents/villagers? It broke my immersion to the game when I saw that for sure.
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u/olympiclifter1991 1d ago
I don't think it would be an issue if the game was shorter.
The enemy variety only comes into play because of all the side content
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u/RheaSpeedwagon 1d ago
I do think itâs an incredible 10-ish hour game padded out unnecessarily by boring busy work quests and a pointless pseudo-open world that drag it down. The version of the game that trimmed the fat and was just a series of short, interesting levels broken up by excellent bosses would be a straight upgrade.
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u/ShizukuPL 1d ago
No, you're not the only one as this is pretty much an universal complaint so don't know where you got that from:P Even some reviewers talk about this.
Its a very good game but it's mainly due to the combat and really good cutscenes/presentation/characters and bosses.
The atmosphere is great, the mechanics are great, the locations are good but there's A LOT of fat to be trimmed. Or reworked. I'd rather they expanded the story locations and made them more conplex. Those unvoiced quests were especially lazy.
But yeah, typical Capcom, as someone's already mentioned. Really high highs with really low lows, as with Requiem.
It's a boss rush game with some cannon fodder thrown in between for fun and great characters/cinematics. I still did everything because its strong points were enough for me and I couldn't put it down but can't blame anyone for thinking it's bloated.
In fact, I still can't put it down as I'm wrapping up the Plat on my Carnage run:P It just does everything well enough that I don't really mind and just running around mindlessly perfecting Issens and diving into the combat is still fun.
I'd also rate it 8/10 but it could've easily been higher than that. Runs great and ticks practically all the boxes, except the lazy side content.
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u/r10n_ 1d ago
Yea, i don't watch reviews that much so thats that. I'm glad people had the same issue since this game had so much hype. Well, again, its a great game but not perfect.
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u/ShizukuPL 1d ago
Yeah, it's not perfect but Capcom is still on a huge roll, they just haven't released an outright bad game recently and I hope it stays this way.
Even with the repetitiveness and obviously lazy side missions, this is a great game with some really impressive cinematics and a great combat system. My biggest gripes are the dumb bowmaster missions (don't know what they're called in EN, played fully in JP) and the recycled bosses. In fact, all the unvoiced quests should've been cut or reworked, they're embarrassing.
Shikibu stuff was decent, wish there was more of it instead of the above.
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u/ErvinMarec 1d ago
You have a charm that make 3 times more enemies! And btw farm the rits on map where you see like a red tornado go and farmmit!
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u/Bruinen24 1d ago
The "faceless" side quest could have been turned into something epic and creepy. That ending.
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u/Saigor15 1d ago
I think the side quests really are dragging the game down for me. Itâs been a long time but I thought the original games were better at balancing progress. Still havenât beaten the game, took a break, planning to just bee-line through the main story now.
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u/BlakeEleven 1d ago
Agree on the courier homework.
Disagree on enemy variety. As long as they keep them under 10, I am more than fine since like other person said, the combat is very fun.
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u/Silly-Selection-3593 1d ago
Thatâs just Capcom for you; side missions were never really their strong suit. In Onimusha, they clearly dumped the budget into the combat and level design, so the side quests were just there to make grinding feel less tedious. The story is solid, but not perfect. The dynamic between Musashi and his team couldâve been way deeper. For instance, Musashi realizing he shouldn't follow in Yoshitsune and Ganryuâs footsteps wouldâve hit harder if theyâd fleshed that out, and the mentorship with Takamura needed more build-up before his death. I remember being confused why Musashi was so upset when they barely talked aside from mission briefings haha. Capcom only scratched the surface of those emotions. Even Okuniâs relationship with her friend felt shallow, so I barely felt anything when she turned into a Genma.
But honestly, the incredible combat system makes up for all those flaws.
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u/R3DSMOK_3 1d ago
Agree with you. Thatâs the only reason why, for me, itâs not a 10/10. I would completely remove the side quests and the semi open world. It doesnât add anything.
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u/MountainMuffin1980 1d ago
I'm probably the same as you, 7.5/8 I'd say. The side quests and hub area stuff which is largely required to level up are real pace killers and are clearly just there to pad the game out which really sucks. If you were just moving from one area to the next instead it would be a far superior game.
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u/AppropriateSite3768 1d ago
I completely agree with you but for me itâs a 7/10. I will be very excited to see the seriesâ evolution in Onimusha 2, but there is no way Iâm playing through the game more than twice.Â
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u/dynamike125 1d ago
Absolutely, the side quest is a hassle more than an enjoyment. The storyline / plot depth is a joke compared to Sekiro or Wukong.
the combat system iseen is hard to beat though. We are all here for the issen arenât we :)
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u/fahad0595 1d ago
Yeah, they sucked, but again, Capcom never and will never do good side content because their writing is horrible across the board (story-wise), like we see in RE & DMC; hell, even Ace Attorney & Monster Hunter. They just do what they do best: a good game loop, and I'm grateful for it.
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u/VanLaser 1d ago
I *wish* the game had much more levels (maps), and some interesting side missions afterwards in those levels. Most levels - few as they are - felt underused, only later (like with that archer mission) you had to actually do something non-trivial, and even that was kind of a basic reuse of the map, not an interesting story. The game has great combat, great bosses and a good story, and Capcom managed to get away with it, but yes, more non-stretched, interesting content would have elevated the game a lot (even if it's very good as it is).
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u/King_Kiitan 1d ago
I feel like a more resident evil 4 remake style structure would have benefited this game better rather than a open hub area. But I guess that's what sequels are for
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u/Jackiexiao7 1d ago
I always try to 100% a game before challenging the final boss, so the tedious grind of side quests was a huge letdown for me, I literally spent 1â2 hours running around the map like a FedEx driver.
paired with the constant reusable mini-bosses and elites making it much a worse experience, you literally fight the same elite more than five times, only to then have to fight the same shit on the gauntlet before challenging the final boss.
This game couldâve easily been a 9â9.5/10 for me, but these two factors brought it down to an 8/10, still a solid action game
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u/NoCustomer754 1d ago
Nah I agree with you. Honestly haven't had the urge to even beat the last two bosses. I had fun for a little while
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u/gromadyanin 23h ago
Absolutely agree, they could just delete the whole Kyoto area and distribute the items between other levels and the game would only win from that.
And idc if it would be 5 hours shorter.
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u/Amurjoe 23h ago
I think the issue is most of the side quests are in Kyoto. Youre seeing the same enemies and the same scenery. It just becomes extremely bland. Side content is the only major flaw imo. Game is goated otherwise. Itâs also the first title of n a long time, Iâm sure we will see a lot more variety in a sequel. Budget was pretty small overall.
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u/LoveLikeTruck 23h ago
Side quest so feel like a chore, did not continue Ng+ because I saw you need to complete all the side quests in carnage mode just to unlock a skin
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u/neospriss 21h ago
If they would have had a level structure with hidden side paths, a few optional bosses, and ways to upgrade from hidden houses/challenges, it would have been a much tighter game.
Still very fun, just much more focused.
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u/Fennel-Revolutionary 21h ago
The open world part of the game is what bored me I felt like I just kept treading the same ground and the lack of enemy type did stand out because of this.
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u/validiant88 21h ago
I have only played three hours and am already over hearing âpierce his heartâ
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u/Corpsepyre 21h ago
These are my two negatives as well, and the only ones. The padding, and the lack of enemy variety.
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u/RockWafflez 21h ago
My theory to the repetitive enemies is that this was the first Onimusha in a long time and they probably didnât want to put a bunch of money into a game they didnât know if the public still had interest in since the last two HD remasters didnât sell that well. Iâm sure in the next game there will be more enemy variety and less bland side quests
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u/stareci1 21h ago
You are not the only one kinda opposite you are in 90% of players. Most critiques this game gets is exactly about enemy variety and side quests. Combat is carrying this game, so even those mundane task are manageable.
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u/Waltherfeng 21h ago
Way of the Sword actually has roughly the same amount of enemies as the OG Onimusha Warlords. Now one could argue that Warlords is a shorter game but then again people used to replay these games countless times over and over.
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u/ZackGTS 21h ago
I pretty much went through the entire game without most of the upgrades cause I thought they would give it to me at some point, and boy was I wrong lmao. Even when I didn't do much of the side quests, it felt like the bosses, enemies, and arenas were quite repetitive. Slay Dohatsu-ten here, slay archers there, and absorb rifts over there. I enjoyed the cutscenes, but I think I mostly enjoyed fighting Ifuu and Burai. They felt more "rival-y" to me than Ganryu did.
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u/Gaspony 21h ago
I think for a reboot the core gameplay was the thing they nailed down the best along with the curated main story missions and bosses.
Thatâs something that they can expound upon in sequels. Sure the other stuff is optional busy work but since I enjoy the combat a lot I didnât mind it. Doing all the side stuff was just an excuse for more combat in my mind.
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u/elfarmax 21h ago
If it had more differents bosses it would be a goty serious contender. Phantom Blade will eat onimusha (Iâm 99.9 % sure). Anyway, I love onimusha , the combat is so satisfying,
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u/GunsouAfro 20h ago
Game would have benefited heavily from being more linear. The open exploration and most side quests got dull rather quick.
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u/doublej101622 20h ago
Iâm loving this game so far, and Iâm very close to the end. But I agree with you 100%. Itâs the same like 5 enemies you kill over and over, and the side quests are just a slog. However, I canât help but want to rescue all the cute pups lol
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u/II_SNAKE_II 20h ago
Yea i agree with your take. I love the game, 9/10 in my book so far but the open area enemies, side quests and the finishing animations are getting a bit repetitive for me as well. The Shadow of Mordor games never gave me that feeling despite getting 100% both versions (Vanilla, GOTY) on all consoles it was released on (360, XBONE, PS3, PS4). Same thing with all the Arkham games. Hopefully Phantom Blade Zero doesn't have that repetitive feeling.
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u/Maleficent-Sun-9948 20h ago
I think most of everything outside of combat is really uninspired and repetitive. The semi-open world area was unnecessary, and is boring and awful to navigate.
It's a good thing the combat is great.
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u/eldentsai 20h ago
yeah, that's why on NG+ carnage mode, i used trainer to upgrade my gears to skip the hassle of running side quest again
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u/stymptinag1 20h ago
and the town hub impact the pacing of the game it shd be all story linear like before ! cmon now
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u/Renbanney 20h ago
The game is great but I think it reflects a shift in how the community views Capcom. This is the first post I've seen making any kind of criticism of a modern Capcom that hasn't been down voted to hell.
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u/ShadowsGuardian 19h ago
You're right. I love japanese lore but even the side quest lore bits were hit and miss. Some interesting, some kinda meh. It may be due to the localization/translation team though.
The side quests feel like a chore and very repetitive but since the combat is amazing, it was never really awful to me.
Besides what was said I felt like the music could've been better on critical moments, or the story presentation as well. Then again that's not Capcom strong point.
Besides all that, banger of a game, loved the combat , even if the enemies were slightly slow. I'm about to finish the game and want to try Carnage mode, but I'm dreading the thought lol
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u/Gnb7588 19h ago
Smh, Onimusha Way of the Sword is basically a PS2 experience with modern touches. Itâs amazingly simple and fun.
The enemies are the same enemies you fight in the original games just revived for today. If there is clamoring for more variety I would recommend playing something else. Side quest premises function the same every game - they are all fetch or story lore quests. Itâs a lame argument because one could make that complaint about any action/ action RPG game. Try to enjoy it for what it is, comparing it to games that came out after Onimusha is embarrassing.
Onimusha and Devil May Cry basically set the standard for action games, and established the genre. This game is awesome and brilliant in every way itâs fun, easy to pick up, put down, and repeat like the classic PS2 games were. Completely amazing.
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u/Zeevy_Richards 19h ago
I just played the demo and realized it wasn't going to be a game that I enjoyed. I'll wait for a $20 price tag before I jump in.
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u/azendhal 19h ago
i didnt do any side quests so i didnt feel this much the lack of ennemy variety in the game
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u/Bynoe 19h ago
Yeah, it suffers from the typical side-quest bloat that a lot of modern open-world/open-world adjacent games often do. The writing on some of the quests is interesting enough, but a lot of them are pretty basic and repetitive - you can only hear "I was out doing [inset good deed here] when I saw [insert mob here]!" so many times before it gets old... And the actual gameplay content is pretty much invariably underwhelming - more often than not, you just end up fighting a handful of mobs you can run into around any corner of Kyoto, just with a bunch of extra running around and exposition in between. If you're lucky, you might get to fight a Byakue or a Dohatsu-Ten at the end.
I wish more game devs would realise that fewer quests with more effort put into making them distinct and interesting so they actually feel worthwhile makes for a more appealing total package than being able to rattle off some bullet point about number of quests and added gameplay time.
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u/Skight29 19h ago
You right, the side missions feels boring to do. While the main story is what makes the game special as well the combat.
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u/Entire-Cry-8930 17h ago
I think this wouldâve been a frontrunner for GOTY at TGA if it were a tighter experience.
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u/josephrfink 16h ago
I agree that while the combat was so good, I found the game design otherwise to be not great. The world design was incredibly basic, the side quests were all basically the same, the repetitive voice lines during combat were annoying. This was 5/10 game design attached to 10/10 combat
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u/There-Goes-Chris 16h ago
Nope I totally feel the same and after the mid way point of the game I just stopped doing them, I only did the oni missions and the pouch upgrades. But the butterfly, dog and side stories just felt so repetitive to me and even tho I love the combat, the game wasnt so difficult where I felt like I needed the extra levels to finish it. And as some other people pointed out kyoto as a main hub just felt so bland lol but still saying all that the main story and combat was amazing and I loved every second of it, id probably give it a 9/10 since youre not forced to do side mission content.
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u/Dry-Aioli-4923 16h ago
Those are the 2 main bummers on an otherwise stellar game. 8.25/10 is my rating.
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u/United_Procedure8129 16h ago
Capcom makes a linear game with great combat, good characters, and story . but it's 8-12 hours. proceeds to get reviewers and redditors whining about how short the game is because they have been conditioned to think a game must be 40 hours or more. To play devils advocate, games cost 70 plus dollars and people are pickier than ever with their money. so they slap a bunch of random if not meaningless side quest and collectathons to say it takes 40 hours for "completionist". Slap a sticker on it, sell it, on to the next one. it's not that deepÂ
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u/Belmont-96 15h ago
The side missions are annoying indeed and not Juc enemy types but thatâs the only
Complaint really .. I donât
Get mad when I lose , itâs like every-time you do u come
Back better.. itâs a solid 8.5/10 game for me love it ..
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u/TwizzledDoggo 15h ago
Played through it fully and never felt a lack of enemy variety. As soon as It got old they added new enemies, side quests aren't meant to be stellar, they are SIDE quests, makes the main story feel better when you get back to it. The butterfly quests were whatever, the dog collection though was cool since you got new outfits, and side quests were necessary since they gave upgrade mats. Maybe take a break go outside or something
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u/Perryhdp 15h ago
The bow side quest got old quick. Best side quest was ghost March one. The last group kick my butt a couple of times
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u/Mystic_Words11 15h ago
I'm almost done with the first playthrough of the game, and I find myself getting bored. I've been doing all the side content that pops up after every major mission, but it feels like a chore vs. being fun at this point. I love the game and the combat system, but that's probably my biggest issue with the game. Overused enemies (looking at you for the 12th time Byakue) and bland side content that amounts to 100 fetch quests.
I'm not trying to put the game down... I love it and I will always recommend it. But it's been hard for me to finish it personally. I'm playing less the closer I get to end game. Hopefully they improve on these aspects in the sequel. I think I would have preferred a tighter experience with this one.
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u/StillGold2506 15h ago
Lack of enemy variety is a valid criticism; even the first Onimusha had way more enemies back in the 2000s.
All the semi open zone missions are just god awful and a waste of time.
I really hated upgrading my armor, sword and gauntlet again in Carnage difficulty.
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u/VeryGameMuchWow 15h ago
This game lives and dies by its boss battles and story. Both are good.
I quickly realized i hated the open world, i hated the side quests. Being a stubborn action gamer that i am, i skipped it and suffered through the bosses until i got all my timing down perfectly.
I think my experience was better for it. I hope the sequel removes this stuff because they have true magic with the combat, they just need refinementÂ
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u/Vando7 14h ago
Ultimately feels like they settled on the mobs and bosses before starting the quest/levels and then built a game around them. For example when I play a FromSoft game it feels like the world was the first thing being built and then the enemies were put in it, with this game it's like the other way around. It's like the famous development of Super Mario 64 - you focus on developing the handling of the player character and you build a game around that. Not sure if that approach worked that well in Onimusha's case, but one thing is for sure - they fucking nailed the gameplay. I loved beating the game and doing all the side quests, but I absolutely donât have it in me to beat it again to get all achievements.
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u/Humancentipede2lover 14h ago
Honestly i like this narrow gameplay cause its mostly about fighting and fighting is really fun
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u/Averfus-Crowthorne 14h ago
Yeah I wasn't a fan of any of the side content aside from the mysteries. The open world stuff is pretty half-baked and I think should have been cut, would have brought it up to a 9 for me. Still the best game I've played all year though.
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u/Hopesy1234 14h ago
7/10 for me for the exact reasons you listed. The repeated starter dude fights grate but at least the combat makes it palatable but the side quests and traversing the main areas are very boring. Itâs a shame as it brings down a game with epic combat. It feels like they tagged an open world element on for no reason.
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u/Krazylegs127 14h ago
Thats valid put this game genuinely brought back my love for gaming purely on the combat I play alot of team ninja games and heavy combat mechanics games so I really enjoyed it but see your point
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u/vegayto 14h ago
I really enjoyed the game, I think the murasaki side content was great even though I wouldâve wanted more enemy (more accurately, boss) variety than having to fight Dohatsu Ken and Byakueâs all the time, but like Iâd treat the lion dogs like any collectible to go get, but the thing I dislike the most is the Ace Archer missions the most dog water design went to it, it is just a tedious objective
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u/Tech-Mechanic 13h ago
I don't know about a "chore", but they do seem pretty generic. I'd also like to see enemy types repeated less often.
But I take the good with the bad. It still hits more than it misses, IMO. 8/10 seems on point.
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u/Alternative-Wait-595 12h ago
Iâm not sure about that. I feel like this criticism is only in comparison to other video games side quests, rather than to the game itself. Enemy variety to me is enough imo. The only problem I might have with the side quests is that you kind of do have to do them to get all the items you need to upgrade fully by the end. Exploring takes forever to get the items, doing all the side quests gets it done faster. Hence why I think the side quests being short is also good. The game is not long so I think the enemy variety makes sense. The Main priority is the boss battles, and the enemies are only there to make sure you focus on the defensive mechanics. RE9 didnât have much enemies either for instance, but the setting made sense for it. Onimusha worked good for that reason imo. Also some enemies just help you perfect issen and parrying the more you play them.
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u/Bootytonus 12h ago
That's a franchise staple. Hell, we never had side quests back in my day. But hey, it's a reboot of the franchise, and Way of The Sword is a fantastic start for what it is. Enemy variety is pretty good. You get introduced new enemy types at very good pacing, but yeah, eventually it's the same enemies. Side quests, I dunno. I feel like it gives you a chance to explore eastern Kyoto and previous areas a bit more. Going back unlocks certain new areas since you have new abilities this time around.
Every rpg runs into the issues of enemy type and side quests though.
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u/Long-Treacle-5818 11h ago
Another problem I have with the game this and the fact that until you fight Shuten Doji the game just feels like its just a whole tutorial and it repeats doing the rifts while you are given these quests that feel like filler. Thats my problem the game feels like filler until you reach shuten doji. But those last few quests and bosses are amazing and helped me in enjoying the game.
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u/Dannygosling91 10h ago
I think this game would be improved by just straight up cutting the items, upgrades and side quests out. But itâs still probably my GOTY
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u/WhiteLotusChief 10h ago
Same here. The ending credits really made me forgive a lot of short comings for some reason
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u/Big_Structure_7331 9h ago
enemy variety is much needed here, side missions specially the dogs and the archer one is so ASS. I literally skipped the last ones as I was hell tired of repeating that.
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u/pleb22x 2h ago
Man, you are such a hater lol. Fair play it's your opinion though but its actually my favourite 2nd favourite game ive ever played behind nier automata.
Its just not for you and thats fine, I hate dark souls and elden ring... just annoys me I like fast paced ninja garden. This game was a balance between the two. Action hints on made the bosses hard but not annoyingly hard. Love it so much I want another immediately
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u/Kinkywizard808 1d ago
Enemies may be repetitive, but combat is NEVER boring