Compare Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 vs Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Resource balance was praised for avoiding inventory tedium and excessive item hoarding.

The material economy is a weak point for some reviewers: common upgrade resources can be oddly expensive or grindy, and their relationship to the broader progression loop feels less refined than the combat.

Skill trees and character building were praised as concise but deep, enabling strong identities without overwhelming every reviewer.

One critical review argues that some late skill upgrades feel more like delayed quality-of-life fixes than genuinely meaningful progression choices.

Reviewers praised collectibles, optional areas, bosses, secrets, and side content, with only minigames drawing a weaker reaction.

One recurring complaint is that the overworld leans on repetitive objectives and familiar enemy groups, reducing variety outside the bespoke story stages and bosses.

Platforming was a recurring weak spot, described as awkward or very finicky despite being mostly optional.

Wall-running is a small but well-liked traversal addition that expands movement without turning the game into a platformer.

Enemy variety was broadly praised for unique patterns, designs, and combat behaviors, though one review saw repetition in late-game enemy attacks.

Common-enemy variety is a recurring weakness, with several reviews noting repeated basic foes and armored variants across a long campaign. Boss variety is much stronger.

Most reviewers praised the focused pacing and lack of filler, while one found some areas padded.

Pacing is the most repeated non-combat concern: early hub stretches, side activities, backtracking, and recycled fights can drag. The linear story missions and final run of set pieces are much more frequently praised for momentum.

Camera behavior was praised in combat for dynamic movements that enhanced counterattacks.

Cinematic camera work can make attacks look spectacular, but combat framing is inconsistent. A few reviewers found the camera could get trapped or become frustrating near walls and bosses.

Facial presentation was mixed because voice and scenes landed, but lip-sync problems appeared in minor scenes.

Facial animation is repeatedly described as among the game’s best visual work, especially Musashi’s expressive mannerisms and subtle reactions during both cutscenes and gameplay.

Bug reports ranged from occasional jank and a bugged quest to a reviewer reporting almost no bugs.

The reviewers who discussed technical reliability reported playthroughs without notable bugs, glitches, or crashes.

Progression earned strong marks for build preparation, Pictos/Lumina, customization, and viable options, with only occasional complexity caveats.

Progression is split between useful skill growth and incremental stat upgrades. Some reviewers enjoy how new abilities change combat, while others barely feel the numerical gains.

Accessibility was mixed because attack QTE assists exist, but the lack of a defend option hurt accessibility.

Story mode earns strong praise for wider timing windows and real-time action prompts that teach parries, dodges, deflects, and Issens. One review still wanted broader visual accessibility options.

The game was praised for reducing grind through shared Picto learning and focused inventory systems, though one review still noted some padding.

Several reviewers criticize material gathering and repeated combat as unnecessary grind, especially around upgrades. Others found resources plentiful enough that deliberate grinding was rarely required.

Narrative quality was the strongest consensus point, with reviews repeatedly calling the story unique, compelling, mature, and emotionally resonant.

Story reception is divided. Many reviewers love the character-driven tale, humor, relationships, and emotional beats, while others call the plot thin, convoluted, or less memorable than the combat.

Polish was mostly praised, especially production cohesion, but one review noted minor stutter and visual glitches.

The combat, animation, and major presentation beats feel highly polished, but reviewers also point to camera issues, repetitive content, minor technical roughness, and uneven secondary systems.

One review directly called the layered combat and action elements an outstanding gameplay loop.

At its best, the loop of dueling, mastering defensive timing, absorbing souls, and upgrading Musashi is highly compelling. Some reviewers felt the opening and repeated hub chores obscure that excellent core.

The checkpoint system reduced frustration by preventing major progress loss after death.

Checkpointing is usually generous, especially around difficult fights, though one reviewer disliked having to restart multi-phase boss encounters from the beginning.

Free aiming was seen as useful for targeting weak spots, though the same reviewer wanted the system developed further.

The bow’s generous auto-aim makes headshots easy, but lock-on and targeting can occasionally keep attacks moving in an unwanted direction.

Crash stability was inconsistent across reviewers, from no crashes to a report of many crashes over 60 hours.

The reviewers who addressed crashes reported stable playthroughs without crashes, reinforcing the broader impression of strong technical reliability.

Handheld suitability was mixed but workable in one review, which reported Steam Deck performance around 30 to 40 FPS on low settings.

Steam Deck and Switch 2 coverage is notably positive, with playable performance and strong visuals on the go despite heavier battery or CPU load in Eastern Kyoto.

Originality was a major strength; reviewers repeatedly called it fresh, unique, and unlike anything else.

The best reviews argue that the swordplay has a rhythm and identity of its own despite borrowing from modern action games. More critical voices feel the broader structure follows too many familiar contemporary conventions.

Frame rate reports were mixed: one review noted Quality-mode drops, while another reported steady high performance.

Performance is strong across PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, PC, and handheld testing, with many reports of stable targets and smooth combat. Steam Deck’s Eastern Kyoto hub is the main recurring performance caveat.

Character development was praised for interesting party members, growth, humanity, and introspective motivations.

Musashi’s reluctant-hero arc and growing acceptance of the Oni gauntlet are widely appreciated, as are several supporting arcs. Some reviewers wanted the Ganryu rivalry and parts of the cast developed further.

The fun factor was high, with reviewers eagerly running into fights, calling the game a standout, and enjoying combat.

Most reviewers found the swordplay and boss mastery intensely fun and addictive, often seeking extra fights simply to keep playing. Repetition and padding are the main factors that wear down that enthusiasm.

Exploration was generally rewarding through secrets, journals, bosses, and side areas, but several reviewers noted linearity, uneven depth, or trivial overworld movement.

Exploration can be rewarding when it leads to charms, upgrade materials, myths, portals, or secrets. The strongest praise comes from reviewers who enjoyed searching every corner despite reservations about the hub structure.

Animation quality was split between beautiful motion and noted cutscene animation issues.

Animation is one of the game’s clearest showpieces, with bespoke parries, blocks, executions, facial reactions, and combat transitions repeatedly singled out as exceptional. A few reviewers noticed a gap between cinematic and gameplay presentation.

A side character was praised for hiding darker motivation beneath an upbeat personality.

Shizuka, Okuni, Takamura, and Ganryu often earn praise for personality and chemistry with Musashi, though some reviewers wanted the rival storyline to go deeper.

Weapon upgrading was described as a useful part of the broader equipment loop.

Upgrades are mixed: combat skills and some equipment boosts feel meaningful, while incremental stat gains and material requirements can feel dull, imperceptible, or grindy.

Immersion was strong, with reviewers wanting to dig deeper, feeling invested, and describing the experience as lingering after credits.

Detailed environments, expressive characters, fluid presentation, and the historical-fantasy setting create strong immersion for many reviewers. Repetitive Kyoto layouts and repeated activities can break that spell for some.

The game was considered easy enough to start yet challenging to master, though one review found some systems overwhelming at first.

The combat is easy to understand but demanding to master, and many reviewers enjoy the process of learning timing and boss patterns. Some training and system explanations could be clearer.

The opening was widely praised for establishing stakes quickly and delivering unusually strong early context.

The easiest Story setting is praised as an effective introduction to modern timing-based action, especially because it teaches defensive responses without turning the game into a passive tutorial.

Difficulty was respected for challenge and balance by several reviewers, but tight QTE reliance and late-game balance drew criticism.

Difficulty is demanding but generally regarded as rewarding, with Story mode offering a gentler route and Action mode asking for precise play. Opinions split where normal enemies feel too easy or late bosses become punishing and unforgiving.

Environmental detail was a major strength, with reviewers praising richly detailed regions, color palettes, distinct locations, and memorable areas.

Kyoto, temples, forests, palaces, and supernatural spaces are praised for dense detail, historical texture, lighting, and small visual touches that reward close attention.

Writing was praised for maturity, comedy, thematic intelligence, and character nuance, with one review noting melodrama and messiness.

The writing is strongest in character banter, relationships, and emotional moments, though a few reviews describe the larger script as more serviceable than exceptional.

Lore depth was praised through expedition journals, wider history, and an intriguing world.

Japanese myths, legends, readables, collectibles, and side stories give the world substantial optional lore without requiring prior knowledge of the series.

Reviews repeatedly emphasized the story’s strong emotional effect, from grief and melancholy to catharsis and tears.

Despite the action-heavy premise, reviewers frequently found the character relationships, personal arcs, and later story beats funny, heartfelt, or unexpectedly moving.

Atmosphere was praised for melancholy tone, dreamlike environments, and emotional connection to the world.

The blend of samurai action, body horror, mythology, and distinct locations creates a strong dark-fantasy atmosphere. The best areas feel eerie and characterful rather than like generic combat spaces.

Endgame content was praised as expansive and build-focused, opening into a fresh layer after the main story.

Post-game play includes harder Carnage difficulty and New Game Plus-style replay, giving mastery-focused players a reason to continue after the credits.

Reviewers praised the systems when they cohered, especially build synergies and tactical options, though one review found the turn-based-to-QTE blend disjointed.

The layered defensive options, soul management, armaments, environmental tools, and resource systems create unusually rich moment-to-moment play. A few explanations and secondary systems can feel confusing or less polished.

Tutorials for new character mechanics were praised for making complexity easier to absorb.

Story mode’s prompts and the practice systems make the timing-heavy mechanics easier to understand, with reviewers praising their usefulness for newcomers and mastery alike.

Visual effects were praised for stylish flourishes and flashy battle presentation.

Sparks, slow-motion reactions, attack effects, and cinematic finishing flourishes make clashes look dramatic without obscuring the swordplay.

Dialogue was praised for natural conversations, believable banter, and strong character interactions.

Character banter and comic exchanges give the cast personality, while quieter conversations help sell relationships and the reluctant-hero tone.

Art direction was highly praised for beauty, French-inspired style, surreal environments, and cohesive visual identity.

Reviewers consistently praise the grotesque Genma, corrupted Kyoto, historical architecture, and supernatural imagery. The aesthetic feels recognizably Onimusha while benefiting from much richer modern detail.

The party roster was praised for distinct mechanics, focused cast design, and characters reviewers bonded with.

The supporting cast is a major strength, with Shizuka, Okuni, Takamura, Ganryu, and the villains repeatedly praised for personality and memorable interactions.

Graphics were widely praised as striking or phenomenal, with only minor pop-in or performance caveats elsewhere.

The game is widely regarded as gorgeous, with strong character models, lighting, environments, and RE Engine presentation across platforms. Performance modes and the gap between cinematic and gameplay rendering introduce only minor visual compromises for most reviewers.

Innovation was praised for contributing to JRPG traditions while still feeling unique and structurally distinct.

Reviewers praise the way the game modernizes Onimusha and combines familiar action ideas into a distinctive parry-centered system rather than simply becoming another Soulslike.

Combat was the most consistently praised system, with reviewers highlighting active dodges, parries, character-specific mechanics, and satisfying turn-based depth; a few found it divisive or demanding.

The sword combat is the overwhelming consensus highlight: precise, weighty, reactive, and deeply satisfying, with parries, deflects, dodges, Issens, clashes, and Oni Armaments giving players meaningful options. Even critical reviews tend to praise the core fighting.

Movement drew a mild complaint for characters catching on floor geometry during exploration.

Movement is mixed: modern 3D navigation and wall-running can feel good, while the dodge roll, lack of a normal jump, and some traversal friction draw criticism.

Optional quests received praise for classic-RPG flavor and meaningful rewards.

The side content is uneven: Lady Murasaki’s Mysteries and character-focused quests receive real praise, while generic fetch, kill, and resource jobs are frequently dismissed as filler.

The user interface drew criticism for clutter and painful Picto/menu navigation despite stylish presentation.

The UI is praised for being restrained, clear, and largely out of the player’s way.

Navigation was the clearest recurring complaint, with reviewers repeatedly wanting more maps, minimaps, or clearer tracking.

Eastern Kyoto can feel maze-like, and map controls or blocked routes sometimes make simple travel more awkward than it should be.

Level design ranged from hard-to-navigate areas to extravagant maps with rewarding side paths.

The handcrafted linear stages are generally the strongest spaces, with memorable temples, castles, laboratories, and supernatural areas. The hub and a few repetitive routes are less consistently praised.

World-building was praised as distinct, rich, and central to the game’s identity.

Real mythology, Edo-period details, optional legends, and character stories give Kyoto a rich backdrop that many reviewers found unusually rewarding to dig into.

Sound design was praised in combat and timing feedback, though one review criticized mundane traversal sounds.

Sharp sword clashes, parry impacts, executions, and other combat sounds give the fighting strong physical feedback and make successful timing feel satisfying.

Bosses were praised for evolving patterns, superboss challenges, and meaningful tests of combat mastery.

Boss fights are the standout attraction: dramatic, mechanically distinct, visually memorable, and built to reward mastery of parries, dodges, deflects, and Issens. The main caveat is repeated use of some minibosses and recurring foes.

Menu usability was a repeated drawback, especially when managing long Picto and Lumina lists.

The interface and menus are praised for staying unobtrusive and avoiding unnecessary tab complexity.

Countering and timing were praised when they worked, but one review found the input window unexpectedly tight.

Reviewers who directly addressed the controls describe them as tight and responsive, which helps the demanding timing-based combat feel fair.

Voice acting drew near-universal praise for emotional performances, natural delivery, and a strong cast.

Japanese performances receive near-universal praise, while English-language reactions are more mixed because of accent choices and occasional odd delivery. Several English cast members are still singled out for excellent work.

Gustave was singled out as a likable protagonist.

Musashi is one of the strongest points of agreement: reviewers repeatedly call him charismatic, funny, cool, expressive, and easy to root for, with only a small minority finding his arc less compelling.

Performance was mostly positive on tested PC hardware, but stutters and Unreal Engine issues were noted.

Technical optimization is a strong point, with reviewers highlighting smooth frame rates and good visual quality even on less powerful or handheld hardware.

The soundtrack received overwhelming praise, often framed as one of the game’s defining strengths.

The score is praised for mixing traditional Japanese instrumentation with cinematic fantasy and horror tones without overpowering the action.

Value for money was strongly praised through the $50 price, Game Pass availability, production value, and overall recommendation strength.

Reviewers who directly discussed price generally felt the campaign quality, replay options, and production values justify the cost for action fans.

Replay value was supported by optional content and New Game Plus, though one reviewer doubted many players would replay.

Boss rematches, harder difficulty, challenge rewards, and New Game Plus give combat-focused players meaningful reasons to return. Replaying padded missions is less appealing to some critics.

Regular Genma can be overly passive and easy to dispatch without using the full defensive toolkit, making ordinary encounters feel weaker than the bosses.

The use of Toshiro Mifune’s likeness and the game’s performance casting are generally viewed as fitting and distinctive, even though a minority questioned the ethics or necessity of recreating a deceased actor.

Collectibles often reward exploration with mythology, story details, cosmetics, or progression, and the Lion Dogs and Oni Portals are particular favorites. Some completion-oriented tasks still feel repetitive or low-value.

The revival modernizes movement, camera, scale, and combat without losing the Oni Gauntlet, soul absorption, Issen timing, horror flavor, or eccentric Onimusha identity. Longtime fans largely see it as a successful return.

Spirit Mirrors make revisiting areas straightforward, although travel is tied to those points rather than available from anywhere. One reviewer specifically liked that restraint.

Opinions on length are mixed, but the strongest criticism says a superb shorter action game has been stretched into a 25–30 hour experience. A smaller group felt the adventure did not overstay its welcome.

The body horror, grotesque Genma, corrupted environments, and occasional Resident Evil-like sequences add genuine unease without overwhelming the action-adventure focus.

HUD clarity was a minor issue for one reviewer who struggled with small menu text on a TV.

Transitions between cutscenes and gameplay are described as seamless, and retries after defeat are quick enough to keep difficult fights moving.

The loot system was viewed as simple but supportive of weapons, elements, and customization.

Microtransaction impact was positive because a reviewer explicitly valued the lack of microtransactions.

Fetch quests, repeated demon-clearing jobs, and reused overworld activities create a clear sense of repetition between the stronger set-piece missions.

Monetization was praised through the absence of microtransactions and a lower launch price.

Stealth exists, but the reviewer who evaluated it found direct sword combat far more rewarding.

Oni Armaments fill distinct roles such as healing, stamina damage, and crowd control, and at least one reviewer found each option useful rather than redundant.

Combat benefits from environmental tools such as carts, planks, flames, and destructibles, but one reviewer disliked how many seemingly fragile objects cannot be touched.

Cosmetic options exist, with additional looks unlocking through play and harder modes, but the selection initially feels limited.

The bespoke story missions work well, but generic Encounter-style objectives and busywork are repeatedly called filler.

The central Kyoto hub is the most consistent structural complaint. Reviewers often see its fetch quests, repeated streets, and resource chores as padding between much stronger linear levels and boss encounters.

Puzzles are a light part of the experience, but the secrets and environmental challenges that do appear can be enjoyable diversions from combat.

Console and Switch 2 versions are generally well supported with useful performance options and stable play; Switch 2-specific control features are seen as fun if somewhat gimmicky.