Compare Yakuza Kiwami 2 vs Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Experience and other currencies arrive at a pace one reviewer considered fair, allowing steady upgrades without turning progression into a chore.

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.

The game is packed with substories, arcade games, karaoke, cabaret management, Clan Creator, gambling, sports, and other distractions. Cabaret Club is a frequent favorite, while some individual modes land less consistently.

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

Stored weapons add flexibility, but they can also make combat and bosses dramatically easier. For some players that reduces frustration; for others it undermines challenge.

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.

The settings offer useful subtitle, camera, difficulty, blood-level, and tip controls, but the lack of colorblind modes is a notable omission.

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 main story generally provides a substantial campaign, while optional activities can multiply the playtime dramatically. Completion-minded players can spend dozens of additional hours in side stories and minigames.

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.

Distinct enemy types and mechanics help fights evolve as the story escalates. The variety is not enormous, but tougher groups introduce useful changes to the basic brawling rhythm.

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.

Kiwami 2 refines familiar Yakuza systems more than it reinvents them. One reviewer felt it did little mechanically special beyond combining Yakuza 6 technology with Yakuza 2’s story.

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.

Performance depends heavily on platform. Older console and Switch 2 coverage often cites a 30fps target and occasional drops, while some reviewers reported stable or smoother experiences on other hardware.

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.

The Dragon Engine creates a notably smooth, modern-feeling version of the game. Seamless transitions and refined presentation help the remake feel current even where older design choices remain visible.

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.

Difficulty is one of the less consistent areas: weapons can trivialize some bosses, while other fights, Clan Creator missions, or minigames can spike sharply. Several reviewers preferred the easier combat to earlier frustration, but balance is uneven.

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.

The remake preserves the familiar Yakuza formula rather than reinventing it. That consistency is comfortable for fans, but a few reviewers felt Kiwami 2 borrows heavily from Yakuza 6 without establishing enough of its own mechanical identity.

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.

A recap helps newcomers follow the immediate plot, but many reviewers strongly recommend playing Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami first. Prior context adds weight to relationships and returning characters.

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.

Upgrades are straightforward and rewarding, letting players improve stats and unlock useful or spectacular combat abilities. The system supports steady growth without requiring a rigid unlock path.

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

Traversal and fighting are generally more fluid under the Dragon Engine, though 30fps versions can feel less smooth. Several reviewers still preferred the tighter, snappier feel over Yakuza 6.

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.

Fights make unusually playful use of the environment, from bicycles and signs to destructible interiors and NPC-assisted Heat Actions. That physical interaction helps street brawls feel chaotic and distinctive.

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

Most reviewers praise the main story’s forward momentum, but a smaller group found interruptions, fetch-like detours, or late-game sequencing disruptive. The tone also deliberately alternates between urgent drama and optional silliness.

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.

Five experience categories feed stats, abilities, and Heat Actions, and many reviewers like how ordinary activities contribute to growth. A few find the menus or progression less exciting than earlier skill-tree approaches.

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.

The camera can become a real nuisance in fights, with reviewers citing close framing or trouble keeping up with fast action. These problems can make attacks and prompts harder to read.

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.

Ryuji Goda, Kaoru Sayama, Majima, and the broader supporting cast receive substantial praise. Ryuji in particular is often described as a memorable foil, though some reviewers wanted more screen time for him or Majima.

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

Major characters get meaningful arcs, especially the new faces tied to the central conflict. Reviewers praise how those developments deepen both the rivalry and the emotional stakes.

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 crime story is the product’s biggest consensus strength, with frequent praise for its tension, twists, characters, and emotional payoff. A minority found it messy, melodramatic, or less engaging than other Yakuza entries.

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.

The blend of serious story chapters, street fights, exploration, and absurd side activities creates an effective rhythm. Reviewers liked being able to shift between intense drama and lighter distractions.

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 Dragon Engine delivers fluid, expressive action and impressive character work, though ragdoll excess, older motion-capture data, and occasional stiff transitions can stand out.

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.

Combat is widely enjoyed for brutal Heat Actions, environmental weapons, and seamless brawls, but the single fighting style divides opinion. Fans of the older multi-style system may find it shallower or more repetitive.

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.

Compact city layouts reward wandering with side stories, arcades, restaurants, and other discoveries. Reviewers liked how much activity is packed into small spaces, even when the world is modest by modern open-world standards.

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.

Most progression feels generous, but a few side systems can become grindy. Clan Creator and other optional activities are the main places where repetition can wear thin.

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.

Seamless movement into shops and fights is a major quality-of-life improvement, and newer storage cuts waits further. Reviewers repeatedly praised how little interruption there is between exploration and action.

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

The streamlined ability menu is functional but less exciting than the more visual skill-tree systems in some earlier games. One reviewer found leveling notably workmanlike and unexciting.

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

Kiwami 2 preserves the series’ defining contrast between serious crime drama and absurd side stories particularly well. That familiar tonal balance is a major part of its appeal.

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.

Most reviewers found Kiwami 2 enormously entertaining, often because it can pivot from intense crime drama to ridiculous side activities without losing its identity. Even several critics still described the overall experience as fun.

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.

The two city districts are dense with storefronts, lighting, reflections, interiors, crowds, and small visual touches. Reviewers repeatedly say the detail makes familiar streets feel alive.

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

Kamurocho and Sotenbori are repeatedly praised for their neon-lit bustle, ambient sound, and lived-in personality. The cities make returning locations feel vivid rather than merely recycled.

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.

Character expressions benefit from the Dragon Engine’s added detail and help the dramatic scenes look more modern. They contribute to the remake’s strong cinematic presentation.

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.

The basic combat controls are easy to grasp, while timing blocks, dodges, weapons, and Heat Actions leave room to improve. That makes the action approachable without being completely one-note.

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 returning and new cast is a major strength, with memorable allies, rivals, and eccentric side characters. The ensemble helps sustain both the crime drama and the lighter substories.

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

The script, localization, and side-story writing are widely praised for balancing crime-drama seriousness with bizarre comedy. A few reviewers note occasional older-story awkwardness, but the dialogue and character work remain strong.

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

The main story and character arcs land with surprising emotional weight for many reviewers. Majima’s material, Kiryu’s relationships, and the finale were singled out as genuinely affecting.

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

Cab travel keeps cross-city movement quick, helping players move between story beats and side activities without much friction.

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

Rich city detail, seamless interiors, ambient noise, and constant street activity make the setting easy to sink into. Story-focus issues occasionally pulled individual reviewers out, but the world itself is strongly immersive.

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.

Lighting, reflections, particles, and other Dragon Engine effects add polish to fights and city scenes. Reviewers especially notice how these touches strengthen the remake’s visual impact.

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

The mix of brawling, exploration, RPG-style growth, and side activities works together smoothly. Reviewers especially liked how quickly the game can shift between these systems.

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.

Portability is a major selling point of the Switch 2 version. Reviewers liked having the full Yakuza experience on the go, even when they preferred other platforms for smoother performance.

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.

The Dragon Engine makeover earns near-universal praise for detailed character models, lighting, city streets, and cinematic presentation. Even reviewers with performance complaints generally consider the visual upgrade a major success.

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.

One Switch 2 reviewer reported a clean playthrough with no bugs. That experience paired smooth moment-to-moment play with minimal loading.

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

The story draws heavily on prior Yakuza history and clan relationships, rewarding players who know the earlier games. A recap helps, but the continuity carries more weight with that background.

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

Kamurocho and Sotenbori are small compared with sprawling open worlds, yet they are dense and purposeful. Some reviewers found that compactness claustrophobic; others preferred the concentration of activities and detail.

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.

The Switch 2 interface can look noticeably blurry on 1440p or 4K displays because some 2D assets are not rendered at native resolution. It is a visual blemish rather than a fundamental usability failure.

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

Substories are a major attraction, mixing absurd comedy, character moments, useful rewards, and occasional combat benefits. Most are warmly received, though some reviewers found a portion forgettable or filler-like.

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 compact districts gain personality through dense detail, recurring locations, side stories, and long-running character relationships. Reviewers describe them as places that feel increasingly familiar and real.

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

Major showdowns are often praised as spectacular and satisfying, especially Ryuji Goda encounters. A few reviewers found difficulty or balance uneven, but the set-piece presentation is a recurring strength.

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.

Ambient city noise and combat audio help sell both quiet street scenes and sudden brawls. One reviewer specifically found the overall sound design improved, with only a few elements standing out awkwardly.

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

Some Switch 2 menu assets look soft or blurry on higher-resolution displays. The functional design remains usable, but presentation quality does not always match the 3D game.

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

The Japanese performances are a standout, giving major confrontations and dramatic scenes convincing weight. Reviewers repeatedly praise the cast even while noting the absence of an English dub in some versions.

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.

When the Dragon Engine clicks, Kiryu feels quick, smooth, and responsive to control. Reviewers especially liked the faster recovery and more fluid combat feel compared with earlier iterations.

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

Kiryu remains a major reason the game works, combining intimidating combat ability with empathy and an earnest desire to help people. Reviewers repeatedly respond to that contrast.

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.

Technical results vary sharply by platform. PC and some console coverage is very positive, while Switch 2 reviewers frequently flag a 30fps target, frame pacing, or busy-area dips despite otherwise impressive portability.

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

The music is usually praised for energetic battle tracks and strong atmosphere, though reactions are not unanimous. Some reviewers found it less memorable or disliked specific replacement music compared with the original.

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

The abundance of optional activities gives players reasons to keep exploring after the main story. The core narrative is linear, but unfinished substories and minigames make returning easy.

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.

Reviewers commonly see the package as strong value thanks to its long story and enormous side-content library, especially at discounted pricing. A few comparisons become less favorable when competing Yakuza releases are similarly priced.

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

Some reviewers were comfortable with the series’ outrageous adult humor, while others objected to sexualized or sleazy side content. Shoppers sensitive to that material should expect a deliberately mature tone.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

The game’s adult humor, red-light-district setting, sexualized side material, and violent comedy make it a poor fit for families seeking broadly kid-friendly content.

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

Majima’s bonus campaign is the clearest point of disagreement. Its character moments can be emotional and entertaining, but several reviewers call the playable portion brief, stripped-down, or underwhelming.

One reviewer specifically praised the progression for avoiding microtransactions entirely. Growth comes from playing, exploring, eating, fighting, and completing stories instead.

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

The in-game progression was praised for handing out its currencies at a fair rate and not pushing paid shortcuts. That keeps character growth tied to normal play.

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

The remake is widely viewed as an ambitious modernization with major visual, combat, and content upgrades. A minority of long-time fans prefer the original’s coherence or dislike removed and altered material.

Kiryu and Kaoru Sayama’s developing relationship won over reviewers who were initially skeptical. Their chemistry and mutual respect add warmth and vulnerability to the crime drama.

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

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.

The included or bonus content can add useful extras, but some reviewers found powerful Clan Creator items distort the mode’s balance. Its value depends on whether convenience matters more than preserving challenge.

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.

Saving itself is dependable, but one reviewer disliked the roughly thirteen manual slots and wanted enough room to preserve more chapter-by-chapter saves.

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.

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

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

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

Heat-action prompts can be frustratingly brief or unreliable. Reviewers who struggled with them felt the timing got in the way of otherwise flashy combat.