Compare Onimusha: Way of the Sword vs Truckful

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

The truck can become wedged in scenery without a reliable way to free it. These incidents can force checkpoint reloads and significant repeated progress.

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

One reviewer reported that the ending prevented further free roaming or completion of missed objectives. Unfinished activities therefore need attention before the final delivery.

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

Tunnels offer useful shortcuts, but the absence of conventional fast travel makes garage returns and repeated deliveries tiresome. Some shortcut routes also expose the truck to supernatural threats.

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.

The opening hours ask players to learn driving, cargo recovery, and pursuit responses at once. A compelling mystery provides motivation to push through an awkward start.

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

Individual loads can be short, but frequent transitions still interrupt driving and make repeated travel tedious. Their frequency matters more than the wait per screen.

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 mobile preview presents the roughly eight-hour main path as only part of the available entertainment. Exploring side activities can extend that time substantially.

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.

The pickup has a pleasing sense of weight that makes carrying an unstable load feel consequential.

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.

Reading signs and making truck choices can strengthen the feeling of being a driver. Frequent area transitions interrupt that immersion.

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.

Steering orientation takes time to learn, especially when fixed camera angles change. Familiarity helps, but the initial adjustment can be a major setback.

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.

Standard difficulty and strict cargo or timing bonuses can be discouraging, particularly during the early chase. The challenge works better once players can interpret the road and trust their steering.

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.

Changing fixed viewpoints can confuse steering and cause crashes during pursuits. Foreground scenery can also obscure the road.

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.

Upgrade prices can make early progress feel too easy, while the later scrap currency introduces tedium. The resource system makes thematic sense but does not consistently reward the effort it asks for.

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.

New tools and hidden shortcuts make exploring the region appealing. Garage trips, unclear routes, and repetitive backtracking can undermine the payoff of opening new paths.

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.

Later scrap gathering can become repetitive and tedious, slowing the appeal of further upgrades.

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

The cast includes many appealing, well-written or delightfully exaggerated personalities. Cybercop drew a distinctly negative response from one reviewer.

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 village’s dark mystery and surprisingly heartfelt story are recurring strengths. Helping residents reveals enough intrigue to keep several reviewers engaged despite troublesome mechanics.

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.

Packing and driving work together to create an engaging physics challenge. Cargo can react disproportionately to small bumps, and several reviewers found the resulting recovery frustrating.

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.

Polish receives sharply different assessments: one reviewer called the game a joy to play, while others wanted better recovery tools, map access, and interface refinements.

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

Truck improvements can make a tangible difference to grip, braking, cargo security, and route access. The breadth of useful upgrades is a strength, although one reviewer felt they became affordable too quickly.

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

Delivery tasks dominate long stretches of play, and the activity mix can feel repetitive after several hours.

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.

Mixing cozy delivery work, inventory puzzles, and supernatural danger gives the game a distinctive identity that reviewers repeatedly appreciate.

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 story generally balances silliness, suspense, and interconnected character threads well. One reviewer found Cybercop’s ambiguous antagonist role unconvincing.

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.

Bright countryside, exaggerated characters, and ominous forests create a distinct, charming visual style. The tonal contrast is widely praised.

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.

Story Mode relaxes delivery restrictions so players can focus on reaching their destination. It reduces the cost of mistakes without solving the changing camera angles.

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

Funny dialogue makes conversations enjoyable rather than something to rush past on the way to the next delivery.

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.

Noticeable upgrades and new traversal tools provide clear reasons to keep delivering. Opinions diverge on the pace, with inexpensive early improvements and tedious later scrap requirements both drawing criticism.

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

Optional lore gives the village’s history and mysteries depth without making extensive reading essential to following the main story.

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

Memorable, entertaining townsfolk give the mystery much of its charm. Cybercop is a notable exception for one reviewer, who actively disliked his presence.

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

Side jobs mostly repeat the same fetch-and-deliver structure. Extra income is useful, but repeated restrictions and return journeys limit variety.

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.

Loading screens interrupt the rhythm of repeated journeys, and the opening pursuit can arrive before players feel ready. Scrap also appears before it has a useful role, making progression feel out of sequence.

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

Water reflections and nighttime headlights help make individual scenes beautiful despite the otherwise simple graphics.

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

Detailed scenery and locations with distinct landmarks make the countryside enjoyable to travel through. The environmental presentation adds value to exploration.

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.

The scenery repeatedly earns praise for beauty, from impressive handheld visuals to scenes that look good in motion. Simple graphics still make a strong impression.

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.

Loading, delivering, and upgrading give ordinary errands an appealing rhythm, especially when the mystery moves forward. Repeated trips and equipment changes can make that rhythm wear thin.

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.

Steam Deck performance ranged from a small dip below 60 FPS at default settings to a report of flawless play. Another reviewer maintained a smooth 180 FPS on a Linux desktop.

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 game performs well on the tested handheld PCs, with particularly enthusiastic Steam Deck impressions. Readable text and functioning controls support portable play.

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.

Inviting countryside gives way to threatening woodland without losing the game’s charm. The contrast makes ordinary errands and unsettling discoveries complement one another.

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.

Rutti’s developing connection to the village and forest gives the central mystery a personal thread.

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

Some reviewers found checkpoints forgiving after destruction. Another found them too far apart, making every reset after getting stuck painful.

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

Supernatural trucks, a hostile train, and creeping fog give deliveries a welcome edge. The horror is generally praised as tense while still fitting the cozy tone.

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

The heartfelt story leaves a stronger impression than the frustrations for some reviewers. One described the combined story and gameplay as a reason to smile throughout play.

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.

Cargo puzzles, truck handling, and the blend of cozy travel with danger create plenty of enjoyment. The most enthusiastic reviewer loved the entire experience.

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.

The unlikely genre combination works surprisingly well. Horror changes the stakes of otherwise ordinary delivery tasks in a way several reviewers found inventive.

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

Repairing roads and restoring infrastructure creates lasting, practical improvements. Frequent sheep and debris that require honking can instead become irritating obstacles during timed runs.

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

Checking routes often requires pausing and switching tabs. That repeated menu work makes navigation more disruptive than it needs to be.

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

Steering often becomes confusing when the camera changes direction, with some mistakes feeling outside the player’s control. Steam Deck controls earned enthusiastic praise, while mobile controls were described as simple.

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.

The unseen, silent driver initially raised concerns for one reviewer, but the story’s explanation made that choice work.

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.

The lack of fully voiced dialogue worked well for one reviewer because expressive characters and brief vocal interjections conveyed emotion effectively.

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.

One reviewer could not return to unfinished objectives after the ending, with Continue leading directly to the final cutscene. Another wanted mission replay to make returning more worthwhile.

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.

Steam Deck compatibility and simple Android touch controls earn positive assessments. Ultrawide support disappoints on PC because gameplay remains limited to 16:9.

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

One preview judged the quoted 17.54-euro price fair for a finished single-player game. That assessment concerns the promised format rather than a completed playthrough.

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

Map access, cargo pickup feedback, and upgrade information can be awkward to use. The handheld interface earns praise for large elements and readable text.

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 equipment-gated region offers secrets and more depth than a handful of delivery locations. Its segmented layout disappoints players who want a continuous open world.

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.

Segmenting the map into separate areas does not always produce distinctive driving challenges. One reviewer felt the sections became ordinary stretches of road interrupted by loading screens.

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.

Main deliveries move the mystery forward rather than existing solely for payment. The most rewarding jobs repair roads or infrastructure and leave the village easier to navigate.

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

Cargo conditions give deliveries interesting constraints, but strict bonuses can encourage repeated resets. Allowing only one active mission also prevents combining errands efficiently.

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

Relaxing ambient sound shifts into roaring engines and eerie warnings when danger approaches. Brief character sound bites also help convey emotion without full spoken dialogue.

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

Navigation is a recurring weak point, with inconvenient map access and a navigator that competes for a tool slot. Learning routes can help, but missing labels and obstacle information make planning harder.

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

The haunted village and forest create an unusually appealing setting. Its unresolved past gives deliveries purpose beyond earning upgrades.

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

Fitting awkward objects into the truck bed is one of the most consistently satisfying activities. Testing how a load settles adds a useful layer of planning before the road puts it under pressure.

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

Performance is a notable strength on the tested Linux PC, Steam Deck, and ROG Xbox Ally X. Reviewers reported smooth play, including high frame rates on more capable hardware.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

Vehicle destruction is generally forgiving thanks to checkpoint restarts and relaxed delivery options. These recovery systems help reduce the penalty for physics-driven mistakes.

The arcade handling can feel weighty, excellent, and satisfying. Other reviewers struggled with sudden swerves, terrain penalties, and cargo flying off after modest mistakes.

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.

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 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.

One reviewer described the comedy as family-friendly while acknowledging subtle adult references and innuendos. That assessment of the humor does not remove the separate spooky vehicle pursuits.

Subtle jokes, real-life references, and adult innuendos made the comedy a standout for one reviewer.

Organizing awkward cargo is consistently satisfying, particularly when a load can be tested before departure. Automatic restoration of fallen objects to their packed positions also softens recovery.

One preview praised the straightforward paid single-player format as a fair arrangement without a live-service commitment.

The verdicts range from wholehearted enthusiasm to stopping because of repeated lost progress. Most find an appealing mystery and delivery concept beneath significant usability frustrations.

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

Later progress opens up more freedom to explore and enjoy quieter deliveries. Free roaming still offers a limited range of activities beyond scrap and collectibles.

One reviewer liked the restrained adult innuendos within otherwise family-friendly comedy. The approval concerns the subtle treatment rather than the amount of sexual content.

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

One preview appreciates the focused single-player format and its lack of an added multiplayer commitment.

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

The mobile installation was described as roughly 500 MB and small enough to avoid storage worries.

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.

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.

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.

Helping repair roads and restore village infrastructure is especially rewarding because improvements persist. A repaired pothole becomes one less hazard on future deliveries.

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

Truck parts and cargo beds invite enjoyable experimentation and can solve practical driving problems. Three tool slots and garage-only swapping make customization burdensome for some reviewers.

The single-player pitch was judged coherent and credible in one preview. Steam Deck support also lived up to the confidence expressed by the development team.

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