Why Onimusha Weaponizes Your Mastery Against You

Onimusha: Way of the Sword has one of the most satisfying combat systems I've ever played in an action RPG, but Capcom gave it a brilliant, beautiful twist. By aligning the gameplay so seamlessly with the story of Musashi Miyamoto, the game's protagonist, you are set up for devastating tragedy and brutal defeat. My first thought when playing with this combat system was just how free I felt. From the Oni Armaments to environmental tools to all the ways you can respond to a simple sword slash, I really did feel as powerful and crafty as a master samurai. As I got better at it and figured out how to respond to things on the fly, I started to feel like a mastermind. However, Capcom expertly manipulates the connection between you and the protagonist by turning these mechanics on their head. When you feel like Musashi, his losses feel like your own. And, when you feel like Musashi, when he has to use his combat skills on an innocent... so do you. JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER: https://discord.gg/Yh6hc9TPPb TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Introduction 0:45 - A Perfect Combat System 3:58 - Ludonarrative Harmony and Sasaki Ganryu 6:06 - Shoten Doji and Overcoming Defeat 7:00 - The Ultimate Tragedy 8:39 - A Capcom Masterclass Don't forget to subscribe to CyclicalZ and ring the bell for more gaming deep dives! BUSINESS INQUIRIES: [email protected] MUSIC USED Crossroads - Hollow Knight Reach for the Summit - Celeste Shrine - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Forest Temple - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Powerful Mario - Super Mario 64 Bilewater - Hollow Knight: Silksong Winter (Nocturne of Ice) - Stardew Valley ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE Bloodborne PineappleSlice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdUCrBBwXwE Dark Souls komaruR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzJF_GQQOZQ Ranwolve - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li8JmrKwlzw Hades Silent Longplays - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2b7GGWNz54 Monster Hunter: World Boss Fight Database - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-G2yrtL6lk TagBackTV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARbgqdCNR8E Red Dead Redemption 2 Back2Blue - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9TBNWR3l5k Spider-Man 2 Banden - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW-K7kdkleE The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Gamer’s Little Playground - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMG8Sm4YGfM Other Viva La Dirt League - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0EIoynTEcc Gameplay footage, trailer clips, and music from various content creators, news outlets, and publishers are used for commentary and analysis under fair use. #Onimusha #VideoEssay #ActionRPG #Capcom #CyclicalZ