Onimusha Way of the Sword Puzzles

Ah, Onimusha's classic puzzle boxes — the source of much head-scratching frustration in my youth.

The series' puzzle boxes, or puzzle cubes, or decoder boxes, or whatever you like to call them, have been present in every mainline game, adopting many different forms over the years.

Typically housing worthwhile rewards like equipment and items, the intricate containers often require some serious thought, or knowledge of the surrounding area.

But the puzzle boxes — which did end up becoming part of Onimusha's gameplay identity — won't be returning in Onimusha: Way of the Sword (much to the disappointment of guides writers everywhere).

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That's according to a fresh preview from Game Informer. They asked director Satoru Nihei about the boxes, having noted a total lack of them during their time with the PS5 title.

"As you observed, it’s not really the same kind of puzzle elements we had like usual, like the puzzle boxes. We have puzzle elements in the actual stage, and we’ve introduced those as a way to break up the action," Nihei explains.

Nihei doesn't really go into any detail on why the puzzle boxes have been ditched, but it sounds like it's to do with pacing.

The preview goes on to describe an environmental puzzle that consists of interacting with ornamental masks and using shafts of light to determine the sequence. The suggestion is that these puzzles feel more organic in terms of gameplay flow.

Game Informer also stress that Way of the Sword's combat system is undoubtedly the main draw of the experience, which backs up this idea that Capcom wants to keep players moving forward.

Still, Nihei is aware that there has to be some kind of break between fights: "Obviously action is a big focus of the game, but just having action is maybe not so exciting for people. So we’ve introduced these puzzle elements into each stage that can get people thinking in between those action sections.”

Will you miss puzzle boxes in Onimusha: Way of the Sword? Don't spend too long thinking about the comments section below.

[source gameinformer.com]