Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer. As part of my cover story trip to Capcom’s Osaka HQ, where I played the game and interviewed the team making it, I also got to speak to Motohide Eshiro, the planner of Onimusha: Warlords and director of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny (and its recent remaster). 

I published an in-depth retrospective about Onimusha’s success, its “Sengoku Biohazard” origins, and more based on my interview with Eshiro, and you can read that right here, but I also spoke to him about watching this series return after a 20-year hiatus. Though he’s not officially working on Way of the Sword, he works at Capcom in a producer role, supporting up-and-coming producers working on various projects at the publisher-developer. 

Sitting beside Way of the Sword director Satoru Nihei, Eshiro tells me he’s been “very surprised and impressed” with the way video game graphics, particularly across the Onimusha series, have evolved alongside the action genre over the past two decades since Onimusha’s start. He also believes Nihei and the rest of the Way of the Sword team have nailed the swordplay action. 

“I feel that one of the strengths of it is the swordplay,” Eshiro says. “In particular, I found it was quite an interesting evolution from the base game, but also, maintaining elements like the Issen, that satisfying feel of pulling it off, and the back and forth of Japanese swordplay – I feel they’ve done a really good job of capturing that feeling and creating a bit more of a realistic start of the swordplay action.” 

There is a clear but polite embarrassment in the room from Nihei, as he listens to Eshiro discuss Way of the Sword’s strengths, and it’s endearing to see. Nihei refers to Eshiro as a legend and is happy to hear he thinks Way of the Sword is satisfying in its action. “When we have legends like [Eshiro] check out the game, I definitely feel nervous,” he says. “Are they going to be like, ‘What are you doing here?’ There’s definitely a bit of pressure, but obviously I look forward to hearing what they have to say about the game.” 

Delving further into his impressions, Eshiro says he is very impressed by what the Way of the Sword team has accomplished with today's technology. “Coming from someone involved with the past titles, I am very impressed with that and am really happy to see the project in good hands,” he adds. “I’m very excited for people to get their hands on the game.” 

Ever the studio man, Eshiro closes out his thoughts by saying if someone is excited about Way of the Sword and wants to learn more about the series, “I would love for people to check out the Onimusha 1 and 2 remasters to see how the series has changed over these 20 years.” 

I actually played through both remasters in the lead-up to this cover story trip for Way of the Sword, and though I loved the games as a child, I was surprised to see how well they hold up. Onimusha: Warlords, in particular, remains a fascinating game; it really is “Sengoku Biohazard,” the first game’s codename, à la a Resident Evil game (even set in a singular location like Spencer Mansion) but with samurai instead of agents and swords instead of guns. Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny ups the ante, expanding the game’s scale, complete with a wide-spanning friendship system and multiple branching paths that are still intriguing pieces of game design history today. All of this is to say, I echo Eshiro’s thoughts: Give Onimusha: Warlords and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny a go if you’re waiting for Way of the Sword and in need of more swordplay action. 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you:

What's your favorite Onimusha game? Let us know in the comments below!

This morning’s Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Nintendo Direct featured a 20-minute gameplay deep dive into the upcoming strategy RPG. The presentation broke down classes and non-combat activities and revealed the game’s true structure.

As previously detailed, Fortune’s Weave centers on four playable protagonists who enter the Heroic Games, a gladiator-style arena tournament, to have their wish granted: Cai, Dietrich, Theodora, and Leda. You can switch between playing each one at any time, with progress for each one saved, allowing you to experience each character’s narrative in parallel. This plays into the game’s main theme of multiple fortunes intertwining. 

However, the twist is that this era is actually set in the past. Fortune’s Weave’s true plot is set five years in the future, where the world has been destroyed by the returning demon god Balor. The progenitor god Sothis has summoned the one soul capable of stopping him, a nameless hero clad in white who is the game’s true protagonist. To avoid facing Balor alone, this hero travels to the past to influence the fates of the four champions in order to assemble them in the future to save the world. 

Arena combat involves choosing a team of units and placing them on the field in traditional Fire Emblem fashion. Units can wield swords, gauntlets, spears, axes, bows, and magic, each with different properties and even forms (such as a gun(!)). Unleash Combat Arts deal greater damage at the expense of weapon durability, while Blaze Arts unleash bespoke special moves at the expense of HP. For example, Kai can blast a fireball that deals burn damage, Dietrich can instantly teleport to new squares, and Leda can buff surrounding allies and summon a monster to the field. After each move, you can rewind to any previous point in battle to redo any mistakes.

The game’s classes are divided between Beginner, Specialty, and Advanced. Here’s a breakdown of each one, as detailed by Nintendo. 

Between matches, Free Time occurs. You can prepare for future battles by training in the arena or by watching rivals battle to gather intel on them. The shopping arcade offers new weapons and enhancements. At Temple Row, you can volunteer at certain temples to temporarily gain stat buffs in battle, such as reduced damage. Taking certification exams lets units learn a new class, provided they have prerequisite skills. You can also take on quests from townsfolk, which must be finished within a deadline. Certain citizens can be recruited to your cause, though some require gifts or a meal to convince them to join. Inns let you lodge, eat, and pass time to gain resources automatically. Bonded characters converse in cinematics, raising their bonds.

Outside of Dagsion, you can explore a world map to visit towns, gather information to find treasures, and battle in random encounters. You can also find dungeons to get materials for weapons and other rewards. Interestingly, dungeon battles unfold as traditional turn-based battles instead of taking place on a grid. 

The presentation concluded with smaller updates. Nintendo Music will be updated to feature a selection of tracks from Fortune’s Weave, such as the main theme. The Nintendo Today app also has new Fire Emblem themes coming tomorrow, along with new information leading up to launch. A new Ask the Developer article will be published on September 15. 

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is coming to Switch 2 on September 17. 

Production of Amazon Prime's live-action God of War TV series halted last month after Kratos actor Ryan Hurst suffered a bicep tear while filming. Since Hurst will require months of rehab following his surgery, Amazon is recasting his role. Variety reports that Dave Bautista may be filling those shoes.

According to Variety’s sources, Bautista is in talks with Amazon to portray Kratos in the upcoming series. Bautista, a former WWE star, is best known for portraying Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, but has notable roles in the Dune series, Blade Runner 2049, Glass Onion, Knock at the Cabin, Army of the Dead, The Killer’s Game, and is set to appear in Road House 2 and Highlander. Bautista is no stranger to the world of video games, as he appeared in Gears 5 as a model swap for Marcus Fenix (after the actor campaigned to portray the character in a movie). 

Deadline had previously reported that four episodes of God of War had been filmed at the time of Hurst’s injury; it’s unknown if those episodes will ever see the light of day. 

The rest of God of War’s cast so far remains the same, which includes Callum Vinson as Atreus, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn as Brok, and Jeff Gulka as Sindri. The series will adapt the 2018 God of War and has received a two-season order. 

For more on God of War, the next entry in the series, God of War Laufey, recently got a February release date. 

[Source: Variety]

Reviewed on: PC Platform: PlayStation 5, PC, Mac Publisher: Panic Inc. Developer: House House Release: August 4, 2026

Seeing a game lean as heavily into its core ideas as Big Walk does is rare. Untitled Goose Game studio House House built an experience filled with activities: puzzles, physics, basketball and music, lights and sounds, as well as secrets and foreboding premonitions of future discoveries. But the larger experience is mostly a lot of walking with your friends. And it's a pretty good walk, too.

Big Walk requires co-op; puzzles adjust to lobby size, from two to three, to four-plus. You can have up to 12 players in a lobby – puzzles will still be sized for four players – but you cannot play alone. And while there's no real way to enforce this approach, House House strongly encourages you to use proximity voice chat in-game, rather than hopping on a Discord call or playing local split-screen. These requirements can seem stringent compared to other co-op adventure games, and it makes coordinating a Big Walk session feel akin to setting up a board game night. But what you get in exchange for following those rules for play, though, is entirely worth it.

Each player gets their own orbish, bird-like in-game avatar. Tools littered in the tutorial area let you customize your character, learn the controls, and gradually understand the verbiage. You can gesture with your arms, such as lifting them up in the sky, pointing, or raising them out to the side. Sitting plops you down in place, or sends you sliding down a hill. There's jumping, crouching, and even picking up items and kicking them like a field goal. Movement and interaction is delightfully tactile and involved, as you can talk with your hands and express thoughts with your in-game avatar body, literally pointing at things, waving, and doing the Rocky pose when you conquer a puzzle.

Distance reduces your voice volume, so walkie-talkies, radios, and even whiteboards became methods for long-distance communication for our group. A flashlight might be useless during the day, but at night you need one to navigate the darkness. Since you can initially only hold one thing in your hands at a time, equipment comes at a premium, so you make interesting decisions about what to take and leave behind. The limitations do prevent, however, carrying and using some of the more interesting and fun tools; the whiteboard is a really clever nonverbal tool to mess around with, for instance, but not as "effective" as a walkie-talkie or radio, which are abundant on the island. But that doesn't mean I didn't love writing "Kick Me" on a whiteboard and sticking it in my friend's backpack as we explored.

Going anywhere takes time; not a gameplay resource or number on a meter, but just real-life time. This naturally leads to downtime which facilitates some of Big Walk's best moments. Stumbling across a new puzzle room or gadget leads to hijinks. We argued over who got to hold the megaphone we'd just found, or go fumbling in the dark trying to find where we dropped a key item. If cartoon birds could ever re-enact Stand By Me in the Australian wilderness, it'd look a lot like Big Walk.

A north-star objective underpins all of this: small red objects, which look a little like those rubber Kong toys you fill with peanut butter for dogs, which we took to calling "gourds." Usually, to solve these, we'd need to figure out the solution to an ambient puzzle, which had a delightful range including blindfolded obstacle courses, pitching machines, egg timers, mazes, lights and pictures, and many, many wooden blocks with symbols to hold up and nod or shake our heads at. 

Big Walk loves to play with means of communication in these rooms too, and its best puzzles take full advantage of your buy-in to its requirements. Soundproof rooms forced our team to figure out how to communicate nonverbally. Shorthands evolved around specific puzzle pieces. Shouting "turn 10 degrees to your left and scooch forward" to my pal, as they're wearing a giant helmet that muffles their voice and blocks their vision, was genuinely fun. These gourd puzzles feel like summer camp activities in the best ways.

Gourds can be placed in specific locations and, once enough have been placed, they open a secondary puzzle, which then unlocks a new feature on the island. I'm being intentionally vague because, after the initial tutorial, they become Big Walk's big reveals. Each one introduces a new feature that recontextualizes a piece of the island, which is impactful and exciting.

If anything, that's where Big Walk starts to slow its pace a bit. As we focused on unlocking more of the island, completing more puzzles, and figuring out what lay at the end of it all, the "walk" of it fell to the background. Walking itself is sometimes a bit too finicky; jumping up terrain and ledges, in particular, can be frustrating to manage. The expanse of the island closed in a bit, even as we uncovered more and more secrets, and found a larger post-credits puzzle chase meant for those who want more. I wanted more silly opportunities to play and find goofy levity in this large experience.

In the nine hours it took my crew of three to see the end of Big Walk, though, it felt like we had made a real journey together. We laughed a lot and came up with many absurd puzzle solutions that still somehow worked. Big Walk's excellent finale effectively brought the message home: more than anything, this was our shared walk.

Sharing that journey is the point of Big Walk. It asks you to isolate, to put yourself in a siloed-off game station on proximity chat, so you can experience what it feels like to journey together in its virtual world. It provides tools for you to venture apart, to go vast distances, and still reconnect to gather your gourds and unlock more of the island. House House lays out all the ways your group could go, and lets you loose. Look for an ending, seek out puzzles, search for mysteries or climb for adventure; no matter what, you're all going on a memorable walk together, and that's a pretty good way to spend a few evenings together with friends.

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A Nintendo Direct focused on Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is airing tomorrow, August 4. The event will share 20 minutes of new details about the game.

The Direct begins at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is scheduled to launch on September 17 for Switch 2, and centers on four playable protagonists competing in a combat tournament called the Heroic Games. The four characters, Cai, Theodora, Leda, and Dietrich, all have personal reasons for wanting to win the tournament and have their wish granted by the world’s ruler. 

The Heroic Games are approaching! Tune in on Aug 4 at 7am PT for the Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Direct, featuring roughly 20 minutes of new information about the game. #NintendoDirect Watch here: ninten.do/6013a8Sxz[image or embed]

Like previous Fire Emblem games, Fortune’s Weave is a turn-based strategy game and features the now-staple free time structure that allows you to recruit, train, and bond with units.  To see the game ahead of tomorrow's Direct, check out the latest trailer announcing the game's release date. 

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed missing sound for Taunt: Circuit BreakerRenamed "Northern Nights" Summer 2026 Unusual effect to "Polar Prism"Updated the Floral Growth Unusual effect to fix orientation/position problemsUpdated the Bald SpotterAdjusted vertex normals and diffuse on headAdjusted normals and specular on head mirrorReduced mesh size slightly toward the front and back of the headFixed some facial flexesReduced texture size of lensUpdated the Surgical ShroudFixed vertex normal issue on coatAdjusted Phongfresnelranges on mirror to improve envmap effectReduced texture size of mirrorUpdated/Added some tournament medalsUpdated koth_dusker to globally improve lighting in outdoor areas for better team recognitionUpdated cp_premudaFixed conflicting files leading to crashesFixed several spawn room errorsAdjusted respawn-times to make capping easierAdjusted sound timings and volumeBrightened up dark spaces and tunnelsSmaller changes all around the map to improve game flowMiscellaneous visual and clipping bugs fixed

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Updated the Beachcomber's Brim to fix an incorrect materialUpdated Taunt: The Circuit BreakerFixed incorrect team color on propFixed orphaned particlesUpdated the Inglorious PatriotAdjusted the normal map and refined the colorsImproved the weighting on the bottom pocketsUpdated the backpack iconUpdated pl_redwoodFixed various lighting issues Zipline dismount jump speed now ramps up from 1.1x base class speed to 1.8x Decreased delay before a player can dismount a zipline by jumping from 0.6s to 0.25sDecreased delay before a player can dismount a zipline by crouching from 0.3s to 0.1sFixed players who dismount a zipline in mid-air not receiving mini-crits from the Direct Hit and Reserve ShooterFixed the B.A.S.E. Jumper's parachute deploying while using a ziplineUpdated koth_camp_saxtonVastly improved optimization. Further investigation is ongoing.Tweaked log-and-netting walls along the central shore for clearer definitionFixed several instances of minor prop clippingFixed players getting stuck on the wood-carved SaxtonsImproved clipping throughout

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Summer 2026!Featuring 6 new community maps: Dryfield, Camp Saxton, Shorelight, Redwood, Premuda, and MojaveAdded the Summer 2026 Cosmetic CaseContains 24 new community-contributed itemsHas a chance to give a taunt Unusualifier as a bonus itemAdded 4 new community-contributed taunts to the Mann Co. StoreTaunt: The Circuit BreakerTaunt: Buffoon's BivouacTaunt: Faux-calizationTaunt: Friendly FireAdded 12 new community-created Unusual effects7 new effects for Unusual hats5 new effects for Unusual tauntsAdded the Summer 2026 War Paint CaseContains 10 new community-created War Paints that make-up the Summer 2026 CollectionHas a chance to give a taunt Unusualifier as a bonus itemAll cosmetic and taunt cases will grant Summer 2026 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the Summer event. This does not include crates.The Summer event runs through September 15th, 2026GeneralSecurity and stability improvementsFixed bad alpha channel for The Creature's Grin, Rocket Operator, The Bountiful Bow, The Alternative Medicine Mann, and The Candyman's Cap (community fix from Chickenman456)Fixed the "Neo Tokyo" warpaint on the BLU team not matching the RED team because the alpha channel was incorrect (community fix from Whurrhurr)Fixed bad alpha channel for the Pile of End of the Line Key Gifts' backpack icon (community fix from Grampa Swood)Fixed Stat Clock model attaching incorrectly on dropped weapons (community fix from rabscootle)Fixed Stat Clock values always displaying '0' on world models (community fix from rabscootle)Fixed intel carrier glow disappearing when Spy cloaks (community fix from shockpast)Fixed bad alpha channel for Voodoo Juju's backpack icon (community fix from DiskIntegrity)Fixed Silver Botkiller Mk.I having cubemapping in the wrong area due to a VMT error (community fix from Whurrhurr)Fixed misspelling on cp_well's BLU rocket clamp texture (community fix from DiskIntegrity)Fixed wrong paths in soundscript events for some taunts (community fix from robbilookatme)Fixed Spy control point response rules lines playing when disguised/invisible (community fix from Churkinator)Fixed weapon Unusual effects (community fix from Cipherlock and rune)Fixed particles being orphaned after deathFixed the Energy Orb Unusual effect desyncing from the weapon when the player moves too sharplyFixed effects flooding the screen when spectating a dead teammate in first person with an unusual weapon (community fix from RGBACatlord)Fixed missing coin effect for HOUWAR's second style (community fix from DiskIntegrity)Fixed outdated description for the Splendid Screen (community fix from Grampa Swood)Trimmed delay at the start of the sound file for the Panic Attack's shooting soundFixed the Engineer not being able to move for a few seconds after using Taunt: Cheers!Updated cp_powerhouse to fix collision problem with crates on final control pointsUpdated cp_fortezzaReworked interior of shack building next to Point ARebalanced ammo packs around Point AImproved visuals across the mapMade rotation for shortcut path shorterUpdated koth_blowoutPrevent sentry guns from being built inside a prop under the stairs in the maintenance roomVisual changes to improve clarity and consistency

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed crash related to KeyValuesFixed Mk.II Botkiller eyes not glowing in the dark (community fix from Whurrhurr)Fixed Halloween spell attribute text being grayed out during full moons (community fix from FrozenDragon)Fixed attachments on dropped weapons having broken textures for certain war paints and skins (community fix from Piogre)Fixed automatic "Control Point Lost" lines not playing (community fix from robbilookatme)Fixed spacing issues for item descriptions (community fix from DiskIntegrity)Fixed many cases where Spy disguises were broken (community fix from Sean McGeehan)Fixed The Fancy Spellbook's large backpack icon not matching the small versionUpdated VScript to allow set damage for force calc (community fix from doclic)Updated the Snow Merc to count as an assister in the death noticeUpdated the prop for Taunt: Dead Mann's Drink to fix a problem with LODsUpdated the Die Regime-Panzerung to add a 'No Bullets' styleUpdated/Added some tournament medalsUpdated the Mann of the HourRestored missing rim maskMade shapekeys for a few problematic face flexesReplaced incorrect normal mapAltered hair mesh to ensure compatibility with Voodoo-Cursed Scout SoulUpdated backpack icon to represent above changesUpdated koth_demolitionFixed some lighting issues with the pipes next to the control pointReplaced some textures in the radio roomsAdded a clipbrush on the radio rooms to avoid players getting stuck when going in the air (thanks Big Wiggy)Reworked the nobuild on the crane platform to allow Engineers to build on the concrete area (thanks Uncle Dane)Fixed a leftover prop being inside a wallFixed a texture in the jumppad using the wrong cubemapMade the catwalk behind the office building a bit biggerAdded a clipbrush to the pipes on the furnace rooms so players can climb up to the barrelsUpdated plr_hacksaw and plr_hacksaw_eventRemoved attic balconies overlooking the capture zoneMoved a small pickup location into the atticFixed clipping errorsUpdated cp_process_finalFixed various collision issues across the mapMost of these involved changing existing collision from player_clip to bullet_block to prevent splash damage from getting caught on small pieces of level geometry Some of these involved closing off open areas where explosions could vanishSome of these involved making collision areas more clear by including new geometry to better indicate what would collide and what wouldn'tIncreased skybox height across the map to be consistent with other 5CP mapsChanged the small prop pipes at last to be nonsolid, but still block stickiesPlayers should be able to cleanly walk and jump along these pipes without getting stuckAdditionally, rockets and other explosions should collide cleanly through the pipes so they don't block splash damageStickies will adhere to the pipes as expected, rather than clipping through and being hidden by the pipe modelChanged the level geometry around the large pipes on the ground near the last control point. They are now enclosed in glass and have a layer of bullet block so that collision is correct.Increased the height of numerous doors across the entire map. Players should be able to jump normally through the door without hitting their heads. Removed some rocks near the angled ramp at 2nd and replaced them with cratesAdded angled player clipping underneath some of the large awnings at middle to prevent players from getting stuck under the awnings Made exterior fences more consistent with the bounding of the levelChanged some metal textures to better match the mirrored symmetry of the levelAdded some additional detail behind the starting spawn roomCleaned up the displacements in the middle and second to better handle splash damage, and reduced the amount of grass poking through concreteReplaced some small pipes at the 2nd spire to make a more consistent platformMade many existing light props nonsolid to prevent movement issuesMost were already nonsolid, but this should make most props consistentUpdated cp_metalworksFixed various collision issues across the mapMost of these involved changing existing collision from player_clip to bullet_block to prevent splash damage from getting caught on small pieces of level geometryChanged the level geometry at last to have more consistent collisionWhile there are small gaps and holes in the windows/doors of the new bunker and the stack of wood/chickenwire, they are covered with bullet block to prevent collision issuesChanged the way shadows work on certain walls throughout the map to prevent shadows leaking throughRedesigned the second forward spawn for both teams. The spawn has now moved back and into a larger hut structure in the yard before the second control point. Increased the door size of the first forward spawnThe various small door brushes throughout the map have been turned into func_brushes and have had collision turned off so they don't catch splashMade adjustments to the truck ramp at middle. The ramp is now a displacement, which should catch splash damage correctly and allow player to walk up to the wall cleanly. Changed the collision around the very tall light poles throughout the map. Players should no longer get caught on them while in midair (but they still can't land on top of them). Fixed a section of displacement where players could get stuck in the groundSlight visual tweaks throughout the level

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed client crash related to material proxiesFixed Scout.NegativeVocalization04 sounds in Mann vs. Machine not playing because of a typo in the volume (community fix from That Hat Guy)Fixed The Spy-cicle not using its icicle lightwarp (community fix from BreavyTF2)Updated material for cp_coldfront to fix compression issueUpdated the prop for Taunt: Heartbreaker to fix a missing materialUpdated koth_demolitionFixed a player clip on the helipad allowing players to stand outside the playable area (thanks Midnite)Fixed some player clip pixel walks on some doorsFixed a blockbullets floating above BLU spawn (thanks True_Boredom)