Onimusha: Way of the Sword director explains dismemberment system

Director Satoru Nihei says the team behind Onimusha: Way of the Sword intentionally avoided the extensive slicing freedom found in games like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The developers wanted the cutting to happen reactively to player actions to demonstrate the power of abilities rather than allowing players to choose exact cutting directions.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword · official art via IGDB

Nihei says programmers added new capabilities to the RE Engine to allow enemies to remain animated while they are being cut and falling. This differs from other games where characters freeze during dismemberment. The system uses physics-based calculations and motion capture to create smooth transitions between animations.

The project began six years ago (Nihei). Reports say the game sold over one million copies on its first day and has an 85 Metascore based on 104 reviews.