Capcom built new RE Engine dismemberment for Onimusha
Director Satoru Nihei says the system cuts enemies along a sword's exact path and keeps them animated as they fall apart.
Capcom added a dynamic dismemberment system to its RE Engine specifically for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, director Satoru Nihei said in an interview with PC Gamer. The system cuts enemies along the exact path a sword passes through, rather than switching to a pre-made dismemberment animation.
According to Nihei, enemies remain animated as they are cut and fall apart instead of freezing in place during the cut. That behaviour is the part Capcom built into the engine itself for this game.
Nihei said the team deliberately avoided the freeform chopping seen in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, opting for a more controlled version of the mechanic tied to how the sword travels through a target.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword launched in 2026 as the third of Capcom's three major releases that year, following Resident Evil: Requiem and Pragmata. The game began development six years before the interview, and Nihei had discussed its dismemberment system before.
Quick answers
What is new about Onimusha: Way of the Sword's dismemberment?
Capcom added a dynamic dismemberment system to RE Engine for the game; it cuts enemies along the exact path a sword passes through and keeps them animated as they fall apart.
Is it like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance?
No. Director Satoru Nihei said the team deliberately avoided freeform chopping of the kind seen in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.