Resident Evil tells the story of Bryan (Austin Abrams), an ordinary medical courier whose trip through Raccoon City quickly turns into a nightmare. There’s no Leon S. Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, or Claire Redfield here. Bryan isn’t a trained police officer or a hero who can fight off monsters. He’s just a regular guy trying to survive, and he often struggles. Abrams plays him as someone who reacts to scary situations the way most people would. When something looks like a trap, sometimes the best move is just to walk away. Even when he gets a gun, it doesn’t suddenly make him good at using it.

Bryan’s vulnerability brings both humor and horror to Resident Evil. That tension helps explain why Cregger’s approach works. In Barbarian and Weapons, Cregger showed he knows how to play with what the audience can and can’t see, and he does that here too. Darkness hides figures in the background and foreground, and the movie quickly makes you feel like something could be hiding anywhere. I found myself scanning the screen even during quiet moments. Just when you start to relax, Cregger surprises you with a well-timed jump scare. This is the kind of horror movie that’s even better with a crowd, where everyone laughs one minute and jumps the next.

Resident Evil fans will notice how well Cregger understands the games. Without giving away any spoilers, you shouldn’t expect to see a bunch of familiar enemies. The dangers Bryan faces aren’t just taken from Capcom’s list of monsters, but the movie is full of references to the games. There are green herbs, typewriters, and first-person camera shots that remind you of Resident Evil 7 biohazard and Resident Evil Village.

Even more importantly, Cregger brings the games’ mechanics into the story. Bryan slowly finds better gear, and things like ammo and scavenging really matter. He moves through different parts of Raccoon City, just trying to stay alive. All the while, something dangerous keeps chasing him, which will remind longtime fans of the pressure from Mr. X and Nemesis. Instead of feeling like an adaptation of a specific Resident Evil game, it feels more like watching someone play a new one.

Resident Evil finally gets the movie it deserves as Zach Cregger delivers a scary, funny, fast-paced survival horror thrill ride.

Cregger also smartly avoids weighing the movie down with too much explanation. The story is simple: one man needs to survive the night and reach his destination. Details about Raccoon City and what’s happening around Bryan come out naturally, instead of pausing for a big backstory. This makes it one of the easiest Resident Evil movies to recommend to people who haven’t played the games. The quick 90-minute runtime helps, too. The movie moves fast and rarely slows down, with Abrams carrying most of it. Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, and the rest of the cast are fun when they show up, but this is really Bryan’s story.

My biggest complaint is that Cregger sometimes seems almost afraid to make the movie look too much like Resident Evil. That reluctance undercuts the same game-like feeling the movie otherwise nails. The monsters feel more like creations from his own imagination than creatures from Capcom’s world. Not to mention, familiar images from the franchise are used sparingly. As a fan, I sometimes wished he would lean more into the classic Resident Evil style he’s clearly avoiding. It’s like watching someone purposely get every answer wrong on a test, just to show they can do something new.

I get why he made these choices. Cregger isn’t trying to remake Resident Evil 2 or fill the movie with Leon, Jill, Wesker, and a bunch of familiar monsters just for fan service. He wants this story to take place in a different part of the same universe, and that’s what makes it work. This version doesn’t focus on which scenes fans want to see on screen. Instead, it asks what it would really feel like to be an ordinary person stuck in that world.

Overall, Resident Evil is scary, often funny, fast-paced, and a real thrill to watch with a crowd. Most importantly, it finally makes a live-action Resident Evil movie feel like the games. For the first time in a live-action Resident Evil movie, I wasn’t just spotting references to the games I love. I actually felt like I was watching someone try to survive one.

Rating: 4/5 atoms

Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18th.

The post Resident Evil Review – It’s a Thriller Night in Raccoon City appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

The film is directed by Joel Crawford (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Croods: A New Age) and Januel Mercado (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), who are also childhood friends.

“We love being able to laugh while we’re doing our job,” Crawford tells Nerd Reactor about working with his friend, Mercado. “Making movies is incredibly hard. The schedules are long hours, and when you have friends that you can laugh through the tough times, and even when you can create something that the end result feels the same as you making it, there’s so much laughing and celebrating while we’re in production. So many times we say a joke, and we’re like, ‘Oh wait, put that in.’ It’s just a complete joy to work with my buddy.”

The film has nods to films like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Predator, and the filmmakers were happy to add them into the film.

“We’re such like lovers of cinema and love paying homage to the films that inspire us,” Mercado said. “A tone of this movie, too, that we wanted to communicate with the nostalgia is like when we were growing up, we remember we saw a lot of stuff that we loved, including Predator. I think we were probably too young to watch these movies. And that was something with the storytelling of, we’re big fans of Predator, and I think it would be funny that Jo and Raissa are watching Predator as kids at their Lola’s house.”

About Forgotten Island

The film features the voices of H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, and Lea Salonga.

Forgotten Island releases in theaters on September 25, 2026.

The post Forgotten Island Directors on Working with Childhood Friends and Film Inspirations appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

This year, there will be two new mazes: Inked and Unearthed.

Inked

Inked is inspired by the classic cartoons of old and follows Mortimer Morbid, a 1930s cartoonist and former head of Morbid Studios. When he discovers his imagination becomes real when he uses blood as ink, he unleashes deadly toons that wreak havoc on viewers for one last Halloween special.

Unearthed

Unearthed will bring out the adventurer in you as you go on a dangerous mission to find out what happened to the excavation site that has been attacked. As it turns out, ancient tablets have conjured an evil force. Will you make it out alive?

Returning Mazes

Mazes that are returning to Knott’s Scary Farm include Widows, Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman, Chilling Chambers, Origins: The Curse of Calico, Cinema Slashers, Room 13, The Zoo and Mary: The Haunting of Worth Home.

Scare Zones

An updated Scare Zone includes the CarnEvil (Reimagined). This Boardwalk scare zone features a 1920s aesthetic where Mesmer, a hypnotist from the retired 2025 maze, seizes a circus for nefarious reasons.

Other Scare Zones include Ghost Town Streets and Forsaken Lake.

Shows

Guests can enjoy two new shows: Occultum and Voodoo: Bayou’s Edge.

Occultum: The Magic Castle has brought its dark magic, illusions, and sleight of hand inside the Bird Cage Theatre.

Voodoo: Bayou’s Edge: Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau hosts a musical show at the Calico Mine Stage.

The fan-favorite show, The Hanging, will return, and you can expect to see the Lawman and the Hangman battle pop culture characters to see who is the most deserving of the final hanging.

Tickets are now available at https://www.sixflags.com/knotts.

The post Knott’s Scary Farm 2026: What’s New This Year for Mazes appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

A few of the players traveled from Canada, while others traveled from across the United States. Three wanted to see Le Sserafim, and one of them was Charles, the guild’s raid leader. His leadership qualities transferred in real life, focusing on finding seats for the other two members. He was also busy handling reservations with different restaurants in order to get the group together for a last-night dinner.

In addition to bringing players together in real life, BlizzCon also gave musicians and actors a chance to mingle. Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Barbie) got to meet Le Sserafim, with the latter meeting with Yoasobi.

Anime fans will recognize Yoasobi’s work from Frieren, Oshi no Ko, and Beastars. They recently performed at the Hollywood Bowl, a historic venue that holds 17,500 people. During BlizzCon, the Japanese musical duo performed at the Overwatch World Cup’s halftime show.

As for Le Sserafim, they collaborated with Overwatch for an in-game collaboration, which is available now. They also did a music video, “Made My Night,” featuring D.Va and D.Mon. BlizzCon was the first time the group performed the song at a concert, and it was an electrifying 45-minute show with songs like “Iconic by Mistake,” “Boompala,” Spaghetti,” Crazy,” “Antifragile,” “Celebration,” “Perfect Night,” and more.

BlizzCon had activities for many of its games, including Warcraft, StarCraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and more. Guests were able to demo the different games; there were stations like making friendship bracelets, a “recruitment” area for StarCraft, meet-and-greets with developers, panels featuring developers and voice actors, and more.

The opening ceremony had announcements such as a new StarCraft game coming out in 2030 and Diablo V in Spring 2029. StarCraft will be an open-world shooter, and Diablo V will continue where Sanctuary has fallen and Diablo has won.

Blizzard Entertainment has teamed up with Netflix for a Diablo animated series. Here’s hoping it will be similar in quality to League of Legends’ Arcane.

World of Warcraft: Forever is a new experience launching on November 4 (with Beta starting on September 17).

Warcraft III will have a new storyline after 23 years.

Diablo IV: Season of Hell’s Legacy will be released on September 15.

WoW is getting a new expansion titled The Last Titan.

Overwatch has a new Support Hero, Doctrine, along with big updates for Sombra and Roadhog.

The post BlizzCon 2026 Is About More Than Just Blizzard’s Games appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

In the second season, Leighton’s plan grows more ambitious as he meets with his other alternate selves.

“I’m just excited to for audiences to see the humanity in Leighton,” Okeniyi tells Nerd Reactor. “I think in season one, we painted a very quick gestalt of who the character was, and we got to see him from the periphery of Jason’s point of view.

“But I think in season two, we really get to go home with him and really get to see why he is the way he is, what makes him tick, his upbringing, his history and the pressures are on him to make this box work. This endeavor, this investment that he’s made, why he has to make that work and to show that he is a human being, He’s not this mustache twirling villain.”

As Okeniyi, he ponders what it would be like to meet the other Dayos out there.

“You have to meet yourself,” he said. “It’s too enticing not to. Who’s the version of you who got every part as an actor that you didn’t book. You know what I mean? It’s like, who’s the Dayo who played Black Panther? Who’s the Dayo who was in Star Wars? Who’s the Dayo who was in DC or whatever the case might be.”

Dark Matter Season 2 premiered on Apple TV+ on August 28, 2026, with new episodes releasing weekly until October 30, 2026.

The post Dayo Okeniyi on Leighton’s Season 2 Journey in Dark Matter: ‘He’s Not This Mustache-Twirling Villain’ appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Over time, you pick up on the tricks. You start to spot where a scareactor might be hiding. When you see a dark corner or a strange gap in the wall, you can almost guess when someone will jump out.

But that doesn’t make Halloween Horror Nights any less fun for me. It just means I appreciate the event differently now.

Now, instead of just counting jump scares, I pay more attention to the production design, costumes, effects, and how well Universal pulls me into another world.

In that sense, Halloween Horror Nights 2026 might be one of the best years I’ve had.

This year, Universal Studios Hollywood features eight haunted houses. Some are based on well-known properties like Sinners, Stranger Things, Hellraiser, and Evil Dead Burn, while others are original ideas like KILLceañera: Music by SLASH and Dead, Deader, Deadest.

I went through all eight on opening night, so here’s how I’d rank them.

8. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

I don’t think I’m really the target audience for Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

I haven’t seen the movie, and cheesy 1980s clown horror just isn’t scary to me. So this ended up being the least frightening maze of the night.

Visually, though, I can’t really complain. The maze is much more colorful than almost anything else at Halloween Horror Nights. Universal does a great job bringing the movie’s weird world to life, even for someone like me who isn’t attached to it. The sensory touches, like the smell of cotton candy, are a fun bonus.

The best part comes near the end, when a Klown uses a police officer like a puppet. The scareactor’s timing, lip-syncing, and physical performance really sell the illusion. It’s fun, but since I don’t have nostalgia for the movie or a fear of clowns, this is the maze I’d skip if I came back.

7. Evil Dead Burn

I haven’t seen Evil Dead Burn, and that turned out to be both a good and bad thing for this maze. I could mostly follow what was going on, but I didn’t know enough about the movie to get the context for a lot of the scenes.

That doesn’t mean the house was ineffective. If anything, Evil Dead Burn shows you don’t have to know the movie to enjoy a Halloween Horror Nights maze. The over-the-top kill scenes are fun to watch, and a few even made me want to see the movie.

The bathroom scene stood out to me, and the house gets more violent as you go, so there’s always something to see. But since I’m not familiar with the movie, it mostly felt like walking through a bunch of scenes for fans, instead of one continuous story.

I’d do it again, but only if the line was short.

6. Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness

It’s hard not to smile when you walk into a Halloween Horror Nights maze and suddenly hear “Crazy Train.”

That might also be the main issue with Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness as a horror maze. The house looks amazing and turns Ozzy’s music and style into a wild walk through his songs. Even though I mostly know his music, there was a lot to enjoy.

The giant bat animatronic was my favorite thing to see in the house. And of course, the soundtrack is unbeatable.

But some of the scares don’t really fit with the music. Sometimes scareactors pop out with Ozzy’s famous laugh, but it sounds more like someone having fun than something scary. Instead of thinking, “Something scary is about to happen,” I just thought, “Awesome, it’s Ozzy.” That’s probably not what a haunted house is going for.

But as a celebration of Ozzy Osbourne inside a Halloween Horror Nights maze, it works really well. If you’re a fan of his music, you should definitely check it out.

5. Stranger Things

Stranger Things was the biggest letdown of my night.

That might sound harsh, but the maze actually looks amazing. The set design is an easy 10 out of 10, and as someone who knows the series well, it’s impressive to see places and moments from Stranger Things 5 brought to life. There are even little details to look for, like Eleven’s Dungeons & Dragons stat sheet at the end.

However, in terms of scare factor, the Stranger Things maze is the least scary of them all. Even worse, our walkthrough had some big pacing issues. We had to stop a few times because too many people were ahead of us. Haunted houses really depend on timing, and when that gets thrown off, it’s easier to see the scares coming or to see the same scene over and over again. Sinners made me feel like I was inside the movie; Stranger Things just felt like familiar scenes strung together.

Fans will still find a lot to enjoy. I just wouldn’t wait in a long line to do it again.

4. KILLceañera: Music by SLASH

KILLceañera has something the houses based on big franchises can’t copy: it feels familiar culturally, but you still don’t know exactly what’s coming next. Universal’s original story is about Lola’s quinceañera turning into a deadly revenge plot, keeping HHN Hollywood’s tradition of houses inspired by Latin American culture and myths. SLASH wrote an original score with Spanish guitar, including the song “15 Candles.”

That cultural influence makes the house feel more real than a lot of the other mazes. It was also my pick for the best-looking maze and the best atmosphere at the whole event.

My biggest complaint, which goes for HHN in general but stood out here, is the mannequins.

When a maze mixes real scareactors with fake bodies, you’re supposed to wonder which ones will move. But some of the dummies in KILLceañera looked so fake that the illusion was gone right away.

Still, the atmosphere makes up for those issues, and I’d gladly go through this house again.

3. Dead, Deader, Deadest

This was the big surprise of Halloween Horror Nights 2026. Universal describes Dead, Deader, Deadest as an original haunted house taking guests through an abandoned funeral home where disturbing acts once occurred.

Going in, I didn’t expect much. The name says “dead” three times, so I figured there would be zombies. And yes, there are definitely zombies. The story wasn’t super clear as I walked through, though. I got that it was a funeral home run by a weird owner, with chemicals that brought the dead back to life. But honestly? It didn’t really matter.

Dead, Deader, Deadest had the best scare sequence of my whole night. Near the end, zombies attack from almost every direction. Animatronic bodies move on the floor while live scareactors come at you from other spots, making it feel like an all-out assault on your senses.

For someone used to HHN’s usual jump-scare rhythm, this was one of the few times that actually surprised me. It’s my pick for the scariest maze of 2026, the best original maze, and the biggest surprise of the event.

2. Hellraiser

I didn’t think Hellraiser would end up this high on my list. I know the franchise and have seen the movies that inspired the maze, but I’ve never really been a big Hellraiser fan. However, this maze was really good.

Universal based the house on the original trilogy—Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth—and sends guests through the Lament Configuration into the world of Pinhead and the Cenobites.

Universal starts building the atmosphere even before you go inside. As you get closer, you see the Lament Configuration, and Pinhead appears outside, talking to people waiting in line. It’s a great way to make you feel like you’re about to leave Universal Studios and step into a freaky, nightmarish world.

Inside, the sets and costumes look amazing. The best moment was when I saw what looked like a Pinhead statue. But it wasn’t actually a statue. A scareactor was perfectly hidden and suddenly revealed himself, giving me one of the best jump scares of the night because it broke the usual HHN pattern.

That’s the kind of thing I want to see more often. Hellraiser didn’t just copy the movie’s look. It actually used those visuals to surprise and scare guests. Even though I didn’t expect much, this is the maze I most want to go through again.

1. Sinners

Nothing else was going to take the top spot. Sinners was the house I was most excited to see before Halloween Horror Nights, and it still lived up to my expectations. I’ve watched Ryan Coogler’s film several times, so I know the characters, locations, and style really well. Universal doesn’t just show you scenes from Sinners. It makes you feel like you’ve stepped into Sinners.

That feeling starts before you even enter the maze. The loading room itself sets up the world, which is something I hadn’t really experienced at HHN in this way before. Once you’re inside, the mix of costumes, sets, lighting, and practical effects is amazing.

My favorite part is the scene where vampires attack Club Juke. Instead of scareactors just popping out from the walls, the attack comes from all sides. Vampires show up above you in the rafters and below you, making it feel much more chaotic. There’s even a part where a vampire comes down on cables.

Another small but effective detail is the glint in the vampires’ eyes. It might seem minor compared to a huge animatronic or fancy room, but those little touches make the illusion work.

Was Sinners the scariest house this year? No. But that’s why I don’t think Halloween Horror Nights should be judged only by scare factor anymore. Sinners was my favorite maze because it shows off everything Universal’s designers do best. The sets, costumes, and effects were amazing. Most importantly, everything worked together to make me feel like I was inside a movie I already knew really well.

If you only have time for one maze at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood this year, make it Sinners.

Final Thoughts

After years of going to Halloween Horror Nights, I know it’s hard for these mazes to really scare me anymore. There are only so many ways to hide a scareactor around a dark corner before regulars start to notice the pattern.

Jump scares are still fun. Darkness can still get to me, especially when I’m walking through an area without a crowd. And Dead, Deader, Deadest showed that Universal can still surprise me when they mix different effects in new ways.

But fear isn’t really why I keep coming back anymore. I want to see what Universal’s creative teams come up with. I want to see cool practical effects, great costumes, and settings that make me forget I’m just in a theme park for a little while. Plus, I’m eager to see how well they can recreate a movie I’ve watched over and over. By those standards, Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 is a great year.

It might not be the scariest year I’ve had. It is, however, one of the best-looking. And honestly, that might matter even more to me now.

The post Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 Haunted Houses Ranked: Sinners Steals the Show appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Marking UGREEN’s entry into the smart home market, the HomeAgent systems features an AI local hub designed to bring local storage, computing, and control together all in one system.

While smart cameras are usually associated with security and catching intruders, UGREEN wants HomeAGent to help capture everyday moments that you want to remember. By having local storage and an AI local hub, it can help families and friends relive fun, everyday moments before they are overwritten.

“The next chapter of the smart home is not simply about connecting more devices. It is about creating a system that can understand, assist, and act while keeping users in control,” said Marshall Mao, Sales Director for North America at UGREEN. “UGREEN HomeAgent brings that intelligence into the home through a local-first architecture designed around privacy, responsiveness, and a more unified experience.”

Enter the UGREEN HomeAgent HA100 Series

UGREEN HomeAgent HA100 combines local AI with storage, security, and device control in one hub. You can talk to Uliya to help control supported devices, check live status or event history such as a package delivery or when a baby is crying.

And since you can keep things local, there are no monthly storage fees. Files, photos, surveillance footage and device activity are stored locally and accessed via the HomeAgent. The AI can search the photos and videos for highlights, adding them to highlights section.

And for security, the local AI can recognize people, vehicles, pets, and packages. It can flag alerts for unusual activities, summarize events, and you can search for keywords across the recorded footage.

With the UGREEN HomeAgent HA100 Pro, it features faster network connectivity and more powerful AI performance. This is great for those who want more out of the HomeAgent with demanding AI tasks, deeper semantic understanding, voice-based rule creation, context-aware device control and advanced recognition.

Pre-orders are available for the UGREEN HomeAgent HA100, HA100 Pro, and UGREEN MasterAgent MA100 at the UGREEN AIoT Official Store. Pre-orders will stop when the Kickstarter campaign launches on October 27, 2026.

Patriots’ Christian Gonazalez Joins UGREEN as Global Brand Ambassador

In addition to the HomeAgent news, UGREEN has partnered with Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez as Global Brand Ambassador. Fan activations will be present at the Patriots home stadium, Gillette Stadium, on December 10, along with the Boston Watch Party.

The post UGREEN Unveils HomeAgent, a Local AI Platform for the Smart Home appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

I learned this the hard way: by getting hit and dying over and over.

Parrying, Reflex Dodging, and recognizing enemy attack patterns are the basics of combat in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Once these skills become second nature, the game gets much easier.

If you’re having trouble surviving against the Genma, here are some key lessons I learned while playing.

Stop Treating the Dodge Button Like a Dodge Roll

One of the toughest habits for me to break came from playing other action games.

Whenever I saw a big attack coming, my first instinct was to dodge roll out of the way. Many action games like Elden Ring and Black Myth: Wukong use a dodge roll, but Onimusha: Way of the Sword doesn’t. Instead, you have Reflex Dodge, and if your timing is off, you’ll probably get hit. If you press the dodge button expecting a roll, you’re almost certain to get hit.

So, you need to change that mindset. Practice Reflex Dodge on regular Genma enemies until it becomes muscle memory. Eventually, you’ll be able to do it even in the middle of hectic boss fights.

Use Whatever Defense You’re Best At—But Learn Both

If you’re better at parrying than Reflex Dodging, focus on parrying.

If Reflex Dodge feels easier for you, use that instead.

Staying alive matters more than sticking to one playstyle. Still, don’t ignore either mechanic. Boss fights will test whether you can tell which attacks to parry and which to dodge. For example, grabs must be dodged, so even if you’re great at parrying, you still need good Reflex Dodge timing.

Many attacks have a brief pause or a clear movement right before they hit. The more you see these animations, the easier it gets to know exactly when to react. Yes, you’ll probably get hit a lot while you’re learning. Parrying is usually more forgiving, so I like to use it for defense. But don’t assume that every enemy has the same timing. Practice against all of them.

Turn On Action Prompts If You’re Struggling

I strongly recommend trying out one setting: Action Prompts. Turning this on shows button icons that help you respond to incoming attacks.

This taught me something important late in my playthrough. I came across attacks that seemed to require a Reflex Dodge. But after turning on Action Prompts, I realized I was supposed to parry them. Parrying not only blocked the damage but also staggered the enemy, making the fight much easier.

If you keep getting hit and can’t tell if your timing is off, you might actually be using the wrong defensive move.

If you don’t want extra help, you can turn off Action Prompts, but it’s a very useful tool for learning.

Attack the Stamina Bar, Not Just the Health Bar

Don’t focus only on dealing direct damage. Breaking an enemy’s stamina can be even more valuable. Successful parries drain stamina, and if you empty the bar, you can use a cinematic finisher for big damage.

For bosses, I liked using the Earth-Shakers Oni weapon because it takes a big chunk out of their stamina bar. For groups of regular enemies, I preferred the Wind-Whipper since its wide attack can hit several enemies at once.

The main point is simple: don’t just ask yourself, “How fast can I empty this health bar?”

Instead, ask, “How can I defend myself against this enemy to create an opening?”

Don’t Get Greedy With Combos

When you get an opening, take it, but remember that your next defensive move could be more important than your next attack.

Mixing light and heavy attacks works well because you can deal good damage without getting stuck in a long combo. How much you can attack depends on the boss. Some enemies stay stunned longer, while others recover quickly.

Your Healing Animation Can Get You Killed

One of the most frustrating parts of Onimusha: Way of the Sword for me is that healing isn’t instant.

When Musashi uses a healing item, you have to wait for the eating animation to finish before your health returns. I often made the mistake of spamming the heal button, seeing Musashi eat a hozuki, and jumping back into combat, thinking I was healed. But I wasn’t.

Against aggressive bosses, that’s an easy way to get killed.

Step back first. Create an opening by blocking or dodging, then heal.

Healing items are rare, so don’t waste them. Boss fights often have multiple phases, so save your healing items.

Keep track of your Hozuki Pouch and how many healing items you have left. If you run out often, upgrading the pouch should be a priority since it lets you carry more healing items.

Upgrade Around Your Weaknesses

Don’t just follow someone else’s upgrade order. Upgrade based on what’s actually causing you trouble.

If you keep taking damage and running out of healing, look for materials to upgrade your clothes and Hozuki Pouch. Better clothes boost your defense, and a bigger pouch means more healing items.

If you’re good at parrying and dodging, it might make sense to focus on upgrading your weapons and attack skills. You can change your skills later, so don’t feel stuck with your first choices. As you play, you’ll find which abilities suit your style best.

Don’t Let Groups Surround You

Fighting one enemy is easy. But as you get further in the game, facing several aggressive enemies from all sides can get chaotic quickly. I found it best to keep repositioning so most enemies stay in front of Musashi.

This helps in two ways. First, it reduces surprise attacks from behind. Second, it helps with one of the game’s biggest issues: the camera. Lock-on is useful, especially for special attacks, but sometimes it puts the camera in a bad spot or gets stuck, making it hard to see attacks coming.

Keep moving. Step back when you need to. Don’t be afraid to play defensively until you’re in control. If there are ranged enemies, try to take them out first, but always watch for attacks from the ground.

Don’t Run Away From Bosses—Study Them

When a tough boss beats you, your first instinct might be to put as much distance as possible between you and the boss. But some bosses can close the gap almost instantly. I found it better to stay close, block often while watching my stamina, and spend time studying the boss.

Watch the body animations.

Look for breaks.

Learn which attacks can be parried.

Learn which need to be Reflex Dodged.

Watch for grabs.

Then start responding.

Be careful not to block too much. You need to manage your stamina, and later bosses can punish players who are too defensive with a steady stream of attacks. Early attempts aren’t just about winning—they’re about learning your opponent. It’s like Edge of Tomorrow: you keep dying until beating your opponent becomes instinct.

Sometimes You Need to Stop Attacking

This might be the most important lesson in Onimusha: you don’t always need to be dealing damage.

Sometimes the right move is to back off; sometimes it’s to block. Other times, you should wait for a parry chance or position enemies in front of you. Sometimes, it’s best to collect Souls during a break before the Genma can grab them.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is especially tough if you’re impatient.

Breathe

You’re probably going to die a lot. After a while, it can get discouraging and make you want to throw your controller or punch your desk. I’ve almost thrown my controller more than once after getting close to beating a boss, only to get hit by one combo, die, and have to start over.

So, my best advice is to breathe. Take a deep breath in and out. Calm yourself, because the game can get really frustrating. If you’ve been stuck on a boss for hours, take a break and come back later.

Remember, every missed parry, failed dodge, and tough boss fight teaches you something you can’t get from upgrades: you learn more about the enemy, and you learn to stay calm under pressure.

In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, that might be the most important upgrade of all: knowing the enemy better.

The post Onimusha: Way of the Sword Survival Tips From Someone Who Died A Lot appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

After spending around 42 hours on the main story and side content, I had mixed feelings. Way of the Sword has a lot going for it: the sword fighting is often spectacular, the characters are fun, and Musashi might be my favorite protagonist in the series. Even so, I wasn’t sure the game delivered the return I had hoped for. Primarily, because its strongest elements didn’t fully outweigh its weaker ones.

Unfortunately, I found it harder to love this game than I hoped, mostly because of some questionable choices with the difficulty, boss fights, and overall pacing. Those issues kept Way of the Sword from feeling like the comeback I wanted, even though its combat and characters do a lot right.

At its core, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a lot of fun to play.

The sword fighting is fast, smooth, and a lot of fun when everything comes together. Musashi defeats enemies with a cinematic flair, especially when he takes down several Genma in a row. At its best, the swordplay feels like a samurai version of John Wick.

It’s easy to pick up the combat system, but mastering it is another challenge entirely.

Blocking, parrying, and dodging aren’t just extra moves—they’re the heart of the system. If you just mash buttons, you’ll go down fast, and the enemies make it clear you need to balance aggression with patience.

I relied heavily on parrying during my playthrough, mainly because I couldn’t consistently pull off Reflex Dodges. At first, parrying is pretty forgiving, but later bosses become much faster and harder to predict, so you have to react quickly to avoid losing a lot of health.

Of course, you can upgrade Musashi’s sword, armor, and Oni Gauntlet by finding materials in the world or buying them with Red Souls. Even so, Way of the Sword never lets you just overpower enemies. Survival still depends on how well you can parry or dodge attacks, even with better gear.

A lingering issue is that the game doesn’t explain some mechanics well. For example, at first I didn’t know whether to press Square or Triangle at the right time during Blade Barrage. However, turning on the Action Prompts setting helped a lot by showing the correct button prompts during attacks. As a result, the system became much easier to follow.

I strongly recommend turning that option on.

Action Mode Is Brutal

Here’s another tip: don’t be misled by the difficulty names.

Story Mode is basically what I’d call Normal difficulty, while Action Mode feels more like Hard Mode.

I spent about 40 of my 42 hours playing in Action Mode before switching to Story Mode for a while, since two bosses became too frustrating to keep fighting at the higher difficulty.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword includes many features you’d expect from challenging action games inspired by the Souls series. The combat is tough, but you learn from each fight. The game punishes reckless attacks, and boss fights require you to recognize patterns. Healing means waiting for the right moment, and the game expects you to learn from your mistakes.

The difficulty itself isn’t my issue. What bothered me was that overcoming it in Way of the Sword doesn’t always feel satisfying.

Boss fights often became more annoying than rewarding. Most bosses have two stages, and the final boss has three. If you die in a later stage, you have to start over from the beginning. You might parry attacks successfully for 10 or 15 minutes, save your resources, and stick to your strategy, only for one mistake to ruin everything.

Healing adds to the stress because it isn’t instant. Musashi has to finish an eating animation before his health comes back. Against aggressive bosses, just finding a moment to heal can be tough. Plus, if you get caught by certain attacks, bosses can enter Blaze State, making an already tough fight even harder.

I usually knew why I died, but just understanding your mistake doesn’t make the frustration of having to repeat precise defensive moves any easier.

Many times when I beat a boss, I felt more relieved—or even lucky—than accomplished. That’s an important distinction.

In games that focus on punishing the player, beating a tough enemy should feel exciting. But whenever I defeated a boss in Way of the Sword, I usually just thought, “Well, I’m glad that’s over.”

Because bosses and sub-bosses show up so often, they stop feeling special. What should be dramatic encounters instead become another obstacle between you and the next part of the story.

Your Biggest Enemy Might Be the Camera

Not all the difficulty problems come from enemy design. The lock-on camera also needs improvement.

There are times when Way of the Sword often puts Musashi in tight combat spaces. Unfortunately, the camera tends to bump into objects or buildings that block your view of the enemy.

In a game where spotting incoming attacks means the difference between a successful parry and losing a lot of health, blocking the view of an enemy is a big problem. It becomes another thing for you to overcome when the deck is already stacked against you.

Enemy groups are especially frustrating for this reason. Regular enemies aren’t that smart on their own, but if enough aggressive Genma show up with some tougher enemies, things can get overwhelming fast.

Having a variety of enemies is a plus. Some require you to use ranged attacks, while others dodge and force you to play defensively until they find an opening.

Early on, these combinations make fights interesting. Later on, though, fights can get boring because the game throws too many enemies at you at once.

Musashi Steals the Show

Fortunately, the story gave me a strong motive to keep moving forward. Musashi starts as a cocky young man whose sharp tongue and stubbornness often get him into trouble.

The use of Toshiro Mifune’s likeness works really well for Musashi. There are lots of small details in how Musashi moves and acts that remind me of Mifune’s performances, like the way he sometimes scratches his face. Even a small movement during a fight can show Musashi’s confidence, which fits the character perfectly.

The Japanese voice actors also do a great job, giving the supporting characters a lot of personality.

The story is a large-scale dark fantasy samurai drama with horror elements, world-ending stakes, and some humor thanks to Musashi’s personality. His journey is about self-discovery and grappling with a power he never wanted, and he is the character I care about most.

Fortunately, people new to the series should not have any difficulty understanding the plot, since it isn’t necessary to know the earlier Onimusha games beyond a basic grasp of the Oni Gauntlet and the Genma.

The villains are entertainingly evil, even if they aren’t very complex. You end up hating them, but their motivations aren’t deep enough to make them feel like more than one-dimensional characters.

Beautiful—Most of the Time

Onimusha: Way of the Sword can look absolutely stunning at times.

The environments are beautifully detailed, the Genma designs are excellent, and the combat animations are spectacular. Musashi’s cinematic scenes especially do a great job showing his facial expressions and mannerisms.

However, there’s a clear difference between those cinematic scenes and the regular cutscenes. Sometimes the characters look a bit flat. The lighting, shadows, and textures feel more like those from the PS4 era, and at times the character models seem almost separate from the detailed environments around them.

The presentation is never damaged, though the difference is noticeable.

Was This the Onimusha Return That I Wanted?

Since I finished Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the question has been difficult to answer. There’s a very good game here.

The sword fighting is exciting, Musashi is great, and exploring is rewarding since searching every corner helps you find materials to upgrade your gear. The environments are beautiful, the Japanese voice acting is excellent, and the story delivers a satisfying ending.

I really wanted to say Capcom had another home run on its hands, but I can’t.

The sheer number of bosses and sub-bosses, repeated multi-phase battles, frustrating camera, tricky defensive timing, and steep difficulty in Action Mode eventually wore me down. Those choices are the main reason Onimusha: Way of the Sword didn’t fully land for me, even if I can see why others might appreciate them. Since I’ve never really enjoyed this style of action game, I often wondered if Onimusha needed to include so many of those design choices.

Longtime fans of the earlier games might find themselves asking the same thing.

On the other hand, players who love demanding action games might feel the opposite. Action Mode is a real challenge, and finishing the game actually unlocks a true Hard Mode for those who want even more punishment.

For everyone else, I really suggest trying Story Mode. Even though it’s called Story Mode, it’s not just an easy way to experience the story—it’s more like a standard Normal difficulty.

I’m glad the Onimusha series is finally back after more than twenty years of waiting. I just wish I had enjoyed playing through it as much as I enjoyed seeing the series return.

Rating: 3.5/5 atoms

The post Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review – A Long-Awaited Return That Cuts Both Ways appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

“There’s a lot of things that he’d want to do in his career that he didn’t get a chance to, and that was the point of doing this film,” Schoenke tells Nerd Reactor. “And seeing him realize those in this process was just such a joy. As his friend, watching him getting to act with his Michael Madsen, his favorite actor, getting to see him put his own ideas, have his own input, something that he really wanted to have throughout his career, and then just getting to to fight him and have on screen time with him and stuff like that, which is very different for our relationship, was really just a joy to see all that all that happen.”

For Ramsey, he shares a story about how kind Jason was.

“To get to see the times that I got to work with Aaron on set was so dialed in and it was really important for him to express his authenticity, right?” Ramsey said. “He talked about that even when we first met about the script, and so to get to see that as an artist, as another artist, was was fulfilling. But even beyond that, when I first met first met Jason, it’s the first time I told this story.

“My son was about four years old, and he said, ‘Is your son a Power Ranger fan?'”

“‘No, like Jason, I don’t think he’s even ever heard of the Power Rangers. I mean he’s four.'”

“‘What’s your address?’ I gave I gave him my dress. He sent literally a five foot box of Power Rangers toys for my son. And that’s the kind of guy he was, right? When I first met him, it was just love and light came off of him. Because of that, I said, ‘Yes, I’ll work with you.’ I didn’t see a script, it was just like, ‘Yes, I want to work with you, Jason.’ So to get to work with him on set, get to read the script and see actually how good it is, and then get to work with him on set was just every single moment with Jason in my experience, it just got better and better and better and better. So my experience with him was was always incredible.”

Legend of the White Dragon is now in theaters.

The post Director Aaron Schoenke and David Ramsey on Jason David Frank’s Last Film, Legend of the White Dragon appeared first on Nerd Reactor.