{"id":18670,"date":"2026-08-14T03:20:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T03:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=18670"},"modified":"2026-08-14T03:20:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T03:20:48","slug":"capcom-had-to-ask-re-engine-engineers-to-create-the-dynamic-dismemberment-system-for-onimusha-way-of-the-sword","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=18670","title":{"rendered":"Capcom Had To Ask RE Engine Engineers To Create The \u2018Dynamic Dismemberment System\u2019 For Onimusha: Way Of The Sword"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Onimusha: Way of the Sword<\/a> is the latest game to\u00a0grace the cover of\u00a0Game Informer<\/em><\/a>, and alongside my cover story, which\u00a0subscribers<\/a> can read right\u00a0here<\/a>, we\u2019re highlighting many of the things we learned over the next couple of weeks. Already, our\u00a0hub<\/a> for the game is chock-full of exclusive features, interviews, and more, with videos on the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of my interviews while visiting Capcom\u2019s HQ in Osaka, Japan, was with Way of the Sword animation team lead Hiroshi Yugen. We spoke about\u00a0how the team crafted its own unique version of the historical Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi<\/a>, among other topics. We also discussed Capcom\u2019s RE Engine and how it held up for developing Way of the Sword, and learned in the process that the team had to consult engineers within the company to create a brand-new system for the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\"Capcom<\/p>\n

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The RE Engine is not the Resident Evil Engine, despite RE typically being shorthand for the series and Resident Evil being Capcom\u2019s most iconic series. The RE Engine, also known as the Reach for the Moon Engine, has been around for more than a decade.\u00a0Resident Evil 7: Biohazard<\/a>, which started\u00a0a renaissance for Resident Evil games and arguably Capcom in general<\/a>, was the first game to use it; since then, every Resident Evil game has been developed in it, as have other titles: 2023\u2019s\u00a0Street Fighter 6<\/a> and\u00a0Exoprimal<\/a>, 2024\u2019s\u00a0Dragon\u2019s Dogma 2<\/a> and\u00a0Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess<\/a>, and last year\u2019s\u00a0Monster Hunter Wilds<\/a>. Even this year\u2019s\u00a0Resident Evil Requiem<\/a>,\u00a0Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection<\/a>, and\u00a0Pragmata<\/a> were developed in the RE Engine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Way of the Sword is the next game Capcom will release, developed using this engine, and I spoke to Yugen about how the engine held up, given that this Onimusha sequel features action much faster than the aforementioned games.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t actually have any limitations posed upon us when developing Onimusha using the RE Engine,\u201d Yugen tells me. \u201cOn the complete opposite end of the scale, there was actually a new feature that hadn\u2019t been really done in any other game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

That feature he\u2019s referring to is the Dynamic Dismemberment System. It\u2019s how Musashi can slice Genma enemies in two, slash through flesh that tears apart, and cut through arms, heads, and more. Way of the Sword reacts to that under the hood with visceral animations that create satisfying deaths for every single Genma in the game, assuming you deplete their stamina like a proper samurai and use Break Issen or one of Musashi\u2019s other finishing moves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\"Capcom<\/p>\n

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\u201c[This dismemberment] is not something that\u2019s existed in any other title before, and it\u2019s something that, on a technical level, needed to be added to the RE Engine [by Capcom\u2019s engineers],\u201d Yugen says. \u201cAdding this feature was quite difficult because we wanted to combine it with the enemy deaths. In a lot of samurai dramas, they have a very exaggerated classic death where they are on screen for an extra five or six seconds and then slowly fall to the ground. To have that together with this dynamic dismemberment system on a technical level is quite tricky, so it\u2019s something we really had to ask the programmers to introduce.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He adds that in the early stages of the project, the team attempted dismemberment, but this early iteration caused the enemy to freeze. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t animated enough,\u201d Yugen recalls saying. \u201cBut I was very adamant. I want them to be moving at the same time as having that effect.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t seen the dynamic dismemberments in action yet, I highly recommend checking out the Way of the Sword demo that\u2019s available right now. Complete a special move, like a Break Issen, and pay close attention to how the Genma\u2019s body and flesh react to Musashi\u2019s attack \u2013 it\u2019s grody, but also amplifies the swordplay in a unique way.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll continue diving deeper into Capcom\u2019s return to Onimusha as part of\u00a0Game Informer\u2019s<\/em> month of Way of the Sword coverage. We\u2019ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the\u00a0Game Informer<\/em> YouTube channel<\/a> as well. Keep an eye on the\u00a0Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub<\/a> so you don\u2019t miss any of it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n