{
  "id": 13543156,
  "title": "What's the antidote to a summer of crappy boss fights?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/whats-the-antidote-to-a-summer-of-crappy-boss-fights",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-10T12:00:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/game-theory-onimusha-summer-of-crappy-boss-fights"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The antidote to a summer of disappointing boss fights can be found in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. This game offers a captivating battle system that truly engages players in every moment, making each fight feel electric and exciting. Unlike other recent action games, such as Marvel's Wolverine and Control: Resonant, Onimusha provides a variety of responses to enemy attacks, allowing players to choose their best strategy in split seconds. This includes parrying, blocking, dodging, or even trying to fight through the pain.\n\nOnimusha's boss fights are full of potential triumphs or crushing defeats, keeping players fully invested in the action. The game's pacing is also a major factor, with shorter, more energetic battles that feel more rewarding. Unlike Wolverine and Resonant, whose boss fights feel longer and less impactful, Onimusha's fights are shorter but filled with moments of tension and excitement. The game doesn't force players to rush through battles or engage in repetitive combos, instead encouraging them to focus on the right moments to use their special moves and take advantage of power modes.\n\nThe difference in boss fight experiences can be attributed to the pacing and focus on player agency. Wolverine's fights feel constrained by a \"cinematic spectacle\" approach that often prioritizes cutscenes over player control, making boss battles feel less impactful. Resonant, on the other hand, tends to make battles feel meaningless by extending their duration and treating enemies as algorithms rather than actual opponents. Onimusha, in contrast, keeps players engaged by making every action and decision matter, creating an immersive and thrilling combat experience.",
  "summary": "Capcom shows why expertise matters, with giant fights that wash out the lousy taste left by Wolverine and Control: Resonant.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}