Onimusha Way Of The Samurai Impressions. The fact we’re getting a new Onimusha game in 2026 is a pretty big deal, considering the last time we saw a proper instalment in the samurai-slasher was 2006’s Onimusha Dawn of Dreams (if you aren’t counting remasters, which you really shouldn’t). In fact, next to a Dino Crisis revival, a new Onimushi was probably one of the most-requested Capcom IPs to be resurrected for modern platforms. Well, it’s happening, and uses the likeness of legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune for hero Miyamoto Musashia; a young samurai burdened with the Oni Gauntlet (Mifune is depicted as being around 20 years old in Way of the Sword, I’m told).
While I didn’t get to play the game itself, I was treated to around 30 minutes of footage showcasing everything from cut scenes, battles, locations and a couple of boss battles. Set in Kyoto, Onimusha: Way of the Sword has plenty of the series’ staples for fans to lap up, including vanquishing demonic foes and hoovering up souls – blue for energy, yellow for health and red for XP.
The video wasn’t shy on combat encounters, with numerous enemies getting sliced and diced with deadly precision (whoever was playing the game is obviously bloody good at it), also demonstrating some of the deeper mechanics outside of flaying your sword about.
For example, you can guard, but that will drain your stamina, so you must carefully consider when to block attacks or avoid them altogether. Whacking the attack button at the right time meanwhile will give you a grisly instant kill, and you can also use bits of the environment to your advantage; for example, one foe was hurled into a blazing fire, while another saw Musashi punt a table in their adversary’s face.
In addition to the standard grunts you’d expect, the video also showcased floating creeps known as Kubi Akari, which can not only suck up stray souls but also latch onto you to self-destruct. There’s also cloaked figures that are far more nimble than your regular Genma, dodging Musashi’s attacks and countering with some meaty slashes of their own.
Way of the Sword also taps into some actual folklore from Kyoto. Specifically, the demo visited Kiyomizu-dera Temple, where Genma were forcing locals to throw their loved ones off the balcony into the depths below. This references an actual legend where people were thrown from the temple to their deaths, with corpses piled far below. It’s grim stuff to say the least.
These sequences are told using black souls, which when absorbed allow you to recall past events to find out what transpired long before you arrived. It’s a nice way to break up the clashing of flesh and steel, offering a welcome break to soak up some lore.
Back to hacking up limbs, and Musashi is able to execute more powerful attacks by tapping into blue soul-powered energy, including the Issen Chain. Once charged, you can unleashed a flashy manoeuvre that takes down multiple foes in one go. It’s here that we were treated to a boss fight against Ganryu, who is your rival and also in possession of an Oni Gauntlet.
Unsurprisingly, boss fights really dive into the more intricate mechanics of Way of the Sword’s combat system. Your adversary has a gold (health) and red (stamina) bar, but each one severs a purpose. Depleting health is obviously going to win the fight, but stamina plays a crucial role.
We saw Musashi work to deplete Ganryu’s stamina bar, allowing him to execute an Issen Break, which allows you to then target a specific body part – depending on where you attack, the results will differ. For example, if you’re going for raw damage, then target he head.
Finally, the demo capped off with a ruck against Byaku, a hulking demonic chap that grows stronger the more its own blood covers it. As such, this puts an interesting spin on the fight in the sense you may not want to outright go on the offensive, but block and parry to whittle down his stamina to balance things out. The option to go all-out and take him down asap is there too, so you’re never forced into a specific strategy.
Despite not having played it for myself, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is clearly doing a lot right, combining visceral combat with gorgeous visuals and intriguing locations, while maintaining the series’ identity and expanding on what made the franchise great in the first place. The combat looks slick and satisfying while not being overly complicated, but has enough depth and versatility to ensure players remain engaged at all times.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is due out on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.