Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Onimusha: Way of the Sword marks the series’ first mainline entry since 2006, and it’s not just the fans that have eagerly awaited the franchise’s return. Capcom has wanted to make a new Onimusha game for years, and the publisher’s current hot streak of well-received releases means the time is ripe for Onimusha to make a comeback. After witnessing 30 minutes of new gameplay footage during Summer Game Fest, I’m more convinced Way of the Sword will be the shot in the arm the long-dormant franchise has been needing.

Set in early Edo-era Kyoto during a time of relative peace, Way of the Sword stars a young fictionalized version of Miyamoto Musashi, a historically significant swordsman who inherits a powerful family heirloom: the Oni Gauntlet. Despite it granting him supernatural powers, the vulgar, and dare I say lazy, Musashi doesn’t want it; however, he’ll need all the help he can get when Kyoto’s tranquility is shattered by invading demons. The Oni Gauntlet also houses a mysterious female entity serving as a guide of sorts to Musashi, and the identity and nature of this character are some of Way of the Sword’s central mysteries.