Onimusha: Way of the Sword

The Onimusha franchise has been mostly dormant since the release of Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams in 2006. The series was born during the PlayStation 2 generation, and it basically died there, too. The first two games have since been remastered and released on contemporary platforms, but it has been a long time since we went on a new adventure in the often bizarre, demon-infested reimagining of feudal Japan (and modern Paris, but we don’t have to get into all that here). The gap since a new release has certainly given Onimusha more than enough time to catch its breath, but we’re eager to finally slice up some demons again in 2026.

We spoke with the game’s director, Satoru Nihei, over email to learn what will make Way of the Sword feel like a proper Onimusha game all this time later. “Action is absolutely essential when discussing what makes an Onimusha game,” Nihei writes. “Iconic elements like soul absorption and Issen counters are very much present in this game and we’ve taken a lot of care in crafting them. That said, it isn’t just about cutting down the enemies in front of you. There are still particular systems and moments that will require deeper thinking.”

If you have no connection to the originals, though, Nihei points out that it won’t be an issue. “There’s no direct story connection, so characters from previous entries won’t appear in Onimusha: Way of the Sword,” Nihei writes. “However, we’ve included elements that pay homage to earlier titles.”

The original games felt as close to classic Resident Evil as they did to action sword games. Onimusha 1 and 2 had pre-rendered backgrounds and were structured similarly to the Capcom horror franchise, but the action required thoughtful blocking and sword strikes rather than counting bullets. They also had a very satisfying downward thrust that could be used on demons who weren’t destroyed quite yet, which Nihei confirms you will be able to do here. “Under certain conditions, yes!” Nihei writes. “There is an action where Musashi plants his blade into a fallen enemy.”

The series also took some surprising science-fiction swings. The third game had time-travel elements, and the second had technology like TV screens, but Nihei says you probably shouldn’t expect something like robots, which also made an appearance in 2. “If you’re looking for surprises, I’d encourage you to pay attention to Kyoto, where the game takes place.” Nihei writes. “While Kyoto is often seen as a beautiful, elegant city, it’s also home to many eerie legends and folklore that goes back centuries. By weaving these stories into the narrative, we’ve created a fusion of folklore and fantasy that players should find exciting. Even our team in Japan discovered myths we never heard before – so you may uncover a side of Kyoto you didn’t know existed.”

Overall, Way of the Sword does look and play differently than what someone might define as classic Onimusha gameplay, but it’s worth noting that after the first two games were released, the series was flexible in terms of its defining gameplay features. It’s a series that isn’t afraid to try new things, especially when you consider there was an Onimusha strategy game on Game Boy Advance and even a Smash Bros.-style fighting game featuring its wide cast of characters as playable fighters. I particularly like the first two Onimusha games, and though Way of Sword does look fairly different from those titles, I am eager to explore its world and meet its new protagonist, Miyamoto Musashi.