Looking back at the 24-year-and-counting legacy of Onimusha, it’s easy to forget that the series’ origins date back to the very first Resident Evil game. The evolution of an idea exploring a ninja counterpart to Capcom’s survival horror franchise, it has grown into its own identity, establishing a foothold in hack-and-slash gameplay, supernatural elements, and historical influence – so much so that Resident Evil 4 came full circle by taking inspiration from 2004’s Onimusha 3: Demon Siege.
Resurfacing after nearly two decades of absence is Onimusha: Way of the Sword, set to be a highly anticipated return to feudal Japan, with new protagonist Miyamoto Musashi taking centre stage. The title wastes little time in cementing its devotion to samurai authenticity, which features the likeness of Mifune Toshiro – the renowned Japanese actor best known for starring in Akira Kurosawa films like Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo – as the face model for the swordsman.
It’s a neat, even poetic, reference to his role as Musashi in Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai Trilogy movies in the 1950s, while honouring the motion capture tradition that started with Japanese-Taiwanese star Takeshi Kaneshiro for the original game. Yusaku Matsuda contributed to the sequel, and Jean Reno, in the third instalment, all portraying historic figures who have shaped Japan’s history. The franchise’s latest frontman is no different, inspired by his real-world counterpart known for his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated 62-match streak.
A silver of that might was the focus of an exclusive hands-off preview held for select media, showcasing combat gameplay, story premise, and revamped visuals. Taking place in a stage set at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the 20-minute demonstration points to a strong, hopeful revival in the form of punchy, blood-soaked action, vast demon variety, and a modern twist on traditional gameplay.
The overall narrative beats are established in the opening moments: Musashi is on a quest to become the greatest swordsman in the world, battling anyone and everyone in his path. However, he receives the Oni Gauntlet against his will, wanting to be rid of it as he strives to become the master of the sword through his own power. Onimusha: Way of the Sword brings him to the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which has been afflicted with Malice, generated by the Genma, or demons, accumulating in the area. As exposed individuals who will soon perish, Musashi infiltrates the locale to vanquish the Genma, now reimagined to fit into a new world setting built “from the ground up”.
“Among these changes, we wanted a gritty, grounded depiction of a real samurai in battle. That’s why we chose Miyamoto Musashi — an iconic figure who embodies that ideal — as the protagonist,” says game director Satoru Nihei in an email interview with Geek Culture.
“When setting a story in the Sengoku period, characters often end up being samurai serving a specific lord or nation. However, Musashi lived freely during the Edo period, and that independent lifestyle aligned perfectly with the kind of story we wanted to tell.”
Coming in three generations after the previous entry in the series, the visual facelift is immediately prominent. Particle effects, such as swirling red-tinted clouds in the skies – a result of the Malice – and fog, add more realism, while enhanced textures make the world look better than ever before. There’s also an emphasis on cinematic storytelling, with close-up shots of Musashi revealing articulate facial expressions and subtle detailing, right down to the tendons and veins in his arms.
Entering battle yields a familiar yet fresh experience. Like its predecessors, the upcoming slash fest marks the return of soul absorption, in which killing enemies rewards players with different types of souls: blue powers skills, yellow regenerates health, and red provides experience points. Souls disappear after some time, so knowing when to absorb them feeds into gameplay strategy, and veterans should feel right at home getting back into the swing (no pun intended) of things.
The Onimusha enjoyment isn’t complete without Issen, though. Mastering the way of the sword requires the series’ signature ability to perform a fast evade and counterattack, and preview lifts the curtain on three out of the five that have been introduced across all of its titles: the basic manoeuvre, Haijiki Issen / Deflect Issen, or Issen Dance / Chain Issen. Working the same way as before, the first mechanic triggers a critical hit when the attack button is pressed at the right time during an enemy’s blow.
Similarly, Deflect Issen sees players sending enemy projectiles back and deflecting frontal attacks if they block just an attack that’s about to land, with Chain Issen kicking the action into overdrive by stringing a successful Issen after another, before it ends on a leaping slash. The hands-off nature of the preview makes it difficult to gauge how the sensation will feel during actual gameplay, particularly when it comes to haptic feedback on the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller.
According to Capcom, Issen execution promises “a very satisfying feeling of cutting through enemies”, and it does look like such. A crisp metallic sound rings through the air whenever Musashi locks blades with others, and there’s weight behind each blow – a visceral touch accentuated through Break Issen, allowing players to target different parts of the body to disable attacks.
The nifty mechanic is hardly the only tweak to the swordplay formula. Guarding now provides cover from all directions (Musashi’s posture can still be broken after multiple hits), and the use of the surroundings is put into focus through parrying, which redirects hostile targets into a wall or the immediate environment. Spicing up gameplay beyond the usual dice-and-slice fare, it unlocks more ways to wreak destruction, such as redirecting enemies into a torch and setting them on fire, or lifting a table to block an arrow, then slamming it into them.
Deflect enough blows, and Musashi will enter a powered-up state that deals more damage against foes. Attacking in this state creates more blue souls, allowing for quicker, more regular activation of his skills, including one which swaps out the katana for two swords – a nice little ode to the historical figure’s dual-bladed tendencies – that land faster strikes and spits out health-regenerating yellow souls upon successful attacks.
As per tradition, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is set to introduce new Genma types, each with their own characteristics and abilities. The Hitotsume Gasa, for instance, wields swords, a bow, and shields, and attacks in groups, while the Kubi Akari, a floating soul-sucking variant, is capable of grabbing players before self-destructing. Elsewhere, a ninja-like species uses doppelganger projections to evade strikes.
The boss fights are the highlight, however, and the hands-off preview shifts its focus to Sasaki Ganryu, a rival swordsman who also wields an Oni Gauntlet, and a gargantuan, tanky Genma called Byakue. Unlike common foes, these hard hitters have a second gauge under their health bar that decreases with every deflected attack and staggers the enemy when fully depleted, opening the window for a Break Issen. Both opponents ooze a distinctive design – the former, shown in a trailer unveiled during Summer Game Fest 2025, is a bloodthirsty, deranged blur of speed, while the latter becomes stronger the more it’s soaked in its own blood. Another welcome cultural nod comes in the form of the paper talisman, or ofuda, covering Byakue’s body, said to ward off evil spirits and misfortune, alongside the addition of the Japanese flute to the battle music, which, by the way, is a head-bopper that adds to the adrenaline rush.
The varied attacking patterns and styles keep players on their toes, requiring different strategies to handle the threat. Pressing the dodge button in time and before the final blast triggers a grab reversal against Kubi Akari, and deflecting the Byakue’s axe attacks takes out all enemies in the vicinity. From the look of things, swordplay is shaping up to be a thrilling, high-octane time, with flying enemies potentially being one of the more annoying forces to defeat, even when locked on. Just a small gripe, but it’d be great if enemy lines could have more variety, especially since Ganryu seems to have mastered the art of trash-talking.
Outside of swordplay, Onimusha: Way of the Sword introduces Oni Vision for a puzzle-solving element to progression. This new feature can detect and reveal hidden objects, including invisible Genma blocking the entrance to a location; defeating them opens up the path forward.
Dark Mass comes in as the other new flourish, described as the embodiment of the resentment and negative energy of those who have been killed nearby. A narrative device, it relives memories related to the Malice when absorbed, allowing Musashi to witness events that occurred in the past, such as a scene of a father forced to throw his child off the temple. It sets up a gritty tone for storytelling, especially with the parallel to a real anecdote, steeped in mystical intrigue through the manifestation of the Oni Gauntlet as a mysterious female voice, also hinted at in the latest trailer.
19 years is a long time to be away, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword appears to be steadily slashing its way to an encouraging leap into a new generation. While there were some slight stumbles and hiccups in the hands-off preview, the sneak peek at a parry-heavy spectacle and visual polish proved scintillating, if brief, serving as the evolution of an honoured tradition. Now, the wait to play as Musashi awaits.
“Having created action games set in various worlds such as the Sengoku period, high fantasy, and sci-fi, my strength lies in crafting character actions that fully leverage the unique features of each setting,” highlights Nihei, adding that the experience has “influenced the creation of this game’s distinctive blend of realistic samurai action and a dark fantasy world”.
“I’ve been particularly dedicated to motion capture for both action sequences and cutscenes, closely overseeing the process to ensure authentic expression. This commitment goes beyond just the action—it has greatly impacted the development of the game’s unique world and characters as well,” he finishes.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be released sometime in 2026.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
