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Tribune News Service

Capcom’s announcement of Onimusha: Way of the Sword generated excitement. The Onimusha samurai series blends action and supernatural elements in a way that was groundbreaking when the first game was released in 2001.
Video games have advanced considerably since then, so it was interesting to ponder how Capcom would reinterpret the franchise for modern tastes. Would it produce a quick-twitch action game like Devil May Cry? Or could it follow the path of Resident Evil?
It turns out Onimusha: Way of the Sword feels like Capcom’s interpretation of a Souls-like game.
Players take on the role of Miyamoto Musashi, a real-life Japanese samurai legend from the Edo period (1603-1868). The look of his character is inspired by the late actor Toshiro Mifune.

He is sent to purify Kiyomizu-dera, a real-life temple in Kyoto, and runs into Genma demons that will look familiar to those who have played the series’ previous games.
Players’ fast one-handed attacks and powerful two-handed attacks make dispatching the demons easy. Musashi can take them out with one-handed moves, putting them on the defensive to perform a Break Issen attack, which leaves them open to a finishing move.
The Genma are easy one-on-one; things get more difficult when they surround Musashi. This is when players must watch for attacks. When timed right, Musashi can parry a slash and create an opening to eliminate a foe.
It is often better to parry attacks because this makes it easier to set up a foe for a finishing move. Musashi can also perform combo attacks, so breaking the Issen of one adversary opens up an adjacent foe to an instant-kill attack.
Defeated enemies release different coloured souls: red ones can be gathered for upgrades, blue ones fill up a magic meter, and yellow ones restore health.

Defeating monsters quickly, absorbing the souls before they disappear, and managing the health and magic meters are key to survival.
In Way of the Sword, Musashi also has quick access to other forms of healing, such as Hozuki plants. They heal a small amount of life. He can also find a Mild Restorative, which slowly brings back health over time.
Musashi is not alone in his quest; he is accompanied by a voice within his mystical gauntlet, which introduces abilities tied to the gear.
Pressing L2 and R2 at the same time activates a type of vision that will show players demonic contraptions that are invisible to the human eye. The gauntlet flashes blue to indicate when it is time to activate the ability.
After making his way through Kiyomizu-dera temple, Musashi runs into Ganryu Sasaki. This rival swordsman, who has a similar gauntlet to Musashi, is reminiscent of Goro Majima from the Like a Dragon video games.
Success in this boss fight lies in players’ ability to read his moves. When he attacks from above, it is best to evade. His other attacks can be parried.

Activating an Oni Armament – a special move that becomes available after collecting enough blue souls – can take a quarter of the boss’s health, but players might spend most of the fight dodging and parrying his attacks to take advantage of any openings.
Upon breaking his guard, which appears below his health, the boss becomes open to a special attack. In this slowed-down situation, players have a chance to hit special areas on the boss’s body. The red section is where extra damage is done, while the purple area offers more souls.
If players need to take the boss down, they can attack the former, while the latter is for those seeking more souls for upgrades.
The past Onimusha games had small choices like these that piled up by the end of the game.
Fans can expect the game to come out in 2026 on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S and PC.


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Onimusha: Way of the Sword brings a PS2-era series into the modern era

Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Photo: Capcom

A still from Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the latest title in Capcom’s 24-year-old Onimusha series, in which players help Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi take on some familiar demons. Fans can expect the game to come out in 2026 on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S and PC. Photo: Capcom

A still from Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Photo: Capcom

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Lifestyle

In Capcom’s latest title from its Onimusha series, players help a samurai take on some familiar demons. Here’s what to expect, and some tips


In Capcom’s latest title from its Onimusha series, players help a samurai take on some familiar demons. Here’s what to expect, and some tips.


Onimusha: Way of the Sword brings a PS2-era series into the modern era

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}In Capcom’s latest title from its Onimusha series, players help a samurai take on some familiar demons. Here’s what to expect, and some tips

In Capcom’s latest title from its Onimusha series, players help a samurai take on some familiar demons. Here’s what to expect, and some tips