Since its reveal in 2024, I’ve had the pleasure of checking out Onimusha: Way of the Sword in a few different forms. Capcom‘s revival of its classic sword fighting action game now has a release date of September 25, 2026. This is one of the busiest weeks of the year when it comes to games. But during Summer Game Fest, I played a new hands-on demo that lasted about an hour. Like previous demos, I explored the game’s environments, absorbed souls, and took on enemies. Ultimately, my time came to a climactic conclusion with a new, creepy boss fight.
This time, I once again took control of Miyamoto Musashi. Here, he explores the real-life Yasui Konpiragu Shrine in Kyoto and its surrounding areas. I had to find three of the lost Eight Stout Pillars and bring them back to their original locations in order to progress. The atmosphere, music, and macabre feeling the area presents lets me know that something sinister is hiding in the shadows. It’s causing the villagers suffering under the guise of granting their wishes. I’m told through dialogue with an old man early on that he’s been suffering from unbearable knee pain for the better part of a decade. But when he comes face to face with a “god”, the deity proclaims “no knee, no pain!”, and severs his leg entirety. He’s saying all of this to me with an unsettling positivity, as if in a euphoric state.
The Way of the Sword
Exploration and traversal is relatively basic in Way of the Sword. There weren’t any puzzles to solve or tough platforming challenges. It was mostly just following a quest marker and picking up the McGuffin. But along the way are plenty of side quests and points of interest to keep you occupied. There’s also a small hub area in the center of the village that I could access during this demo. It’s here that I could spend the hard-earned souls I’ve collected from defeating enemies on upgrades. These range from increasing damage dealt to a higher health total.
Locating the three missing Stout Pillars wasn’t difficult. The general area you’ll need to search is represented by a main quest icon both on the map and via the in-game UI. And when you get closer, you’ll hear them calling out to you. I returned them to their resting place, concluding this portion of the area. Onimusha: Way of the Sword, like previous games in the franchise, really shines when it comes to its combat and swordplay. That’s even more evident with the boss fight I faced at the end of the preview. The now-reunited Stout Pillars pointed me in the direction of the evil Genma plaguing the quaint village, and I was quickly on my way.
“I could spend the hard-earned souls I’ve collected from defeating enemies on upgrades”
I arrived to the objective just in time to see a young woman pleading with the Genma Rasho-gan. She wants nothing more than to no longer be bound to playing her Shamisen. She wants away from her wicked teacher, and will do anything to end her suffering. Rasho-gan obliges, stealing all of her fingers, leaving the young woman in the same euphoric state we met the old man in earlier. It’s here where our confrontation begins. Rasho-gan is a terrifying demon made up almost entirely of severed hands and fingers, and his battle mechanics reflect his theme of severing ties.
Rasho-gan, the Finger Stealer
On the edge of the battle arena lies a sort of throne Rasho-gan sat in when I arrived, but it’s also where he draws his power. The grotesque boss is tethered to it by a red, fleshy mass, giving him increased power and defensive capabilities. Luckily, by cutting this tie I can significantly weaken him, making the encounter that much easier. The problem, however, is that I didn’t catch onto this until a few attempts in. The combat in Onimusha: Way of the Sword is already fairly difficult by design, but I was stumped at first as to how he was able to withstand my blows.
I died more than a few times, then eventually got the hint. I cut his tether, stunned him, then laid waste to his exposed body. His attacks consisted of massive arm swings and bloody projectiles, all easy enough to dodge, deflect, or parry. But it’s when he reattaches the tether that he becomes an even bigger nuisance. At certain points, Rasho-gan will lift massive objects into the air with the tethers, like a boulder or a literal shed, to hurl at you Dragon Ball Z Spirit Bomb style. But the catch is that you have a window to use your bow and arrow to cut the ties, sending the objects crashing down him, and get in for even more damage.
“I died more than a few times”
I eventually came out on top (one of the first in my session, please clap), and came away extremely eager for more. Onimusha: Way of the Sword balances dynamic swordplay with its unique high-risk, high-reward deflect mechanics with a challenging difficulty level. There are plenty of options to engage in combat to suit your play style, and even more accessibility features to offer a genuinely tailored experience. One of these features was the inclusion of button prompts when it’s your window to dodge, parry, or deflect.
The button for these maneuvers come on screen, but it’s important to note that these are not QTE’s. They function more as reminders or suggestions, not a button prompt to meet in a timely manner. I swiftly turned those off, as they were a bit distracting and it would have taken some time to retrain my brain. Despite this, I still had an excellent time with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and I can’t wait to slice up more Genma once it comes out later this year.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches September 25, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.
