Onimusha was one of Capcom’s big action franchises during the sixth generation of video game consoles, aka the PlayStation 2/Xbox/Gamecube era. First released in 2001, the action franchise started out as a “Sengoku-period Resident Evil” dupe.
In Onimusha, players control characters inspired by real Japanese historical figures with fantasy elements and fight the demon-like Genma while wearing the magic gauntlet to collect souls. It was a favorite of mine, different enough from Resident Evil’s survival horror and from Devil May Cry’s over-the-top John Woo-inspired gun action. Onimusha was a solid franchise with four main games before tailing off after 2006.
Now, after 20 years, Capcom is reviving the franchise with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and The Beat got to test the game for PlayStation 5 at New York Comic Con.
In this installment, the hero is the legend Miyamoto Musashi with the likeness of the also legendary Toshiro Mifune, who played Musashi in the 1950s in Japan. The demo throws you into the story with some backstory before starting. Musashi ends up as an Onimusha against his will during an attack on the capital. After defeating many Genma, the level setting is the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which he needs to purify.
The game’s graphics are stunning. Using its proprietary RE Engine, Capcom has rendered the characters, especially Musashi, with an awe-inspiring level of detail. The voice performances are also outstanding. The environments are just full of so much detail and debris with great lighting effects.
The controls were very tight and easy to figure out, though I did get lost a few times as I couldn’t figure out how to get to some enemies I needed to take out before going further. While I wish every game would give the character the ability to jump, not being able to hurdle over obstacles doesn’t make movement more difficult.
I liked the combat. The controls are pretty simple, with a button for a one-handed slash and another for a two-handed slash. It opens up some nice combo opportunities as you dispatch the baddies. You usually end up cutting the enemies in half in many different ways.
The character’s movement feels like they have weight when they move, and the animation on Musashi’s face is great with how he reacts to what’s going on and what he’s doing. Blocking and evading are simple to do with button placement that feels natural once you get used to it.
Musashi facing off against Genma demons.I’m glad Way of the Sword isn’t in the Souls-like mold of action gaming. It’s not trying to punish you with difficult attack patterns you have to memorize. The brief demo I played captured the feeling of playing the older games with just the right amount of modernization.
Similar to the remastered Resident Evil games, for those who have played the old Onimusha games, this game hits the nostalgia, but also feels like a jumping-on point for players new to the franchise. Fighting the archer enemies does make you think a bit and teaches how to block and evade well through repetition.
Towards the end of the demo, you get a new ability that leads to a very cool-looking cinematic and a boss battle. Musashi has a rival you must face, who also has a gauntlet. The boss fight duel did have me a bit confused at first, but once I got a handle on the style of the fight, I wanted to play more. I didn’t get to finish it before the demo ended, and it led me to be even more excited for this game than I already was.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword looks to be another great action game from Capcom and a fantastic reigniting of this dormant franchise.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam in 2026.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage from NYCC ’25.
English (US) · 