Upon starting my preview demo for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, I was thrown straight into a combat tutorial, which would imply it takes place during the early stages of the game. It also featured no introductory cut-scene, so my time with the demo was kept spoiler-free.
In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, we play as the samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, who finds himself in an Edo-era Kyoto village soaked in the blood of the dead and inhabited by deadly demonic creatures, known as Genma, demons that veteran fans will be very familiar with.
This demo was very short and sweet, so much so that I played through it on the two difficulty settings available in about 25 minutes combined. The two difficulties were Story (easy mode) and Action (normal mode). To no surprise whatsoever, ‘Story’ was incredibly easy and offered little challenge, but it was still fun mowing down the enemies.
That being said, ‘Action’ mode wasn't much of a challenge either, at least when it comes to defeating the typical grunts. Yet, that changed when I encountered the end-of-level boss, a cocky samurai named Sasaki Ganryu, who, just like Musashi, for reasons currently unknown, also wields an Omni Gauntlet, a device used to capture the souls of dead Genma, which in turn can be used to power a gauge to unleash more powerful attacks.
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In ‘Story’ mode, Ganryu was slain in about a minute or two. However, on ‘Action’ mode, it did take two attempts, and the second was right to the wire. With the demo also seeming taking place early in the campaign, I would assume that the full game will progressively become more difficult.
Typically, Capcom’s Onimisha series does have multiple difficulty settings, the hardest of which unlock after a campaign completion, and I’m sure Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be no exception. So I wouldn't take too much into this demo being an easy experience, because hopefully, that will not be the case come launch.
I think the difficulty of this preview was by design, because it felt like a demo that aimed to showcase its lovely visuals and fun combat. It was clear to me that Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be no Dark Souls or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, at least that’s the impression I was given. That being said, it was fun slaying enemies, deflecting arrows with my sword, experiencing its eerie village with lingering spirits, as well as its concluding boss fight.
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As an old-school Omimusha fan, I had an idea of what to expect going into Onimusha: Way of the Sword. So, with this demo being very linear, it was no surprise.
Traditionally, this series has always been a linear experience when it comes to exploration, and that’s fine. Not every game needs a huge open world. If this preview is anything to go by, in the full game, you’ll simply go from A to B, with a bit of wiggle room to look for secrets. I asked the rep if the full game would have side-quests, but he was unable to answer.
After my second playthrough of the demo, I was left feeling pleasantly surprised, and I appreciate that Onimusha: Way of the Sword almost felt like a love letter to the series that made its debut in the early 2000s. As long as fans don't expect a FromSoftware experience, I think this could be a surprise hit of 2026.
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Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Topics: Capcom, Preview, Features, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X