Onimusha: Way of the Sword is preparing to send Miyamoto Musashi into a much larger fight across Kyoto. PlayStation’s final preview on the PlayStation Blog follows the samurai after the opening stretch of the game, showing how his journey begins to change his view of the Oni Gauntlet bound to his arm.
Musashi initially wants nothing to do with the mystical artifact. He believes he can prove himself through his swordsmanship alone and hopes to remove the gauntlet as soon as possible. As the adventure continues, though, he becomes more accepting of the path in front of him and the powers that come with it.
The Oni Refuge brings new threats and ranged combat
The preview continues from the Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo, which ends with Musashi facing rival swordsman Sasaki Ganryu at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The duel sends him into the Oni Refuge, a strange realm filled with floating islands, conjured ruins, and areas where gravity no longer behaves normally.
The Genma soon invade the realm from below. Musashi’s katana can cut through the demons along the path of each swing, a combat feature called dynamic dismemberment. Depending on the angle of an attack, a Genma can be split across the torso or cut from head to toe.
Musashi also finds an Oni Bow among the wreckage. It gives him a way to attack Genma archers from a distance and helps solve environmental puzzles. Arrows can activate traps, and they later play a role in a duel by cutting a boss off from its power source after Musashi returns to Kyoto.
Kyoto becomes the game’s largest area
Once Musashi clears the Genma from the Oni Refuge, the Malice clouding Kyoto starts to recede. The group then reaches Rokudo Chinno-ji Temple, a real-world location described in legend as a crossing between the human world and the gates of hell. In the game, the temple serves as a base for Musashi and his allies.
Kyoto is far larger than the areas shown earlier in the preview, but the city cannot be traversed freely at first. Demonic structures block streets, while toxic fog traps residents who have not escaped the corruption. Musashi’s first task is to seal the rifts where Genma enter the human world.
Defeated Genma leave behind souls, and those souls join treasure as a resource for improving gear and unlocking abilities. The route eventually reaches Kiyomizu-zaka, a pilgrim road leading up to the temple where Musashi’s journey began. Reaching that area is key to opening more of Kyoto, but several powerful enemies stand in the way.
Several Genma demand different tactics
One of those enemies is Daidara, a huge Genma with an appetite for Musashi’s collected souls. Players must decide when to absorb souls during the fight, since waiting too long gives Daidara a chance to consume them instead.
Another Genma offers to remove the Oni Gauntlet in exchange for Musashi’s entire arm. Musashi briefly considers the bargain, even after becoming more comfortable with the artifact’s powers.
Rasho-gan, a many-armed creature masquerading as a deity at Yasui Konpiragu Shrine, offers a more direct test. The monster is built from the body parts of its victims and attacks with enough force to tear up trees, boulders, and buildings. Surviving the encounter rewards Musashi with Oni Strength, which lets him break through the demonic barriers surrounding Kyoto.
The last major obstacle in the preview is Byakue, an animalistic Genma standing between Musashi and the plants producing Kyoto’s life-draining mist. Byakue becomes more feral after being covered in its own blood, but the fight rewards controlled attacks. Fewer, heavier strikes prove more useful than simply attacking as quickly as possible.
After the mission is complete, the haze lifts from much of Kyoto and the remaining townspeople return to the streets. More of the city becomes accessible, setting the stage for the rest of Musashi’s fight against the Genma.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword will launch for PlayStation 5 on September 4, 2026. Pre-orders are available now at PlayStation Store.
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