Capcom is quite busy in 2026. They’ve already released 3 games, and in September another action title from the Japanese developer, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, will follow. MyMMO editor Nikolas Hernes took a look at the new demo and explains how good it is.
What kind of game is Onimusha: Way of the Sword anyway? Onimusha started in 2001 on the PS2 with Onimusha: Warlords and was essentially Resident Evil with samurai. As a samurai, you fought demon-zombies of Oda Nobunaga. As with classic Resident Evil games, there were fixed camera perspectives, but this time with a focus on melee combat.
In 2006, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams was the last main installment in the series. 20 years later, Capcom is bringing the series back and as part of the latest State of Play, they also released a free demo. I checked it out immediately and I am thrilled, especially because it does not follow an annoying genre trend.
Strong animations and some options in combat
I completed the demo in about 30 minutes. While that sounds pretty short, it’s perfect for representing the game well. At first glance, Onimusha: Way of the Sword looks like a soulslike, but fortunately, that’s not the case, because that genre has ruined action games.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is, at least in the demo, an action game with a linear level. I have 2 attack buttons, a block, a dodge step, and then a special attack. With that, I beat on the demons, whose designs I have so far liked.
Unlike many soulslikes that have sprang up since the release of Elden Ring, I fight against many enemies at the same time in the demo. With just a few attacks, I kill normal enemies and can quickly trigger a finisher. Both the combat movements and the finishers are nicely animated and give the combat in the demo a cinematic touch.
In combat, I could really express myself. If I use the block with the right timing, I can parry attacks. If I dodge at the right moment, I can quickly hit the opponent without problems. In combat, sword switches can also occur, where I deal significant damage to the opponent with one of the two attack buttons.
The fights are significantly faster than in classic soulslikes and with all the possibilities, a flow quickly arises. I could take a few hits without being immediately killed. Nevertheless, the demo on normal difficulty was not too easy, which especially benefited the boss.
An optimal boss fight for a demo
At the end of the demo, another samurai confronted me, who has similar abilities to my own. For me, this fight was the highlight because I could use everything I had learned in the demo. I could die from 4-5 counter hits, but also dominate the boss fight with what I had learned.
If you use parrying and dodging correctly, you can quickly deal a lot of damage. The fight creates a nice balance: You are not constantly interrupted by attacks that break the flow, and strong attacks from the boss fight are signaled in a way that allows you to react well. So, in a short time, you are rewarded for exploring the possibilities in the demo.
As in very good action games, a kind of dance is created that fits perfectly with the samurai setting.
But not everything is optimal. Especially the environment didn’t appeal to me in the short demo segment. I hope that the demon and samurai setting will be used more creatively. Overall, it is a strong demo, as you get a good impression of the game without much text and annoying tutorials – and that’s how it should be.
As part of the State of Play, the release date for Onimusha: Way of the Sword has finally been confirmed. On September 25th, you can hack your way through demons. The grand finale of the new State of Play was a new God of War: One thing in the new God of War Laufey players already love, but a talking cube is causing a stir
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