Capcom’s presence at Tokyo Game Show 2025 is enormous. The Japanese company has games spread throughout the event, and some of its titles are even available in duplicate, both at its booth and at Sony’s. This is the case, for example, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the new installment of the Japanese company’s legendary samurai franchise.
Thanks to the help from Plaion and Capcom, we were able to visit the Japanese company’s space at Tokyo Game Show 2025. And what we experienced, with Capcom’s always friendly service, was an excellent session of top-quality games. The first one we tried was the new Onimusha, and as it turned out, it was also the one we were most excited to play. It’s time to fight the Genma again!
Onimusha, we missed you
As an Onimusha player since the first installment, and even having played The Onimusha pachislot games (yeah, really), my desire to play another installment in the series is hard to describe only with words. This installment also features an interesting character: Musashi Miyamoto himself. In the original series, we already controlled a historical figure, but Akechi Samanosuke, based in Akechi Hidemitsu, wasn’t exactly as renowned as Miyamoto. However, this won’t be a problem with the new installment, which aims to introduce many new features.
What remains unchanged is Capcom’s desire to model its characters after legendary Japanese film actors. The first Onimusha featured Takeshi Kaneshiro, while the sequel used the likeness of the famous Yuusaku Matsuda, who died in 1989. Then, we saw Jean Reno in the third installment, an actor who is truly famous in Japan. Now, after decades of preparing the new Onimusha, Capcom has managed to make many gamers’ dream come true: basing their character on the legendary Toshiro Mifune.
The protagonist of some of Akira Kurosawa’s best films returns to action in a role that all samurai film lovers will enjoy. Because Onimusha: Way of the Sword once again makes it clear that Capcom knows how to make spectacular samurai games. And this is important, since a good portion of the games at the Tokyo Game Show are in the same boat, from Nioh 3 to Ghost of Yōtei. In any case, Onimusha is Onimusha, and the master must be respected.
Taking a Break from Souls
The Souls games became popular when Onimusha was already on the back burner. Up until then, Onimusha had only taught players the importance of precision. Counters, known as the Issen system, have been the foundation of each installment. If you’re not familiar with this, consider the idea of hitting the block button at the right moment to have the protagonist return an enemy’s attack with a powerful blow. In the past, it was possible to combine multiple Issen and flit across the screen from enemy to enemy while sparks flew from your sword.
The Issen system, of course, is still present. Its use is very similar to the classic one, and while some players may need to practice until they get the timing right, it definitely works. Just a few minutes after playing the demo, memories of the PlayStation 2 era flash back, and we feel like we’re 20 years younger.
This is helped by the fact that Onimusha: Way of the Sword is, quite simply, Onimusha. Everything is the same. For example, the corridor movement through the stage. Capcom has cleverly addressed the limitations of its system and established greater flexibility of movement at different heights. It works perfectly and avoids falling into the open world of samurai that has become hackneyed. Along with the type of progression, the protagonist’s control and movement system is also maintained, with powerful slashes and sword blows that reflect the brutality of samurai combat.
In addition, the protagonist has the Oni Gauntlet, which allows him to absorb the souls left behind by his enemies when they are destroyed. Depending on the color, it will provide something different, such as health recovery or energy to launch extreme attacks. In this sense, Onimusha: Way of the Sword respects the legacy of the Capcom franchise.
Special Visions
One of the new features in this installment is the visions Musashi experiences due to his use of the Oni Gauntlet. This creates very interesting and engaging moments where the spiritual world and the world of demons merge with the real world we find ourselves in. For example, in one scene we can activate the vision provided by the gauntlet to see that demonic threads are trapping the souls of innocent people. After discovering this, Musashi can cut those threads with a sword as you can see exactly in this screenshot.
These visions will likely greatly influence the story, and it’s likely that the story will have great depth in this regard. It’s worth remembering that all the Onimusha, perhaps except for Dawn of Dreams, which was quite disappointing, have had brilliant plots with sacrifices and drastic moments for all their protagonists. With this new installment, an epic development is also expected.
The fight against Sasaki Ganryu
The end of the demo was spectacular, as, keeping with tradition, Capcom gave us what we always ask for when we have Musashi Miyamoto on the scene: a fight against his arch-enemy. And, although he introduces himself as Sasaki Ganryu, you can already imagine that Ganryu is actually Kojiro Sasaki. This other historical figure, who has always been linked to the Musashi legend in many ways, is presented in the game with a less-than-friendly attitude.
Interestingly, what we notice about the fight is that Kojiro also has an Oni Gauntlet. This opens up an interesting story path and suggests that Onimusha: Way of the Sword will have much more to offer than one might imagine. The battle isn’t easy, but it’s about using Musashi’s attack techniques in the best possible way to defeat his opponent. Additionally, it’s possible to use items to recover health, and in the end, they prove to be crucial. But above all, the important thing is the Issen and using it constantly to repel Kojiro’s attacks until we can take all his life.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is coming in 2026 on a date yet to be announced. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC.
