It’s been a while since we’ve had an entry into the Onishuma series, the last title being Onishuma: Dawn of Dreams in 2006. The first entry in the series was in 2001, with Onimusha: Warlords, which was set in the Sengoku period of Japan and centered around the samurai Samanosuke Akechi, who goes up against the forces of the historical figure Nobunaga Oda and his armies. The new game, Onimusha: Way of the Sword will explore Mount Oe, which sits outside of Kyoto, where a Genma claiming to be the Shuten Doji claims his territory/stronghold. Although the games were based in part off historical fiction, they did incorporate supernatural elements such as demons to spice things up. While the original four games took place in the Sengoku period, the newly announced entry, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, is set in Edo period and follows Miyamoto Musashi (modeled after iconic Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, star of Kurosawa films such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, and Hidden Fortress), fighting within historical Kyoto against demons, men, and other enemies. There are different combat stances he can engage in as he faces different enemies, including parry, guard, and direct attacks, including the “steer” stance which pushes enemies in a certain direction, “Break Issen” which allows you to instantly kill enemies via dismemberment, and multi-attack hits.
Onishuma: Way of the Sword will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, through all of which there will be an available demo which explores the atmosphere and action of the game. Players can pre-order as of now and get additional rewards, including the “Sealed Curse” skin and “Lion Dog” charm. There will also be additional bonuses included in the Deluxe Edition and Premium Deluxe Edition versions of the game, both of which will be available digitally. Meanwhile, the standard edition of the game will be available both physically and digitally.