I recall hearing about the Onimusha series in my youth, though I never actually put in the hours. So, when the world went wild over the reveal of Onimusha: Way of The Sword, I must admit I didn't quite get the hype. With the market already saturated with samurai action titles, I wondered if we really needed another one added to the pile.

That perspective shifted quite drastically after I got my hands on a demo at last year's Tokyo Game Show. The satisfaction of breaking an enemy’s guard to land a powerful 'Issen'—that signature flurry of blade-on-blade action—was visceral. Naturally, when the invite for a media preview arrived, I was eager to jump back in.

Initially, the game felt like another soulslike clone—punishing damage, limited healing, and a heavy reliance on parries and dodges. However, this deeper dive revealed a title that prioritizes fluid, aggressive action above all else.

The demo picked up right after the Sasaki Ganryu boss fight. Ganryu, having descended into madness by consuming human souls, vanishes. Musashi, the protagonist, tracks the villain into a demon’s lair, leading to a showdown with the massive Genma 'Daidara'. Once cleared, the path opens to Kyoto, where you fend off Genma invaders while scouting the city for the next encounter.

The combat feels deliberate yet grounded. You slash away with your katana to chip at health, or parry to drain the enemy’s stamina, opening them up for a devastating 'Collapse Issen'. Once a common enemy is staggered, they stay that way, allowing you to chain consecutive kills for a truly cinematic flourish.

There are some neat adventure elements thrown in, too. You’ll acquire a bow, which serves double duty for long-range combat and solving environmental puzzles. Some bosses also drop unique abilities upon defeat, allowing you to bypass shields or access previously locked-off areas.

I tackled two boss encounters that highlight the game's core loop: the Genma 'Daidara' in the lair, and the encounter with 'Rashogan' at the Yasui Konpira Shrine. The fight against the elite 'Byakue' was also a standout challenge.

Each boss forces you to adapt. Daidara, for instance, absorbs stray souls to power up. You have to decide: do you try to absorb those souls yourself to deny the boss strength, or do you take the risk and keep up the pressure?

That said, the parry window feels a bit too generous. Byakue, however, was a different beast—it used guard-breaking attacks that punished failed parries, forcing me to rely on dodges. It’s a shame the other bosses didn't demand that same level of defensive variety, as most of their patterns are easily parried if you keep your cool.

What struck me most was the period-drama atmosphere. Musashi isn’t your typical stoic hero; the character has a witty, slightly eccentric charm that feels ripped straight from a classic Japanese drama. Watching Musashi tease the woman in the gauntlet made me chuckle, yet the character still manages to project genuine rage against evil and burning determination when the steel starts clashing.

Despite the supernatural Genma elements, the depiction of historical Kyoto is captivating. The Yasui Konpira Shrine, distorted by Genma influence, is hauntingly beautiful, and the inclusion of the 'severing connections' folklore adds a layer of narrative weight to the exploration.

These aesthetic choices make the character designs feel right at home. While the initial reveal of Musashi and Shizuka Gozen felt a bit 'uncanny valley'—resembling a live-action Japanese drama—it actually fits the game's intended period-piece vibe perfectly once you settle in.

I also got a brief session on the Nintendo Switch 2. The Joy-Con controls felt natural, and playing in handheld mode was surprisingly engaging. However, the frame rate dipped, suggesting the team still has some heavy lifting to do on the optimization front before launch.

Onimusha: Way of The Sword launches on September 4th for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with full Korean language support.