Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo adds a new quest — and a boss that makes Musashi look tiny
Capcom expands the public demo with a new Oni Refuge quest, fresh boss battles and a first look at Musashi’s Oni Awakening form ahead of the game’s September launch.
Capcom has released a new playable demo for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, giving samurai fans an early taste of the series’ return alongside two new trailers shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live.
The demo is available now on Nintendo Switch 2 and the Microsoft Store. An update adding the new content is also available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
A trip into the Oni Refuge
The expanded demo adds a second quest set in the Oni Refuge, a surreal location that introduces players to more of the game’s story and combat systems.
The new area also leads to a fight with Daidara, a towering boss that appears to be considerably larger than anything a sensible person would willingly approach with a sword. Capcom’s trailer focuses on tense swordplay and the need to read enemy movements rather than simply hacking away and hoping the problem becomes someone else’s.
A second trailer, The Challenges That Await, introduces the Genma siblings Ifuu and Burai, showcases additional boss battles and offers a first look at protagonist Miyamoto Musashi’s Oni Awakening form.
That transformation appears to push Musashi’s supernatural abilities further, giving the game a visual and mechanical escalation beyond its more grounded samurai combat. Quite how much control players have over the form remains to be seen, but it certainly looks like the sort of emergency measure you save for when a normal sword stops being persuasive.
A new Onimusha after two decades
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the first new mainline entry in Capcom’s classic action series in more than 20 years. It is set in Kyoto during the early Edo period, where Musashi battles the Genma — demonic creatures from the underworld intent on conquering the realm of the living.
Musashi is armed with the Oni Gauntlet, a supernatural weapon that lets him absorb the souls of defeated enemies. The game combines traditional swordplay with supernatural abilities, creating a darker and more exaggerated version of feudal Japan than the history books managed to provide.
Capcom has moved the release date forward to 4 September 2026. The game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store.
Players who pre-order the Standard, Deluxe or Premium Deluxe editions before 24 September will receive early-adopter bonuses. The Deluxe editions add cosmetics and charms, while the Premium Deluxe Edition also includes additional character cosmetics and an in-game soundtrack.
Our opinion
The timing of the demo is smart. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is reviving a dormant series in a market already crowded with stylish sword-fighting games, so letting players try the combat before launch is more useful than another carefully edited cinematic trailer.
The Oni Refuge and Daidara encounter should give players a better idea of whether the game’s swordplay has the weight and precision needed to carry a full adventure. So far, Capcom appears to be aiming for a satisfying middle ground: recognisable samurai combat, supernatural spectacle and enough monstrous nonsense to stop the whole thing becoming a historical walking tour with occasional stabbing.