Ethan Crossfield 
Capcom’s long-awaited return to Onimusha, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, won’t follow the continuity of its predecessors—but it’s packed with recognizable enemy concepts that make the series’ history feel present. After a hands-on session at Capcom’s Osaka HQ, development leads confirmed the game is standalone while admitting that fans will spot homages throughout its Genma encounters.
What happened: a new Onimusha entry with no direct ties
Onimusha is back after roughly two decades away, with Way of the Sword launching in September. Ahead of release, Game Informer traveled to Capcom’s headquarters in Osaka, Japan, to play the game and speak with the team behind it.
A key question for longtime fans was whether Way of the Sword connects to earlier Onimusha games in the game world. The answer, according to director Satoru Nihei, is straightforward: there are no direct connections to previous entries, meaning the title doesn’t rely on the established timeline or continuity.
That said, the same visit made one thing hard to miss during gameplay—homages are everywhere. Nihei explained that while the game’s world isn’t directly linked, Capcom aimed to carry over elements from older games by reworking and remixing them into new enemy designs.
Why it matters: classic enemy DNA, remixed for a new Genma
The clearest example came from a side-by-side comparison of enemy behaviors that echo older Onimusha fights. In Onimusha: Warlords, Raynaldo Genma is a tentacled demon that can attack from below by sending its tentacles underground. It can also split and mutate into multiple enemies after being “killed.”
In Way of the Sword, Chijiko appears to mirror that same overall threat pattern: it uses tentacles (and more) to attack and can split into two after you defeat it—unless you handle it with a special move designed to prevent the split mutation.
Other enemy homages were also spotted during the hands-on. The Bazuu has appeared across multiple Onimusha games, including Warlords, where it features a spinning roll attack that hits repeatedly. Way of the Sword includes a similarly styled enemy that rolls into you and carries an armadillo-like look. Meanwhile, the soul-sucking Gyaran from Warlords doesn’t seem to replicate the same soul-stealing effect in Way of the Sword; instead, its counterpart leans toward projectile attacks, though the visual similarity remains.
Nihei’s framing is important for expectations: Capcom states that the enemies in the new game are brand new, but they are built using elements drawn from older titles and remixed into “new Genma” for this entry.
What to watch next: the full release and more enemy easter eggs
With Onimusha: Way of the Sword arriving on September 4 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC, the homages are likely only the beginning. The development team’s message suggests players should expect familiar design language—especially around enemy behavior—without needing to know prior plotlines.
Game Informer also plans to expand coverage as launch approaches, including exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes video content, plus a Rapid-Fire Interview. For fans focused on combat encounters, the most practical next step is to keep an eye on how these remixed enemy concepts translate into final difficulty, move sets, and encounter design once the game is fully in players’ hands.
Player takeaways
- You don’t need prior Onimusha story knowledge—Capcom confirms Way of the Sword isn’t directly connected to earlier games.
- Expect recognizable enemy patterns: some fights appear to echo classic split/mutation and rolling-attack concepts, but with new twists.
- Watch for special-move opportunities—at least one split-prone enemy can be prevented from mutating further with the right technique.
- If you’re a series veteran, treat enemy design as a scavenger hunt: the game seems to intentionally reuse visual and behavioral cues.
- Follow upcoming coverage for more hands-on details on how these remixed homages land in the final build.
| Older Onimusha reference | What it did | Way of the Sword homage |
|---|---|---|
| Raynaldo Genma (Onimusha: Warlords) | Tentacles can attack from below; defeats lead to splitting/mutation into multiple enemies | Chijiko uses tentacles and can split into two, with a special move able to stop the split mutation |
| Bazuu (various games, incl. Warlords) | Spins/rolls into the player with repeated hits; has an armadillo-like look | A similarly designed rolling enemy with comparable visual styling |
| Gyaran (Onimusha: Warlords) | Soul-sucking theme | A visually similar counterpart focused on projectile attacks rather than soul-stealing |
Expert View
Capcom’s approach is a smart reset: by cutting direct continuity, it lowers entry barriers for new players while still rewarding veterans through enemy design language. If the final game keeps that balance—standalone story, familiar combat DNA—Way of the Sword could feel both like a return and like a genuine evolution, rather than a sequel that assumes you’ve been following every entry.
