Onimusha: Way of the Sword Shows Off Oni Awakening After Winning Big at Gamescom

There are some games that only need a few seconds of footage before I know I am going to be keeping a very close eye on them, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword has firmly put itself in that category.

Capcom brought its upcoming dark fantasy action game to Gamescom 2026, revealing Oni Awakening in a new trailer alongside an expanded playable demo.

It seems I am far from the only person impressed, either. Onimusha: Way of the Sword walked away with two Gamescom Awards, taking home both Best Gameplay and Best Sony PlayStation Game.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword takes us to early Edo-period Kyoto, but this certainly isn’t the picturesque historical trip you might expect.

The city has been twisted by Malice, allowing monstrous Genma from the depths of hell to spill into the human world. At the centre of it all is legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who finds himself wielding an Oni Gauntlet capable of granting its bearer supernatural abilities.

This is probably where Onimusha completely won me over.

I have always adored Japanese culture, folklore and history, and games that allow me to disappear into worlds inspired by them tend to have a rather unfair advantage with me. Ghost of Tsushima remains one of my favourite games for exactly that reason. There was something incredibly special about simply existing in that world — riding through forests, watching leaves move through the wind and occasionally forgetting I was supposed to be doing something considerably more productive.

Onimusha is obviously taking its version of Japan somewhere considerably darker, but that only makes me more intrigued.

Kyoto remains recognisable beneath the supernatural corruption. Beautiful temples and traditional Japanese architecture sit alongside grotesque creatures and portals to hell, creating a world that manages to look beautiful and deeply unsettling at the same time.

It is gorgeous.

In a deeply concerning, “something here would absolutely like to eat me” kind of way.

There is also considerably more authenticity behind this version of Kyoto than you might realise from watching Musashi cut his way through demons.

Director Satoru Nihei revealed that the game’s world is centred around the real Rokudo Chinno-ji Temple, with local folklore and mystery playing a major role in its design. Capcom worked closely with the City of Kyoto during development, researching historical locations in enough detail to recreate elements such as the exact number of wooden pillars supporting the stage at Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

The team even recorded audio inside real Japanese temples and historic residences to reproduce the acoustics of traditional architecture.

As someone who already loves the culture and history behind this setting, that attention to detail is exactly the sort of thing I want to hear.

Capcom has also revealed considerably more about Musashi’s combat.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is built around deliberate sword fighting, with players deflecting and parrying attacks while looking for opportunities to turn an enemy’s aggression against them.

One particularly brutal addition is Dynamic Dismemberment, which allows enemies to be cut according to the actual trajectory of Musashi’s blade.

Subtle.

Musashi can also perform Break Issen after completely depleting an enemy’s Stamina Gauge. The mechanic gives more players an opportunity to experience the series’ spectacular Issen attacks without removing the traditional, precisely timed version for those brave enough to master it.

Which is good news for me, because my first combat strategy is traditionally somewhere between “hit it” and “why isn’t hitting it working?”

The latest trailer also gives us another look at the wonderfully unpleasant collection of Genma standing between Musashi and whatever counts as a peaceful day in this version of Kyoto.

But the biggest reveal is Oni Awakening.

Oni Awakening Lets Musashi Become the Problem

The Gamescom trailer finally reveals Musashi embracing the supernatural power he has spent much of his journey resisting.

Oni Awakening allows him to unleash the power within his Oni Gauntlet and overwhelm the Genma with his own supernatural strength.

And frankly, after looking at some of the creatures Capcom has decided to put in front of us, I think he deserves it.

What makes the reveal particularly interesting is Musashi himself. Capcom has described this version of the legendary swordsman as someone determined to become stronger through his own ability rather than relying on the power of the Oni.

Exactly what finally pushes him towards embracing that power remains part of the story Capcom isn’t ready to spoil.

Players don’t have to wait until launch to get their hands on Musashi’s sword.

Capcom has expanded the existing Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo with additional areas to explore and a new boss encounter against the enormous Genma, Daidara.

There is also a small reward for anyone brave enough to take it on. Players who carry their demo save data into the full game will unlock the Kubi Akari Charm, which provides a stat boost for Musashi.

Considering the things waiting for us in Kyoto, I will happily take every advantage offered.

The new footage isn’t the only reason Onimusha has had a rather successful Gamescom.

For a game placing so much emphasis on making every clash of steel feel satisfying, Best Gameplay feels like a particularly encouraging award to bring home before launch.

I will admit Onimusha already had several unfair advantages when it came to getting my attention.

Give me Japanese history, beautiful environments, supernatural folklore, a sword and several deeply questionable creatures lurking around ancient buildings, and realistically I was never going to walk away.

But the more Capcom shows, the more interested I become.

Ghost of Tsushima made me fall completely in love with exploring a beautifully realised interpretation of historical Japan. Onimusha: Way of the Sword looks ready to take that same personal fascination with the setting and drag it somewhere considerably darker.

And apparently fill it with demons.

Naturally, I am completely on board.

Capcom has confirmed that Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.