Capcom is having a massive 2026, with hits like Pragmata, Resident Evil Requiem, and Monster Hunter Stories 3. The studio is now closing out the year with another highly anticipated game, Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

I spent almost three hours playing Way of the Sword, splitting my time between the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions. I came away incredibly impressed by the feel of the game, as well as the performance on Nintendo’s handheld.

My demo starts off right after the battle against Sasaki Ganryu, who’s also the final boss of the public demo you can download on digital platforms. Like our protagonist Miyamoto Musashi, Ganryu also has a gauntlet that he can power up. After suffering a defeat from Musashi, Ganryu throws a tantrum, asking why he isn’t strong enough. That’s when a malevolent spirit in white robes whispers in his ear to kill the two innocent bystanders nearby and use the gauntlet to absorb their life energy.

It really shows how gruesome Ganryu is. While Musashi was only able to save one of the two bystanders, we get a glimpse into his motivations. Both Ganryu and Musashi want to grow stronger, but the latter doesn’t want to do so at the expense of others.

Sure, he’s the typical “do good” protagonist, but Musashi’s humanity is what helps him stand out in a town that’s been ravaged by malice. In fact, the gauntlet is the only thing that’s keeping him alive. The spirit inside is Shizuka Gozen, an oni who grants him oni powers through it. I also love the banter between them both. Shizuka’s stubbornness contrasts well with Musashi’s laidback, yet steadfast attitude.

There’s a certain weight and heaviness to Musashi when you’re cutting up the Genma, demons from the depths of hell that have even driven the oni out. Don’t come in expecting something as fluid and nimble as Devil May Cry. I like the way his arms and legs flail about when he’s jumping, which reinforces the more realistic aspects of the game.

Everything about Musashi’s movements is deliberate. You have your standard light and heavy attacks like any other action game, but the dodges and parries feel so incredibly satisfying in ways that make it stand out. When you successfully parry incoming enemy attacks, you can see sparks flying as his weapon clashes with theirs. Regular blocks consume Musashi’s stamina, and it takes a brief moment for him to recover, especially from big swings from bosses like Daidara, the Slavering Glutton. This demonic Genma carries a giant club while devouring every soul in sight.

You can also see Musashi’s arm shake after he braces the recoil. These small details are incredibly immersive, and I’m surprised at how generous the recovery windows were. Even when Musashi was pushed back or fell, I didn’t feel like enemies had an unfair advantage with follow-up attacks. I had plenty of time to recoup.

Fighting regular foes in groups is equally as fun. When Musashi breaks their stamina, they’ll stagger in a dazed state. Here, he can perform cool finishers with a cinematic flair. If there are multiple dazed enemies, he can pull off chain finishers where the camera zooms in as he runs between all of them and puts them out of their misery. It reminds me of Assassin’s Creed’s chain kill mechanic, letting players extend their streaks against neighbouring foes.

Like previous Onimusha games, you can absorb the souls of fallen enemies. The red ones enhance Musashi’s equipment and help him learn new skills. Blue souls replenish his ability to unleash special Oni attacks, and yellow souls restore health. What makes Way of the Sword different is that Musashi can actually move around while absorbing souls. In past games like Onimusha: Warlords and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, you had to keep completely still to absorb souls. Additionally, souls also disappear if you don’t absorb them in time, so many times in battle you’ll be a sitting duck with enemies still wanting to attack you.

Thankfully, it looks like souls stick around for a while in Way of the Sword, getting rid of that stressful dilemma. I didn’t encounter any scenarios where they disappeared, except for in certain boss fights. The aforementioned Daidara, for example, can absorb souls to make himself stronger. So you better absorb them yourself before it’s too late!

Kyoto reminds me of Kamurocho from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games. Way of the Sword takes place in one area, but the citizens make Kyoto feel lived in and larger than it is. As Musashi continually faces off against the Genma and restores Kyoto from malice, more areas will open up.

Many parts of Kyoto look visually similar, with homes and buildings everywhere, so it’s easy to get lost. However, you can mark objectives and areas on your map, and Shizaku will gladly guide you to it, which is incredibly helpful.

As for Way of the Sword’s performance on Switch 2, it seems like another solid port from Capcom. For this segment, I was mostly relegated to the training area. I was able to test out the motion controls and face off against past boss battles. For light attacks, you shake the right Joy-Con horizontally, and for strong attacks, you shake it vertically. To use your bow, you can use the gyro controls while holding ‘ZR’ to aim and then let go of the button to fire. Musashi can also break enemy shields with his oni strength. To do so with motion controls, you shake both Joy-Con controllers at the same time.

While motion controls aren’t my preferred way of playing, they feel quite responsive here, so there aren’t any complaints from me on this front. Visually, Way of the Sword looks crisp, even if it does suffer a bit from weird hair and cloth physics in handheld mode. From what I’ve played, Switch 2 players should be excited.

If Onimusha: Way of the Sword is Capcom’s swan song for 2026 — notwithstanding the updated and new-to-Switch-2 Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen in October — then it’s absolutely ending with a banger. Musashi’s story of liberating Kyoto is just compelling enough to keep me interested, but the combat is absolutely the hook that’ll make you want to stick around. The gameplay mechanics are tight yet there’s plenty of room for visual flair. The Switch 2 performance is stable, too.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4 for Nintendo Switch 2 and other platforms.