Onimusha: Way of the Sword Details Its Combat Ahead of September 4 Xbox Launch

What we know

Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC. Capcom’s new game will also support Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing players to access it on console and PC at no additional cost.

Ahead of launch, Xbox Wire has outlined a combat system built around Miyamoto Musashi’s range of defensive and offensive responses. Rather than simply holding block, players can use parries, deflections, precision counters, weapon clashes, and evasive maneuvers to take control against Genma foes and bosses.

Defense creates openings

Holding LB lets Musashi block most attacks, including projectiles and strikes coming from any direction. Every hit drains stamina, however. Running out causes Musashi to lose his stance and sacrifices a substantial amount of collected souls, making blocking more of an emergency measure than a default solution.

A parry is performed by blocking at the moment an enemy attack lands. A successful parry leaves the opponent exposed briefly. Repeated parries also fill the Blaze Gauge, activating Blazing State, which raises health and stamina damage, awards additional souls, and improves the effectiveness of other moves.

Deflect provides a separate answer: block and press A at the instant of impact. It does not immediately break an enemy’s stance, but it deals major stamina damage, with an even stronger effect while Blazing State is active. Depleting that stamina enables Break Issen, a special attack that can kill most weaker foes and significantly shorten boss battles. Deflections can also send projectiles back at their attacker.

Issen, blade duels, and precise evasion

Issen is the game’s highest-risk, highest-reward option. Musashi must begin an attack immediately before an opponent’s blow connects, using a timing window tighter than that of a standard parry. Success moves him aside before he answers with one of his most powerful attacks.

Combat also features Blade Barrages and Blade Locks. A Blade Barrage begins when Musashi and an enemy strike at precisely the same moment. To win this short duel, players need to answer with the opposite attack type to the one that started it: a heavy attack after entering with a light one, or the reverse.

Blade Locks can begin after a parry or deflection. During the sword struggle, repeatedly pressing X or Y can win the clash, sending the enemy away while taking away part of their stamina.

Pressing B performs a dodge, while dodging inside the parry window triggers a Reflex Dodge. Later in the game, these moves build the Reflex Gauge. Performing a Reflex Dodge with a full gauge slows time and gives Musashi an opportunity to unleash a very fast, high-damage combo. Some moves—usually punches and kicks—cannot be parried or deflected, making it essential to identify when evasion is the right response.

Capcom also points to unblockable attacks and later-game abilities, without detailing the latter. The system is designed around reading each threat and selecting an appropriate answer instead of relying on one defensive option.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword stars Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai wielding the Oni Gauntlet in his fight against Genma across an Edo-period Kyoto warped by Malice.