Since its arrival on PlayStation 2 in 2001, the Onimusha series has been recognized for blending a mix of Resident Evil-style action horror with historically inspired Japanese samurai combat. Now, after lying dormant for over two decades, players will soon enter Edo-era Kyoto as Musashi Miyamoto, the new wielder of the Oni Gauntlet, in Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
At Gamescom 2025, I sat down with Akihito Kadowaki, producer of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, to chat about the upcoming Onimusha game, the process of reviving a beloved franchise for modern gamers and how a childhood game of baseball may have led to hunting demons.
This interview was conducted through an interpreter, and the content has been edited for clarity and length.
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How does this game sit with the other Onimusha games?
Akihito Kadowaki (Capcom): Onimusha: Way of the Sword is going to be the newest installment, because the last one was 20 years ago, so it’s been a long time, and there are obviously people who do not know the series, and we wanted people to know about them through this title. And that was something we wanted to keep in mind, but we didn’t really want to necessarily make it a connected series, a title connected to the past installments that we have, but make it a new Onimusha.
To connect it to that, what makes this an Onimusha game versus another samurai game?
AK: Within the series, we wanted to incorporate elements that were very iconic in the past installments. For example, Onimusha is very well known for its dark setting and the world it has. And we also wanted to incorporate the unique characters you can encounter within the game, and also the iconic, exhilarating action you can experience. And on top of that, many games have featured samurai, but within that, we wanted to really stand out and make Onimusha very unique, so we incorporated soul-absorbing, which is really unique to the Onimusha series.
So, given that it’s been quite a long time since the last Onimusha game, what did you feel was important to incorporate in this new version that we’re in 2025?
AK: The one element we really wanted to focus on was the players. It’s been 20 years; the gaming industry and what people find interesting are always changing. So we mainly want people who play the new Onimusha right now to have fun. It may not be the same audience as 20 years ago, but we want them to enjoy the sword action that this game has to offer. That’s something we really wanted to include in this one.
We aimed to offer an experience of a new kind, the idea of «what if Capcom made [the original] Onimusha right now?» That surprise element was something that we were able to achieve.
The other side of the game is that it includes a lot of very exquisite horror elements. Are there any new inspirations regarding what has happened in horror over the last 20 years?
AK: In the very first Onimusha, we definitely felt inspired by the elements of horror.
In this new game, we feel it’s not entirely focused on horror; it’s leaning more toward mysterious elements. There are many scenes that are a little shocking, but they’re not just about being scary or the horror element; they’re also very mysterious. There are many scenes in the game that show that, so that’s something that we really wanted to portray.
In the demo itself, in the very first scene, there’s a very specific way to solve the level. In future levels, will there be more opportunities to improvise or find other solutions to some of the puzzles?
AK: Obviously, yes! In the past Onimusha titles, there were puzzle elements you could do, solving puzzles and that. We’re not going to have that kind of element in Onimusha: Way of the Sword this time, but there will be scenes and occasions where you’ll have to use your brain a little bit to be creative, to solve the difficulty that you face. So, there’s a little bit of a similarity there.
One more question, a little silly: Do you remember what your first video game was?
AK: If I remember correctly, it was on the Family Computer System, it’s called Family Baseball (R.B.I. Baseball in North America). I was touched by it; it changed me.
FC: From baseball now to fighting demons — similar swinging techniques!
Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be released on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X and S in 2026.
