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Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Q: Is Onimusha: Way of the Sword hard to platinum?

It's a fair 6/10. Nothing is online, and most trophies come from a thorough first playthrough. The two real hurdles are completing the game on Carnage difficulty and beating every Boss Rematch on all difficulty levels — both far easier once you've mastered the Issen timing and maxed your build.

Q: How long does the platinum take?

Roughly 35–50 hours across two playthroughs (a relaxed story run plus a Carnage clear) and the rematch grind.

Q: Are there missable trophies?

None are permanently missable. After the story, pick Continue from the main menu and you're returned to just before the final mission, free to clean up every collectible, Mystery and Chance Encounter. Just don't trigger the final mission until you're done.

Musashi, the Oni Gauntlet, and a Kyoto overrun by Genma — Capcom's long-awaited return is a razor-sharp slasher, and a very earnable platinum.

8.6PixelForge Score

Developer: Capcom · Genre: Action / Hack-and-slash
Platinum: 6/10 · 35–50h · 2 playthroughs (Action, then NG+ Carnage) · 0 online · 0 permanently missable
Trophies: 1 Platinum trophy · 2 Gold trophy · 9 Silver trophy · 40 Bronze trophy

Trophies

6/10

Difficulty

35–50h

To platinum

Playthroughs

Online

The Review

Our verdict

Onimusha has been gone a long time, and Way of the Sword makes the wait feel worth it. You play Miyamoto Musashi, arriving in an Edo-period Kyoto that's been overrun by the demonic Genma, armed with the soul-devouring Oni Gauntlet. It launched to a strong critical reception (Metacritic 86), and the praise is easy to understand.

The combat is the star. The Issen — a one-flash counter that kills in a single cut — turns every encounter into a tense read-and-punish duel, and the soul economy that feeds your upgrades, abilities and demon transformations keeps the loop moving. The boss fights are the highlight of a highlight, and the dark-fantasy Kyoto is a genuinely striking place to swing a sword.

It's traditional by design — largely linear, unapologetically old-school in structure — and the higher difficulties bite hard. But as a platinum it's a treat: no online, a fair checklist, and a reason to actually master the systems. If you like your action games sharp and deliberate, this is one of the year's best.

What we loved

Razor-sharp Issen combat with real depth
Superb, varied boss fights
Striking dark-fantasy Edo-Kyoto
Rewarding soul/upgrade loop
Clean solo platinum — no online

What frustrated us

Traditional, largely linear structure
Carnage and the rematch grind are demanding
Soul absorption leaves you exposed if mistimed

Platinum Roadmap

Platinum roadmap

One relaxed story run that sweeps up every side activity, then combat cleanup, then the two big asks — a Carnage clear and the rematch ladder.

1Story run on Action (Medium). Learn Issen early (start with Deflect Issen), and clear every side thing as you reach it — Mysteries of Kyoto, Chance Encounters, rescuing townspeople, the merchant and the Lion Dogs, and grabbing Genma notes. Beat every story boss along the way.

2Max your progression. Spend red souls to learn and upgrade every skill, enhance all equipment, Hozuki Pouches and charms to max, and collect all Oni Armaments. Much of this you'll finish naturally; farm the rest.

3Combat-feat cleanup. Knock out the counted feats — Issen/Chain Issen/Break Issen, Blazing and Oni-Awakened kills, deflects, headshots, assassinations, guard breaks and the rest. A dense enemy area plus Oni Awakening makes these fast.

4New Game+ on Carnage. Carnage unlocks after your first clear; run it in NG+ for True Onimusha — far easier with your build and reads carried over.

5Boss Rematches. Grind the Boss Rematch mode and beat every opponent on all difficulty levels for Glutton for Punishment — the last big check before the platinum.

Launch guide. Released 4 September 2026. Everything here is verified from the trophy list and the in-game collectible totals. Best news for the platinum: nothing is permanently missable — after the credits, pick Continue from the main menu and you're dropped back just before the final mission to mop up anything you left. Plan on two runs: a first clear on Action collecting everything, then New Game+ on Carnage.

🗡️★ Full Platinum Walkthrough — step by stepEvery trophy in the order to earn it — the story run, all Kyoto side content, the combat feats, the Carnage clear and the rematches — with a savable checklist. Start here → ⚔️All Bosses & RematchesEvery story boss from Sasaki Ganryu to Shuten Doji, plus the Boss Rematch and Carnage trophies — how to Break Issen each one. Open → 💀Final Boss Deep-Dive — Minamoto no YoshitsuneThe hardest fight in the game (8.5/10) — the exact loadout to bring and a full phase-by-phase breakdown for Truly, Thank You. Open → 📜Side Content — Mysteries & Chance EncountersAll 8 Mysteries of Kyoto, 18 Chance Encounters and the 30 townsfolk rescues — what each is and how to clear it. Open → 🏙️Collectibles & LocationsAll 36 Lion Dogs, 23 Genma Notes, 7 Oni Armaments, 9 Hozuki Pouches and more — every count and location by region. Open →

Before you start

Combat systems that actually matter

Onimusha lives and dies on its combat loop. Internalise these five ideas and both the game and the platinum get dramatically easier.

⚡ Issen — the one-flash kill

The heart of the game: press attack in the instant before an enemy blow lands and Musashi answers with an Issen — a one-cut kill that showers extra souls. Three variants drive a stack of trophies: Deflect Issen (the forgiving, wider-window version to learn on), Chain Issen (tap attack again as each Issen connects to cleave through a whole group — that's Flow State), and Break Issen (after you shatter a big enemy's stamina, execute it by picking a red or purple body part — the finisher for Berserker and every boss).

🔥 Souls are your economy — know the colours

Kills release souls the Oni Gauntlet vacuums up (you're defenceless while absorbing, so pick your moment). Yellow restores health, blue fills the Oni Power gauge that pays for Oni Armament abilities, red is spent on learning/upgrading skills and enhancing gear, and purple builds your Oni Awakening bar. Absorbing a big cluster at once earns Get This Thing Off Me; red souls are the currency behind every upgrade trophy.

💨 Blazing State & Oni Awakening

Parry cleanly and often and Musashi ignites into Blazing State — more damage and more blue souls (kill 50 foes in it for Burning Blade). Bank five purple souls and you can trigger Oni Awakening: a roughly 20-second invincible demon form (50 kills in it earns Oni's Oni). Treat Awakening as your panic button on tough fights and your farm tool for its trophy.

🛡️ Defence opens everything up

The loop is one chain: clean parries, deflects and Reflex dodges build Blazing State → openings become Issen and Break Issen executions → executions spill souls → souls heal you, power abilities and buy upgrades → upgrades make more openings. Several trophies are just this loop counted — Stop Motion (50 Reflex Combos), Pinch Hitter (deflect 50 projectiles), Untouchable (50 Grab Reversals), Coming Through! (break guard 50×).

☠️ Difficulty & the Carnage plan

The platinum wants a full clear on Carnage (True Onimusha) and every Boss Rematch beaten on all difficulty levels (Glutton for Punishment) — the two biggest asks. Play your first run on a comfortable setting to master Issen and hoover up all the side content, then come back to Carnage once your gear, skills and reads are sharp. Rematches are unlocked fights you can grind per difficulty, so climb the ladder rather than jumping straight to the top.

Every Trophy

All 52 trophies — explained

Grouped by type, each with how to unlock it. All 52, grouped by type. The two to plan around are the Carnage clear and the Boss Rematches on every difficulty; the rest fall out of a thorough first run plus a combat-feat cleanup.

The Platinum 1 trophy

Peerless

Details

Earn every other trophy. A clean solo platinum — the road runs through a full story clear, all Kyoto side content, the combat feats, a Carnage run and the boss rematches.

Story Bosses the campaign's spine

Automatic story trophies for defeating each major foe. Every one is a Break-Issen showcase — shatter their stamina, then execute. Full tactics on our boss guide.

Onimusha Showdown

Details

Drive off Sasaki Ganryu in your first duel with him — an early skill check on parry timing before the story proper opens up.

Get Stuffed

Details

Defeat Daidara. A heavy bruiser — bait the big swings, deflect, and answer with Issen.

Twisted Fates

Details

Defeat Rasho-gan.

Howling Wind

Details

Defeat Ifuu, a fast, aggressive duelist — lean on Deflect Issen against his flurries.

Dokyo's Fixation

Details

Defeat the Greater Nue.

Benkei: Out, but Not Down

Details

Defeat Benkei in your first encounter with the warrior monk.

Crashing Lightning

Details

Defeat Burai.

Wide Awake

Details

Defeat Shuten Doji.

The Perfect Storm

Details

Defeat Ifuu and Burai together — a tag fight; use Oni Awakening to swing a two-on-one.

We Done Here?

Details

Defeat Sasaki Ganryu at Arashiyama — the rematch that pays off the opening duel.

End This Madness

Details

Defeat Dokyo.

Baited by Benkei

Details

Defeat Benkei at Rendaino.

Truly, Thank You

Details

Defeat Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

Serves You Right

Details

Defeat the Byakue at Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

Kyoto — Side Content & Collectibles the map's secrets

None are missable — you can mop everything up before the finale — but they're quickest done as you clear each district. Exact counts and locations are on our side-content and collectibles guides.

Mystery Solved

Details

Complete your first Mystery of Kyoto — the city's investigative side quests.

Demystified

Details

Complete all Mysteries of Kyoto. Track them per district and finish each before the story locks it away.

Life-Saver

Details

Complete your first Chance Encounter — the timed rescue/event prompts out in the world.

No Job Too Small

Details

Complete all Chance Encounters.

Citizen Savior

Details

Rescue 30 townspeople from marauding Genma — you'll hit this naturally by helping civilians as you explore.

Selfish Selflessness

Details

Rescue a merchant under attack by Genma. Grab it the first time you see one cornered.

No Dog Left Behind

Details

Rescue your first Lion Dog — the guardian dogs hidden around Kyoto.

For the Love of Dog

Details

Rescue all the Lion Dogs. Use our collectibles guide so none are left behind.

Genma-ologist

Details

Collect all the Genma notes — the lore documents scattered through the city.

Difficulty & Rematches the two big asks

True Onimusha

Details

Complete the game on Carnage difficulty. Save it for a second run once your build and Issen reads are sharp — a maxed Musashi makes Carnage far more manageable.

Second Helping

Details

Win one Boss Rematch. Rematches unlock as you clear bosses — a gentle introduction to the grind below.

Glutton for Punishment

Details

Beat every Boss Rematch opponent on all difficulty levels. The platinum's grindiest trophy — work up the difficulty ladder rather than jumping to the top.

Progression & Upgrades spend those red souls

All fuelled by red souls — enhance and learn everything. Most complete on the way to the platinum; farm the last few in a dense area.

The Winding Way of the Sword

Details

Learn and upgrade all basic OR special skills — the first half of the skill tree.

Well-Rounded

Details

Learn and upgrade all basic AND special skills — the full tree. Bank red souls and clear it late.

Looking Sharp

Details

Enhance a piece of equipment for the first time at the smith.

Dressed to Kill

Details

Enhance all equipment to max. A red-soul sink — farm the higher difficulties, which pay out more.

Oni Armory

Details

Acquire all Oni Armaments — Musashi's special demon weapons.

Health Is Wealth

Details

Max out a Hozuki Pouch (your healing item capacity).

Medical Marvel

Details

Max out all Hozuki Pouches.

A Real Charmer

Details

Max out a charm (passive accessories).

Charmed Life

Details

Max out all charms.

Combat Feats the counted challenges

Cumulative across the whole game — most tick over naturally, and a dense enemy area plus Oni Awakening clears the stragglers fast.

Burning Blade

Details

Defeat 50 foes in Blazing State — parry to ignite it, then mop up while it's active.

Stop Motion

Details

Perform 50 Reflex Combos — the follow-up strings off a Reflex dodge.

Wielder of Oni Armaments

Details

Defeat 100 enemies with Oni Armaments — spend blue souls freely on their abilities.

Oni's Oni

Details

Defeat 50 enemies in the Oni Awakened state — bank purple souls, transform in a crowd, repeat.

Brutalist

Details

Land 50 Issen attacks — the core skill; this comes naturally as you learn the timing.

Flow State

Details

Defeat 50 enemies with Chain Issen — tap attack as each Issen connects to chain through groups.

Silent Violence

Details

Assassinate 20 enemies — sneak up for the stealth kill before a fight starts.

Pinch Hitter

Details

Deflect 50 projectiles — bat back arrows and ranged Genma attacks.

Deadeye

Details

Score 100 headshots with your bow — pick off ranged enemies and weak points.

Winning Is What Matters

Details

Carry out 50 attacks with environmental objects — grab and throw the scenery.

Untouchable

Details

Perform 50 Grab Reversals — counter enemy grab attempts.

Coming Through!

Details

Break an enemy's guard 50 times — pressure shielded foes until they open.

Helm Splitter

Details

Break 100 shields or pieces of enemy armor — sustained aggression handles this.

Get This Thing Off Me

Details

Absorb 30 or more souls at once — clear a big pack, then vacuum the whole cluster in one draw.

Berserker

Details

Defeat 3 enemies with continuous Break Issen attacks — line up a group of stamina-broken foes.

Genma Griller

Details

Set three enemies ablaze at once — use a fire Armament or hazard on a tight cluster.

FAQ

Onimusha: Way of the Sword platinum — quick answers

Is Onimusha: Way of the Sword hard to platinum?

It's a fair 6/10. Nothing is online, and most trophies come from a thorough first playthrough. The two real hurdles are completing the game on Carnage difficulty and beating every Boss Rematch on all difficulty levels — both far easier once you've mastered the Issen timing and maxed your build.

How long does the platinum take?

Roughly 35–50 hours across two playthroughs (a relaxed story run plus a Carnage clear) and the rematch grind.

What is an Issen?

A one-flash counter: press attack the instant before an enemy hits you and Musashi kills in a single cut, releasing extra souls. Learn the forgiving Deflect Issen first, then Chain Issen (groups) and Break Issen (boss executions).

Are there missable trophies?

None are permanently missable. After the story, pick Continue from the main menu and you're returned to just before the final mission, free to clean up every collectible, Mystery and Chance Encounter. Just don't trigger the final mission until you're done.

Do I need to play on Carnage from the start?

No — play your first run on a comfortable difficulty to learn the systems and clear side content, then return for the Carnage clear with a maxed Musashi.