Onimusha: Way of the Sword Demo Guide

Where to get it

The demo is free on every platform

Onimusha: Way of the Sword has a free demo on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam. It has been available since before launch and remains live after release for players still deciding on the full game.

What you get

Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the Sasaki Ganryu fight

The demo covers the early-game Kiyomizu-dera Temple stage and its surrounding content, closing with the boss waiting on the famous stage of Kiyomizu's main hall: Sasaki Ganryu, Musashi's formidable rival.

Many players came away from the public demo saying the game felt too easy — at least until they reached Ganryu. The demo is a genuine slice of the full combat system, including one-handed and two-handed attacks (which function essentially as light and heavy), the blade barrage clash when both combatants attack simultaneously, and the parry-and-deflect defense ladder.

Save data

Demo progress does not carry over

Demo progress does not carry over to the full game. Nothing earned in the demo — including the hidden Byakue Special Challenge unlocked by landing ten Issen in a run — transfers to the retail release, so treat the demo as a practice ground rather than a head start.

The demo is also where many players first wrestle with the deliberate feel of the combat: long get-up animations and a limited dodge convinced some that the game was clunky until they switched to parry and deflect. Landing ten Issen in a single demo run unlocks the hidden Special Challenge in the main menu, a far stricter secret boss fight worth attempting before launch.