Onimusha: Way of the Sword Boss Fight Playthrough to the Ending: From Reading the "Issen" to Managing Full Awakening

The story begins with a hot-blooded Musashi easily winning the tutorial duel. He is chased through the city by disciples whose honor he has tarnished, and just as he finally escapes them, the "Genma" appear and kill him with ease. Washed up at the gates of hell, Musashi is awakened by a man who is clearly scheming something, and he is brought back to the world of the living.

The first stage is Kiyomizu-dera, shrouded in the Genma's miasma. The "Oni Gauntlet" Musashi wears feeds on Genma souls and can also sever the source spreading the miasma. As a result, the commentator explains, Musashi ends up spending some time hunting Genma.

The first boss is Sasaki Ganryu. Like Musashi, he was apparently killed by the Genma and then had a gauntlet forced on him in hell by that same man. The commentator presents this fight as the place to learn the basics of combat.

When the enemy swings a weapon, you parry it with a perfect guard. Alternatively, pressing the attack button at the right moment lets you counter with an "Issen." Fully depleting the red gauge lets you deal heavy damage with a "Break Issen," and at this point Ganryu was down to about 30% of his health. Then Ganryu's gauntlet glowed red. Because it was "kind of scary," the commentator used the Oni Power gauge to unleash a special attack, and finally read a thrust and cut Ganryu down with an "Issen."

Against Daidara, fought while exploring Kiyomizu-dera, the commentator opens by spending the Oni Power gauge to attack with the twin swords "Niten." Niten can make enemies flinch heavily, so it makes the opening easy to plan out. This boss wears armor on various parts of its body, and it flinches each time a piece of armor is destroyed. The commentator says the "sweet spot" against its combo attacks is to time an "Issen" to the second hit. Timing a parry to its charge stance makes the enemy crash into a wall and take damage, which the commentator praises as an elaborate touch.

After depleting the Rikido gauge and landing a "Break Issen," the enemy's health dropped to around 30%. However, a mark at the top left of the gauge indicated a second bar, meaning that unlike Ganryu, there is a second phase. At the end of the first phase, the commentator absorbs souls to build up the Oni Power gauge and opens the second phase with Niten as well. In the second phase, the enemy uses grab attacks accompanied by a blue warning sign. Timing a dodge to these allows a counterattack, and success takes a big chunk out of the Rikido gauge. The commentator matched big overhead swings with an "Issen," and after a Break Issen, finished the boss off with an Issen.

In the fight against Rashogan, who had been doing evil at Yasui Konpiragu Shrine, you first cut the threads connecting it to the Genma to limit its power-ups. This fight introduces a new element called "Kien." Parrying an enemy attack makes your sword glow blue and puts you into the Kien state, raising your attack power. By the commentator's check, the increase was roughly 1.27x.

The commentator emphasizes that Musashi's perfect guard comes in two types: "parry" and "deflect." You can choose between them depending on your goal: parry if you want to build Kien, deflect if you want to wear down Rikido. The enemy also reacts differently depending on which you choose, so that is another reason judgment is required. In this fight, the commentator fully broke Rikido with deflects and ended the first phase with a Break Issen.

By the second phase, the gauntlet's power has awakened. Because it was fed a large Genma soul last time, the soul of "Shizuka Gozen" sleeping in the gauntlet now speaks to Musashi. If you fight sluggishly without building Kien, she apparently needles you about it. The commentator jokes about fighting smart so as not to get scolded. Finally, the commentator defeated the boss by timing an Issen to both a leaping attack and a rising slash.

There is a rumor that a pair of Genma brothers who love dueling can be found at Ninna-ji. The first one fought is the younger brother, Ifu. The commentator doesn't approach right away. After the wind blows, the commentator closes in, takes an attack at close range to get a parry, and enters the Kien state.

What the commentator explained in detail in this fight was how to deal with "martial arts" attacks. Blocking a martial arts attack with your sword doesn't wear down Rikido and is actually a bad idea. Dodging it instead lets you deliver a special follow-up that reduces Rikido. Here, the commentator sums up the game's combat as "continuing to choose the right answer" from four ways of responding: parry, deflect, dodge, and Issen. In practice, the commentator deflected weapon attacks, deflected incoming slashes to reflect them back, and dodged martial arts attacks before following up.

When both sides' attacks land at the same moment, an "Aiko Kengeki" occurs. The commentator remarks that it's an interesting touch that heightens the intensity of the duel. In the second phase, the commentator restored the nearly depleted Kien gauge with parries. In combo attacks, how easy it is to land an Issen differs for each hit, so the commentator aimed for the easy second hit. When its health falls to 30%, the enemy floats into the air. There is a mechanic where you shoot floating bladders with a bow, which the commentator praised: "Having little extras like this is one of the good things about this game." The commentator dodged a grab attack and then threw the enemy, and finally defeated it with a light → heavy → heavy combo.

Beneath the Imperial Palace lies a suspicious laboratory where Genma and humans are apparently being developed. Here, Musashi fights two Nue. The star of this fight was the newly learned "Chain Issen." By inputting a normal attack at the moment you cut down an enemy with an Issen, additional Issens chain to the surrounding enemies.

The blue Nue attacks aggressively, so the commentator uses Issens against its attacks as a starting point and deals damage to both with Chain Issen. Once their health is reduced to a certain point, the Nue cloak themselves in lightning and launch coordinated attacks with both at once. According to the commentator, even then they only use coordinated attacks, so you can just keep responding with Issen and Chain Issen. The commentator finished them off by stacking Break Issens.

Having returned from the laboratory to the Imperial Palace, Musashi fights the Great Nue while pursuing Dokyo. The commentator buffed up with a "Strength Talisman" and then opened with the new Oni Weapon, the great hammer "Jinari." Jinari excels at breaking Rikido, grows stronger when charged, and reliably makes enemies flinch when it connects.

This boss has few attacks that can be parried. That's why, the commentator says, it's a huge help when it swings its tail early on, letting you enter the Kien state. With the Break Issen, the commentator targeted the tail and cut it off. Then the commentator collected souls, landed a Jinari hit, threw the severed tail while the enemy was flinching, broke the remaining Rikido with a light → heavy → heavy combo, and landed another Break Issen. That marks the end of the first phase. In the second phase, the commentator focused on Issen, timing it to foreleg attacks and headbutts. During the opening after a Break Issen, the commentator landed a fully charged Jinari, prepared to deflect when the boss wound up a big attack, and defeated it.

In the fight against the monstrous Benkei, who appears on Gojo Ohashi Bridge, the commentator follows a fully charged Jinari with a "Dakai" strike to break his armor. Otherwise, damage won't get through. The plan is to parry a weapon attack to enter the Kien state, then chain Issens to finish him before Kien runs out. The commentator timed Issens one after another to a downward swing, a right-foot kick, and a big right-hand swing, leading into a Break Issen. In the second phase as well, after wearing down Rikido with a fully charged Jinari, the commentator focused entirely on Issen, finishing Benkei off with Issens against a quick swing from the right, a kick, and a downward swing.

Returning to Ninna-ji, Musashi fights the elder of the Genma brothers, Burai. The flow is to parry to enter the Kien state, stack various buffs to complete the setup, and then relentlessly aim for Issen before the buffs run out to end the match quickly.

In this fight, the commentator shares thoughts on buffs. Because the buff timers stop during things like Break Issen animations, every buff feels like it lasts surprisingly long. Item buffs in particular are often useful, and the commentator says figuring out how to combine them is one of the joys of the game's combat. The commentator feels that the game is designed with plenty of strategic touches so it doesn't become merely a game of reflexes.

In the second phase, the commentator responded with Issen even to sudden lightning strikes and thrusts with a strict timing window. The commentator explained that Issen can be timed to either the beam or the weapon during the late-fight special move, and chose the weapon this time. Landing Issens on back attacks and big swings as well, the commentator defeated Burai.

At Mount Oe, which has become a Genma stronghold, Musashi fights Shuten-doji, the leader who abducts people and holds feasts. According to the commentator, because this is the important scene where Musashi awakens to the power of the Onimusha, the cutscenes run somewhat long.

In the first half, the commentator enters Kien with a parry, breaks Rikido with Issen, and lands a Break Issen. Since there was no mark for a second health bar, the commentator thought it would be easy, but then the enemy suddenly burst into flames. The commentator met an attack where it breathes fire and then leaps to fling flames with an Issen, closed the distance with Shukuchi, and landed another Issen. After that, a scripted battle begins, and the story advances whether you are defeated by the overwhelmingly powerful Shuten-doji or hold out for a while.

In the second phase, Musashi, having gained the power of the oni, fully awakens as an Onimusha and can now transform into a powerful form for a limited time. As the commentator explains, during full awakening Issen becomes much easier, and you can Issen almost any attack. There are other perks too, such as automatic soul absorption and a permanent Kien state. Pressing the button at the end of the awakening also lets you unleash the "Onimusha Secret Art." The commentator unleashed it just before time ran out, showing an animation in which a tree that sprang up out of nowhere is split in two and leaves scatter. Afterward, returning to normal mode, the commentator whittled down its health with the recently obtained spear and Issen. The final blow was shooting its swollen face.

Summoned again by the Genma brothers, Musashi fights both at once after they have trained in hell. The commentator went in planning to use full awakening freely. However, the commentator points out that multi-enemy fights in this game are "blatantly rigged matches," designed so that the two never attack at the same time except for coordinated attacks. The commentator jokes that the brothers, bound by such a system, are pitiful, so it's best to let them rest in peace quickly.

In this fight, the commentator planned gauge management in detail. Right as awakening is about to run out, the commentator uses the Secret Art and returns to the normal state. Based on how much health has been depleted, a coordinated attack is guaranteed to come at this point, so the commentator parries it to enter the Kien state. At this moment the brothers roll around together, so landing a Jinari hits both of them. It breaks Rikido and also earns purple souls, which the commentator calls the best. After the Break Issen, the commentator collected souls and entered a second full awakening. When the brothers left an opening to prepare a big attack, the commentator used the Secret Art to cancel awakening even with time remaining. At this timing, the enemies keep trying to execute the big attack, so the commentator used that window to reapply buffs and recover the Oni Power gauge. The commentator then shot down the floating bladders to gather the brothers in one place, hit both at once with a fully charged Jinari, and entered a third full awakening.

The commentator describes this sequence as a highlight of the game's combat. In the boss fights of the latter half of the story, gauge management becomes fun. The commentator says they feel the perspective on combat gradually shifting, from the micro-level mind game of whether you can land an Issen well to the macro-level mind game of how to sustain full awakening.

In the final stretch, the commentator concentrated on the younger brother, who had been worn down first as a priority. If they unleash their next big attack, the brothers start a "sports day" of running all over the place, so the aim was to defeat one of them before that and prevent the big attack. The commentator says the one-on-one with the remaining elder brother had the same pattern as the previous Burai fight and was a formality. The commentator also adds that it would have been fun if the elder brother had absorbed his younger brother's soul and grown giant. The commentator finished him off with the Secret Art.

In Arashiyama, shrouded in miasma, Musashi meets Ganryu again. Ganryu has been absorbing people's souls, and Musashi has already lost to this Ganryu once. While Ganryu dawdles, the commentator lands a Jinari and starts the fight in full awakening. "Gio," growing from his back, also attacks from time to time, so caution is needed.

In this fight, you can choose either the head or the belly as the target of a Break Issen. By the commentator's assessment, the head seems to have a longer animation but also higher damage. Being able to choose each time you break him is fun, and the commentator calls it a pleasing touch. While attacking carelessly, the commentator ended up severing Gio's arm and muttered, "Sorry about that, somehow." In the second phase, the enemy's appearance becomes more extravagant, but its attack patterns don't change much. On the second attempt, the commentator finally succeeded in cutting the head. However, Ganryu is immortal and apparently won't stop unless his gauntlet is cut off. The commentator answered a never-before-seen ranged attack with Issen as well and wrapped things up with the Secret Art.

Dokyo, finally cornered, is an enemy who does nothing but run around. The commentator says the "sweet spot" is being able to close the distance instantly with the spear or Issen, and that chasing him normally would take all day. There are also many gimmicks, including a shooting-gallery-style attack. Poking him with the spear to chip away at his health makes souls come out, which you absorb before stabbing him with the spear again. The commentator rates it as a highly valuable weapon against this boss.

When one of his few weapon attacks comes, the commentator immediately parries it to enter the Kien state, describing this as "not neglecting the basics." When Dokyo approaches with a mask, the commentator circles behind the main body to trigger an explosion, and when something red approaches, the commentator dodges to grab it and throw it. Before the late-fight big attack could start a sports day, the commentator stopped it at the last moment with full awakening followed by the Onimusha Secret Art. Finally, the commentator closed the distance while chipping away with the spear and finished him with the sword in the Kien state.

At last, Musashi comes face to face with the mastermind. The commentator says the enemy is also "a pretty good character" and pauses to listen to what he has to say first. The final boss is Minamoto no Yoshitsune. The commentator lands two Jinari hits on Yoshitsune while he's off guard to nearly deplete his Rikido gauge, parries a weapon attack to enter the Kien state, and fully breaks Rikido. Judging from the marks on the health gauge that there are three bars in total, the commentator finished the first form with full awakening, remarking, "Even a legendary warrior is surprisingly underwhelming."

In the second form, a rejuvenated Yoshitsune dons armor. The commentator aims to destroy the armor with Dakai and, as time runs low, uses the Secret Art to return to normal mode. Because the Kien state was activated at the start, Kien continues even after awakening ends. The commentator points out that this steady groundwork pays off in damage dealt here. After breaking the little remaining armor, the commentator finally lands a Break Issen, then whittles down the rest with the spear while squeezing out souls in preparation for what comes next.

In the final form, Musashi feeds souls to the gauntlet and fully awakens. As Shizuka Gozen explains, the final form only takes damage from attacks made in the awakened state. The awakening gauge was about half full. Issen can recover the gauge slightly, and choosing the purple target with a Break Issen also recovers it. Using these to extend awakening time, the commentator kept attacking right up to the limit, and after whittling him down as far as possible, landed the Onimusha Secret Art to defeat Yoshitsune.

In the ending, Musashi vanquishes Yoshitsune and sets out on a new path. The commentator's overall verdict is that the swordplay is superb, with "nothing left to say." The commentator also says the protagonist's personality and the way it's portrayed are appealing, making it a game where you naturally feel a sense of unity with the character as you play. Personally, the commentator liked the duels with the Genma brothers best. The commentator closes the video by saying they enjoyed the lively screen of fighting two opponents at once, as well as the presentation that conveyed mutual respect between the two despite their being enemies.