Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the latest installment in Capcom's samurai action series, is set to launch after a 20-year hiatus. Unlike its predecessors, which were primarily set during Japan's Sengoku period, this new entry transports players to the Edo period. While Edo (modern-day Tokyo) served as the nation's capital, protagonist Miyamoto Musashi's adventures will largely unfold in Kyoto.
Director Satoru Nihei explained that the decision to set the game in Kyoto stemmed from the city's rich tapestry of strange, dark stories and myths. These elements were found to be a compelling match for Onimusha's narrative, particularly in weaving the demonic Genma into the historical fabric of Kyoto. "Whilst investigating and researching Kyoto, we started finding all these strange dark stories and myths tied to Kyoto, and felt it was a really good match for Onimusha in terms of having the Genma involved in some of these dark elements of Kyoto’s history," Nihei stated. This discovery became a pivotal factor in selecting Kyoto as the game's primary location.
The game is set in the early Edo period, specifically between 1603 and 1613, with a young Miyamoto Musashi in his twenties. Although Musashi will journey to other locales, such as the Oni Realm, the majority of the game's events will occur within Kyoto. While the historical Musashi did visit Kyoto, Capcom has taken creative liberties with the circumstances and timing for the game. In the game's narrative, Musashi's initial motivation for traveling to Kyoto is not to confront Genma but to seek out further sword dueling challenges.
To ensure accessibility for a global audience, the developers have opted to keep the political and historical complexities of the period relatively subdued. "In terms of politics and the surrounding historical context, [Musashi] doesn’t really factor into that too much, and just because we wanted to release this game to a global audience, we didn’t want to delve too deep into Japanese history and politics, which may not be as accessible for people outside of Japan," Nihei elaborated.
Lead writer Hiroshi Yamashita and his team drew inspiration from Kyoto's legends and myths when developing the game's characters. These historical accounts served as a foundation, with elements from various sources being integrated to create more complex and mysterious figures. "But in terms of actually writing the characters themselves, a lot of that comes from [me], and then I take that to the director and the rest of the team," Yamashita shared.
The development team made multiple research trips to Kyoto, a city just a short train ride away, to immerse themselves in its atmosphere, history, and sensory details. Art director Hiroyuki Nara described the game's rendition of Kyoto as aiming for an "eerily beautiful dark fantasy." While acknowledging Kyoto's common perception as a vibrant, green landscape, Nara noted that the game's setting and time period necessitated a darker aesthetic. "The general depiction or impression of Kyoto, for a lot of people, is a vivid kind of green, beautiful place, and [I would have] loved to recreate that sense in the game. But just because of the setting and the time that it is, it’s obviously got a much darker edge than real-life Kyoto, so it’s something [I had to hold back on]."
Despite these stylistic adjustments, many real-world locations and architectural elements from Kyoto, such as pagodas and shrines, are faithfully represented in the game. The development team even visited sites like Yasui Konpiragu Shrine and Kiyomizu-dera Temple as part of their research process.