Getting Started

The Opening

The game opens with Musashi Miyamoto arriving in Edo-era Kyoto and being ambushed by Genma. On the verge of death, he is gifted the Oni Gauntlet, which is the item that frames every combat system in the game.

Three Souls, Three Uses

The first thing to internalise is the soul system. Every defeated enemy drops colour-coded souls that the Oni Gauntlet absorbs:

• Yellow souls top up Musashi's health.

• Red souls are spent on upgrades.

• Blue souls charge the Oni Armaments, special weapons that deal burst damage.

Learn to Parry Early

Combat is reactive. Strikes and parries both chip away at an enemy's stamina, and a fully stamina-broken enemy is open to Break Issen, an instant execution. Consecutive successful parries or dodges also grant Musashi combat buffs that make follow-ups stronger.

Use Oni Armaments on Bosses

Oni Armaments run on blue souls and are powerful enough to chew through large portions of a boss health bar. Saving blue souls for boss encounters or for tough enemy groups is usually a better call than spending them on regular trash.