Last updated: 5 September 2026

Onimusha: Way of the Sword Difficulty Settings — Story, Action or Carnage?

There's no hidden difficulty slider buried in a menu — Way of the Sword keeps it to three named modes, and the one decision that actually matters going in is whether to start on Story or Action, since Carnage isn't available until you've already finished a full playthrough.

01Story Mode — For Narrative-Focused Players

Story mode is built for players who want to see the game through without fighting the combat system for every encounter. It leans on on-screen action prompts to help you react to attacks, which noticeably softens the timing pressure around parries, deflects and Issen. If you're new to Onimusha or action games generally, or you just want to focus on the story around Musashi and Kyoto without repeated boss attempts, this is the intended starting point.

02Action Mode — The Real Default

Action mode is the difficulty the game is actually balanced around, and it's what most returning players and action-game regulars should start on. It keeps you on your toes throughout, without the extra prompting Story mode provides — you're expected to read enemy tells yourself. If Action feels rough in the first couple of hours before your skill tree and gear catch up, that's normal for the genre; it gets more manageable as you unlock more Basic and Special Skills.

03Carnage Mode — Unlocked After You Finish the Game

Carnage is the extreme option, and it isn't available from the start — you have to complete the game once on Story or Action before it unlocks. It's built for a New Game+-style replay for players who already know the game's systems and bosses, where a single hit can kill you. Once you commit to Carnage, you can't switch away from it partway through, so treat picking it as a deliberate choice for a harder replay rather than something to try on a whim.

04How to Actually Change Difficulty

Difficulty isn't locked in at the start of the game. You have two ways to adjust it:

• At a Spirit Mirror — the same menu you use to travel and save has a "Change Difficulty Level" option, letting you freely move between Story and Action whenever you want.
• From the death screen — if you're dying repeatedly on Action mode, the game eventually adds a red option at the bottom of the death screen offering to drop you to Story difficulty on the spot. It doesn't appear after your very first death; it shows up after several consecutive attempts on the same fight.

One limitation worth knowing: if you take the death-screen drop to Story, you can't switch back up to Action from that same screen or from the pause menu — you have to travel to a Spirit Mirror to go back. And again, Carnage is a one-way door once selected.