I press Continue and watch the credits roll, pulse still high from the last boss. You lean back, staring at the save slot that just finished — it sits like a coin in a slot, tempting you to press Start again. I’ll walk you through what that second run actually hands back to you, and what it quietly takes away.
I’ve replayed carnage-level runs and poked through menus on the Steam and PlayStation builds to verify what carries over. Read this if you want to enter New Game Plus armed, not guessing.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword New Game Plus, Explained
You see the New Game Plus option only after you finish the story once. Start a new playthrough on Carnage Mode and the game will preserve a surprising amount from your completed save — but with a few sharp caveats.
- Awakened Oni Abilities — all of them carry over, so your supernatural toolkit stays intact.
- All upgraded basic and special abilities — every skill level you earned remains.
- Hozuki Pouches and their enhancements — pouches and their boosts come with you, though some pouch functions (like switching haori) require the usual story progression to become usable.
- Charms and upgrades — anything that modifies stats or grants passive effects follows you into the next run.
- Most items, offerings, and materials — your consumables largely survive the reset, but read the exceptions below.
- All unlocked Clothing, Haori Coats, and Sword appearances — cosmetic rewards (including the Panda and Wataru-kun costumes) remain available from the start.
- Drills and Boss Rematch stages — any additional challenge stages you opened remain opened.
- Rescued Lion Dogs and Genma Notes — collectibles and notes are carried forward.
But don’t assume everything is safe. Side-content progress is wiped at the new playthrough’s start. Weapon, Clothing, and Gauntlet levels reset. Your Red Soul stock disappears on transfer — spend it beforehand or lose it. Also excluded from carrying over are:
- The Oni Bow.
- All equipment enhancement materials.
- Unlocked Spirit Mirror fast-travel points.
What carries over into New Game Plus in Onimusha: Way of the Sword?
If you want the short answer for planning: your abilities, charms, cosmetics, most inventory, and completed challenge content carry. Your gear levels, enhancement mats, and fast-travel points do not. Treat New Game Plus as a second playthrough with a powerful built-in advantage and a few practical losses — spend any currency or upgrade mats before you commit.
How do I start New Game Plus?
Beat the story once, then start a new game on Carnage Mode. You cannot toggle Carnage back to an easier setting once you begin that NG+ run. I recommend clearing out Red Souls and any enhancement materials first, and double-check your Hozuki Pouches and Charms so nothing valuable vanishes mid-load.
Does Onimusha: Way of the Sword have difficulty settings
You pick your difficulty at the start menu and can flip between two broad modes at Spirit Mirrors. The game lets you switch between Action and Story at any Spirit Mirror, but Carnage Mode is a one-way street once selected.
Carnage Mode is a meat grinder for mistakes, so expect enemies to punish sloppy play. If you want a stiffer first run without committing to Carnage, try a self-imposed rule set: no items, no revival, or disable enemy HUD bars for that retro tension. Alternately, turn on Action Prompts in Settings if you want help dealing with big enemy groups or late-game bosses.
I’ve tested both PlayStation and Steam versions and the behavior is identical across platforms — CAPCOM kept consistency, which is helpful if you move between PC and console. Metacritic threads and community posts on Steam often debate whether removing health bars gives a truer Onimusha feel; the consensus from long-time players is split, which means it’s as much about preference as it is about challenge.
If you care about collectibles, remember that story-gated features (for example, haori pouch switching) still require the in-story unlock, even when you start NG+. Ready to risk Carnage and see how far your Oni will push you this time?