If you are wondering how long Onimusha: Way of the Sword takes to beat, the answer depends on how much of the game you want to complete. The main story takes around 20 hours, while a normal playthrough with optional content can take around 25 hours. Players who want to explore more of Kyoto, complete optional objectives, and collect additional items can spend around 33 hours on a single completionist-style playthrough.
Going for everything, including post-game content and the harder Carnage difficulty, can push the total playtime beyond 60 hours. Here is everything you need to know about the Onimusha: Way of the Sword campaign length, playtime, side content, and completionist hours.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Playtime Quick Overview
- Main Story: Around 20 hours
- Average Playthrough: Around 25 hours
- Completionist Single Playthrough: Around 33 hours
- Full Completion: 60+ hours
- Game Type: Action-adventure
- Structure: Mostly linear with an explorable Kyoto hub
- Main Character: Miyamoto Musashi
- Side Content: Mysteries of Kyoto, Chance Encounters, collectibles, and optional objectives
- Post-Game Content: Carnage difficulty and additional unlockables
How Long Does Onimusha: Way of the Sword Take to Beat?
The Onimusha: Way of the Sword main story takes around 20 hours to complete. This is a good estimate if your main goal is to follow Musashi’s story and finish the main missions without spending too much time on optional activities.
The game is mostly linear, but it also gives players an explorable area in Eastern Kyoto. This hub opens up as you progress and contains optional objectives, secrets, and additional activities.
VGC’s current guide puts the average playthrough at around 25 hours, which gives a better idea of how long the game can take when you mix the main story with some optional content.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Playtime
| Playstyle | Estimated Time |
| Main Story | Around 20 hours |
| Average Playthrough | Around 25 hours |
| Completionist Single Run | Around 33 hours |
| Full Completion | 60+ hours |
These numbers can change depending on difficulty, how quickly you learn the combat system, and how much optional content you complete.
How Long Is the Onimusha: Way of the Sword Main Story?
The main campaign of Onimusha Way of the Sword takes approximately 20 hours. The story follows Miyamoto Musashi through an Edo-period Kyoto that has been corrupted by Malice and invaded by the Genma. The campaign is built around sword combat, exploration, boss fights, and story missions.
Unlike a huge open-world RPG, Way of the Sword keeps its overall scope relatively focused. TechRadar also describes the game as having a roughly 20-hour campaign, with the story moving between more linear missions and a smaller Kyoto hub.
This makes Onimusha: Way of the Sword much shorter than games that are designed around 50- or 100-hour campaigns.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Full Completionist Single Run
If you want to complete most of the available content in a single playthrough, expect around 33 hours.
This means spending more time on optional objectives rather than simply following the main story. You can explore additional areas, complete side activities, and search for collectibles such as Lion Dogs.
However, completing everything does not end with your first playthrough.
Some unlockables and items require you to play through the game again on Carnage difficulty, which becomes available after finishing the game once. Because of this, players aiming for full completion can spend 60 hours or more across multiple playthroughs.
Does Difficulty Affect Onimusha: Way of the Sword Playtime?
Yes, difficulty can affect how long your playthrough takes. Way of the Sword has challenging combat, particularly during boss fights. Several bosses can require multiple attempts while you learn their attacks, timing, and weaknesses.
Game Informer’s review describes the game as significantly more difficult than previous Onimusha games, with its combat demanding a strong understanding of parrying, counters, and other mechanics.
If you are playing on a greater difficulty or are new to the combat system, your playtime can therefore be longer than the general 20-hour estimate.
Is Onimusha: Way of the Sword a Long Game?
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is not an extremely long game, but it offers more content than its main campaign length suggests.
The main story is around 20 hours, and the average playthrough is around 25 hours. Players who want to complete most of the optional content can reach around 33 hours in a single run.
The biggest increase comes from replaying the game and tackling its post-game content. With Carnage difficulty and additional unlockables, players chasing full completion can spend more than 60 hours with the game.
Summary
So, how long is Onimusha: Way of the Sword? You should expect around 20 hours for the main story. A more typical playthrough with optional content takes approximately 25 hours, while a completionist-style single run can take around 33 hours.
If you want to go beyond the first playthrough and unlock everything, the total can reach 60+ hours because of Carnage difficulty and additional post-game requirements.
For players who prefer focused action games over huge open worlds, Onimusha: Way of the Sword offers a relatively compact campaign while still giving you enough optional content and replay value to spend considerably more time with Musashi.
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