Onimusha: Way of the Sword - New Game Plus Hard Mode
Survive Carnage (NG+ Hard) in Onimusha Way of the Sword. Pre-final-mission checklist, what carries vs resets, combat changes, Issen training priorities, and mistakes that waste your run.
Goal: Survive and clear Onimusha: Way of the Sword on Carnage (the locked hard mode that is New Game Plus) after one story clear. Players are most worried about one-hit deaths, extra boss moves, enemies that parry and counter more, and wasting a run because they started unprepared or picked the wrong save. Carnage only unlocks after you beat the story once. It is locked for that entire run. You cannot drop difficulty.
1Finish First Playthrough the Right Way
- 1Free-roam and finish side content before accepting The Clash At Rendaino.
That mission locks you out of cleanup on that save. Reload a pre-final save if you still need collectibles or side quests.
- 2Mysteries of Kyoto and Chance Encounters reset in NG+.
Finish them on the first run.
- 3Spend every Red Soul before the final mission.
Souls reset to zero. Use them on skills, charms, and Hozuki Pouches. Those do carry.
- 4Max charms and Hozuki Pouches if you can.
Community prep talk puts the target around a large soul and favor farm so healing and charm slots are ready when damage is lethal.
- 5Make a manual save immediately before the final mission.
So you can still clean up or start Carnage from a complete file.
2What Carries vs What Resets
Carries (Your Real Advantage)
- Awakened Oni abilities (Eye, Arm, Leg)
- Enhanced basic and special skills (including Oni Vision)
- Hozuki Pouches and pouch upgrades
- Charms and charm upgrades
- Items, offerings, and some materials
- Unlocked outfits
- Tutorial drills, Boss Rematch unlocks and completion
- Genma Notes and rescued Lion Dogs
Resets (Why Early Carnage Still Hurts)
- Story and sidequest progress
- Clothing, sword, and gauntlet upgrades
- Most upgrade materials (Fine Silk Cloth, Tamahagane, etc.)
- Red Souls (back to zero)
- Spirit Mirror and shop progression
- Oni bow (you find it again through the story)
3How to Start the Carnage Run
- 1Beat the game and watch credits.
- 2Main menu, then New Game Plus.
Use the completed save.
- 3Select Carnage.
Confirm knowing you cannot change it later.
4How Combat Changes and What to Do Differently
- 1Regular hits can kill you.
Treat every swing as lethal.
- 2Standard Genma parry and counter more.
Deflect and parry even trash mobs. Do not mash.
- 3Some bosses gain new moves.
Players specifically call out Griu getting a counter-style option.
- 4Purple-glow attacks still cannot be blocked or dodged.
You must parry or deflect, or you lose souls and likely the fight.
- 1Practice True Issen, Deflect Issen, and Chain Issen in the Practice Ground before pushing story.
Players mid-Carnage runs say they train Issen timing there first.
- 2Keep Oni Vision skills (Treasures, Treasures 2, Search Range) if you already bought them.
They carry and still highlight collectibles through walls.
- 3High-value skills going into NG+: Reflex Combo, Blazing Gauge, Absorb Souls While Attacking, Handle Bigger Objects, Oni Vision: Destructibles.
- 4Rebuild sword and gauntlet upgrades as soon as materials drop.
You are starting from base weapon stats.
Key Decision Points
- Start Carnage now vs clean first file first. Clean first. Souls, charms, pouches, and side quests you skip are gone or reset.
- NG+ Carnage vs brand-new Carnage file. Always NG+ carry-over. Skills and charms are the only reason early chapters are viable.
- Push story vs farm materials. Farm enough to get weapon and gauntlet upgrades back online before late bosses. One-hit mode plus base damage is a bad combo.
- Boss Rematch timing. Do it after the Carnage story clear. Platinum and trophy talk requires Carnage story and Carnage Boss Rematch. Clearing Carnage also unlocks extra sword skin, haori, and outfit.
Common Mistakes
- Starting Carnage without spending Red Souls or maxing pouches and charms. Souls reset to zero. Spend them all first.
- Accepting the final mission with unfinished side content. Those quests reset in NG+.
- Playing Carnage like Action mode. Trading hits, ignoring trash parries, skipping deflect practice. Every hit is lethal.
- Expecting weapon upgrades or the bow to carry. They do not. You rebuild from base.
- Assuming you can drop difficulty after a wipe. You cannot. Carnage is locked for the entire run.