GUIDES
Onimusha: Way of the Sword New Game Plus Guide
Learn how New Game Plus and Carnage unlock, what carries over or resets, how Continue differs, and which save and reward details remain unconfirmed.
Quick answer
Yes. Launch-period gameplay shows a New Game Plus-style flow tied to a completed save and Carnage difficulty, including an in-game carryover prompt. Finish one playthrough, preserve a separate manual save, then use the completed save and review the prompt before starting the new story. Exact menu wording, button order and save-slot behavior were not captured.
Last checked: September 8, 2026. Evidence is from launch-period builds; no dedicated official NG+ patch statement was found.
Continue or New Game Plus?
| Option | What it does | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Continue | Returns to the old world before the final Point of No Return for cleanup | It is not New Game Plus or chapter selection |
| New Game Plus / Carnage | Starts a new story using completed-save carryover rules | Original save copy/overwrite behavior is unknown |
| Boss Rematch state | Its unlock/completion state carries | Immediate access can be story-gated |
| Chapter / mission select | Not established | Do not treat Continue as mission selection |
If unfinished side content or collectibles matter to you, use Continue before starting the new flow.
Evidence-safe start checklist
- Complete one playthrough and confirm the completed-save state.
- Make a separate manual save as a precaution.
- Use Continue for any old-world cleanup you do not want to replay.
- At the title or save interface, locate the new-flow entry associated with the completed save.
- Read the displayed carryover prompt and Carnage warning.
- Start only after accepting the reset boundaries below.
The separate save is safety advice, not proof that the game automatically preserves the original completed save.
What carries over
| Category | Carry state | Immediate availability | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awakened Oni Abilities | Carries | Not separately tested | Named categories include Oni Strength, Vision and Agility |
| Enhanced basic / special abilities | Carries | Not separately tested | Does not prove a generic character level |
| Hozuki Pouches and enhancements | Carries | Story-gated | Pouch management reopens later |
| Items | Carries with exceptions | Unknown | Not every key item; Oni Bow is separate |
| Offerings | Carries | Unknown | Subtypes were not itemized |
| Some materials | Partial | Unknown | Exact items unknown; enhancement materials reset separately |
| Charms and enhancements | Carries | Story-gated | Enma's Hall reopens with story progress |
| Acquired outfits / appearances | Carries | Story-gated | Separate from Clothing enhancement level |
| Drills, Boss Rematch, Genma Notes, rescued Lion Dogs | State carries | Story-gated | Access menus reopen later |
| Oni Armaments | Conflict / unknown | Unknown | Visible prompt omission conflicts with one narration claim |
Carryover and immediate availability are different. A retained state can remain inaccessible until its menu or system reopens.
What resets or must be reacquired
Launch-period guides cross-check the following, but this is not a complete in-game negative matrix.
| Category | Reported state | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Main story and side content | Reset | Mysteries of Kyoto and Chance Encounters are included in the PS5 guide route |
| Clothing, sword and gauntlet enhancement levels | Reset | Acquired appearances are a separate carried field |
| Equipment enhancement materials | Reset | Separate from the prompt's unspecified “some materials” |
| Red Souls | Reset | Recollect in the new run |
| Spirit Mirror / fast-travel progress | Reset | Reopen map progression |
| Oni Bow | Reset / reacquire | L3 guide cross-check; not direct negative UI evidence |
| Red-soul shop progress / inventory | Partial reset | Exact scope unknown |
| Generic level, other currencies, settings and base values | Unknown | No default rule can be safely applied |
Carnage difficulty and rewards
Multiple launch-period sources associate Carnage with the first-clear NG+ flow. Two guides report that once Carnage starts it cannot be lowered to Story or Action, but a direct settings capture was not collected. IGN observed more aggressive regular enemies and some added boss moves; this is not a full scaling or all-enemy matrix.
Sources conflict about the Carnage completion reward—one describes a functional weapon, another describes appearance and clothing-related rewards. Without direct settlement and equipment evidence, the reward remains unresolved. Do not plan a run around either claim.
Before you start
- Finish desired old-world cleanup with Continue.
- Preserve a separate manual save.
- Review Red Souls and enhancement materials that guides list as reset.
- Record your Spirit Mirror, Oni Bow, shop and inventory state.
- Keep acquired appearances separate from equipment enhancement levels.
- Capture the completed-save inventory if you want to verify uncertain Oni Armament behavior.
For trophy planning, see the trophy guide. For confirmed weapon categories and boundaries, use the weapons guide.
What is still unconfirmed
Exact menu and save-slot steps, automatic preservation of the original completed save, Oni Armament carryover, the itemized “some materials” list, the exact Carnage reward, NG++, chapter select, platform parity and an official feature patch number all remain unknown or conflicted.
Frequently asked questions
How do you unlock New Game Plus?
Finish one playthrough. Launch-period sources associate the completed save with Carnage and the new-flow carryover prompt.
Can you change difficulty after starting Carnage?
Two guides say Carnage cannot be lowered to Story or Action. Direct settings-menu evidence was not captured.
Does the Oni Bow carry over?
Multiple launch-period guides list it as reset and requiring reacquisition; this is not direct negative UI evidence.
Are retained systems available immediately?
Not always. Pouch management, Enma's Hall, outfits, Practice Grounds and records can reopen through story progress.
Should I create a separate save?
Yes as risk control, because the completed-save copy, overwrite and slot behavior is not verified.