New Game Plus in Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Who this is for): players asking “what carries over in NG+”, and anyone planning what to finish before the final boss. Difficulty basics are on the Carnage Mode page.

Does the Game Have NG+?

Yes — but it is fused with the unlockable Carnage difficulty. Finishing the campaign unlocks Carnage, which PC Gamer describes as a New Game+ mode that carries over some progress from a completed save. There is no separate “New Game+” menu item that re-runs the story on the same difficulty with everything intact.

How to Unlock NG+

Beat the game once — the final stretch is the mission “The Clash at Rendaino”, which is also the point of no return on that save (keep a manual save before it if you plan to clean up side content first, per guide advice). After the credits, Carnage appears as a difficulty option on a new run.

What Carries Over

The following are reported by current guides as carrying into the Carnage NG+ run; confirm the exact state in your save because the list is not first-party documentation:

• Awakened Oni abilities and enhanced basic and special abilities — your skill-tree investment persists (this is why Oni Stones spent on special abilities are safe long-term).
• Acquired Hozuki Pouches and their upgrades.
• Items, offerings, and possibly some materials — material carry-over is specifically ambiguous; do not spend or discard rare stock based on an assumed reset/carry rule.
• Charms and charm upgrades (charm guide).
• Unlocked outfits.
• Tutorial drills and boss-rematch unlocks and completion.
• Genma Notes and rescued Lion Dogs (collectible progress).

What Resets

• Story and side-quest progress — the campaign and optional quests restart. Specifically, Mysteries of Kyoto (8 total) and Chance Encounters (18 total) completion resets in NG+ (gamingpromax) — finish them on the first playthrough. Nothing is permanently missable: after the credits you can pick Continue from the main menu and return to the open world before the final mission.
• Clothing, sword, and Oni Gauntlet upgrades — equipment must be re-upgraded (material guide).
• Materials for those equipment upgrades — guide-reported reset behavior; verify before treating it as definitive.
• Red Souls — spend them before the final boss or lose the balance (red souls guide).
• Spirit Mirror save / fast-travel state — PC Gamer includes “Spirit Mirror save” in the non-carry list; treat mirror unlocks and save-state conveniences as reset (details unverified).

Skills, Charms and Armaments in NG+

• Skills: awakened/enhanced abilities carry over — you start stronger, which is the point of the mode.
• Charms: charms and their upgrades carry over — charm-hunting is a safe pre-boss investment.
• Oni Armaments: armament unlocks and upgrades are part of the carried ability layer; the equipment that runs on blue souls is what resets (armament locations).

Difficulty Options

Story and Action difficulties can be switched freely at save points during a normal run. Carnage is different: it is locked once chosen — you cannot drop back to Story or Action (PC Gamer). Its description: a single hit can mean death; a high-stakes mode where carelessness can kill.

What to Do Before the Final Boss

1. Spend your Red Souls — skills first, then Yorimasa-monument material trades (red soul guide).
2. Finish charm and armament pickups you want carried (charms, armament locations).
3. Clear remaining side content and chest-hunting for the save’s collectible checklist (side quests, puzzles).
4. Keep a manual save before “The Clash at Rendaino” if you want a cleanup file.

Is NG+ Worth Playing?

Editorial: yes for one reason — stones. PowerPyx notes you cannot fully upgrade every special ability in one playthrough because Oni Stones are short (Oni Stones guide); a second run with carried abilities is the intended way to finish the build and the trophy-style completion goals. The catch is the locked-in Carnage difficulty.

FAQ