Onikira – Demon Killer

Feudal Japan becomes a demon-haunted killing ground where a lone samurai stands between the living world and Yomi, the realm of the dead. Onikira: Demon Killer is a fast, demanding 2D action-platformer that borrows the aggression and combo-minded combat of character-action games, then compresses it into tightly designed side-scrolling stages. You play Yamazaki Jiro, cutting through supernatural armies as crumbling temples, lava pits, spikes, and mechanical hazards turn every encounter into a dangerous arena. The tone is pulpy and mythic rather than solemn, with a constant emphasis on stylish violence and barely controlled momentum.

Combat revolves around chaining attacks, launching enemies, juggling them in mid-air, and choosing the weapon that fits the situation. Jiro has access to four distinct weapons and more than forty moves, so a player can favor direct katana strikes, heavier crowd-clearing options, aerial control with the naginata, or a more cautious ranged approach. Platforming is not just downtime between fights: wall jumps, air dashes, grappling-hook swings, and weapon-specific movement tools help you cross hazards while keeping a combo alive. Seven stages provide escalating enemy groups, environmental traps to exploit, mini-bosses, and larger boss encounters that demand sharper timing and better use of Jiro’s full toolkit.

What makes Onikira stand out is how naturally its traversal systems feed back into combat. Knocking foes into pits or spikes is useful, but collapsing a structure on a crowd or pulling an enemy into the air before finishing them creates the kind of improvisation usually associated with 3D action titles. Its side-on perspective keeps the controls accessible, while the speed, air juggling, and move variety reward players who enjoy practicing routes and mastering encounters. Fans of Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta, or old-school arcade brawlers should find plenty to like, especially if they want a focused single-player action game with more mechanical depth than its indie presentation initially suggests.