2026’s going to be a legendary year for gaming – and Capcom’s leading the way with Onimusha, Resident Evil and Pragmata

Domagoj Belancic

2.9.2025

Translation: Megan Cornish

2026 will be a year that’ll forever go down in video game history. One Japanese publisher – Capcom – is at the forefront of things with three top-notch Game of the Year candidates.

Guys, I’m scared of next year. Not because I’m turning the ancient age of 35, slowly getting grey hair and becoming increasingly aware of my own mortality. Granted, that’s not too cool either. But what’s really stressing me out is the incredible avalanche of excellent games that’ll bury me in 2026.

First, there’s the colossus known as GTA 6, which will be responsible for a plethora of dubious sick notes and spontaneous vacations in May and beyond. Console manufacturers are also bringing out the big guns. The PS5 is getting titles like Marvel’s Wolverine and Saros. Xbox fans are hoping for Fable, Gears of War: E-Day – and maybe even The Elder Scrolls 6. Nintendo is countering with From Software exclusive The Duskbloods and the usual barrage of in-house gems – with a bit of luck: new spin-offs of Mario, Xenoblades, and Pokémon. Added to that are countless blockbusters from third-party developers like Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, 007 First Light, Judas, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Nioh 3, Phantom Blade Zero and Stranger than Heaven.

Man oh man.

As if that wasn’t enough, I collected three more titles for my Game of the Year 2026 list at a press event with Capcom: Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Resident Evil: Requiem and Pragmata.

These three titles were only previously on the very edges of my radar – if that. However, after some hands-on experience, I’m sure Capcom has three major contenders for Game of the Year 2026 in the pipeline – despite incredibly strong competition.

First contender: Onimusha: Way of the Sword

The first thing I’m going to do is dive into the revival of a nearly forgotten classic. The original Onimusha game – released on the PS2 in 2001 – was essentially a Resident Evil set in feudal Japan. With fixed camera perspectives, pre-rendered backgrounds and tank controls, the goal was to explore historic castles filled with puzzles and Japanese zombies demons.

For its comeback, Capcom uses the most important stylistic elements of the original and translates them into a modern gameplay construct – including «real» 3D environments and free camera control.

In the demo, I take on the role of Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary Japanese swordsman. My goal: a castle under a threatening black cloud, indicating a particularly strong demonic presence.

Even on my way there, I’m attacked by all sorts of demonic scum. On the surface, Onimusha: Way of the Sword looks like just another Soulslike title. In reality, however, the game belongs more in the casual hack ’n’ slash genre. This means that the timing of attacks, blocks and dodges is more forgiving, and there are more enemies waiting for me to send them to the afterlife.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is one of those games where the controls are instantly familiar. I don’t need any time to get used to them – I’m instantly attuned to the controller from the moment I slay my first demon. The combat system’s fast, challenging and addictive. It’s topped off with powerful special attacks I can unleash once I’ve absorbed enough of my enemies’ cursed souls.

The gameplay highlight of the demo’s the boss fight against another gifted samurai. That clash between the two swordsmen is a choreography display of unstoppable violence and elegant evasive manoeuvres. It’s pure action cinema!

Graphically, the demo looks pretty impressive. I especially like the protagonist’s facial expressions. Even in frantic moments, I occasionally catch a glimpse of his face, etched with effort and disgust for the demons. The fluttering of his cloak also looks incredibly cool – as does the ugly demons’ appearance, some of which I recognise from the first game.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s scheduled for release sometime in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. But it’s easy to check out the original games while you’re waiting. Remastered versions of the first two PS2 games are available for all modern platforms.

Second nominee: Resident Evil: Requiem

Claustrophobia, panic and disgust overwhelm me while playing the Resident Evil: Requiem demo. I slip into the role of FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, who’s being held captive somewhere in a dark mansion. The visibly shaken investigator manages to free herself from her shackles with a shard of glass.

This demo gives me the choice of playing in first-person or third-person mode. I choose the former for immersion.

Resident Evil: Requiem looks stunning from Grace’s perspective. I’m playing the demo on a PS5 Pro and enjoying ray-traced lighting effects and reflections at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second (fps). Flickering lamps illuminate the dark corridors for a few moments, while sporadic emergency lights bathe the scenery in menacing red. At least Grace’s lighter helps me out a bit in the darkest corners of the level. It doesn’t take long for me to be overwhelmed by the incredibly dense horror atmosphere.

I quickly realise I’m not alone in the dark corridors. A huge, humanoid monster with bulging eyes and gigantic teeth is devouring a lifeless zombie before my eyes.

The ugly thing constantly follows me from then on. It sneaks through the corridors, hides in partition walls and scares me with stealthy attacks from the shadows. I find safe havens in the few lit rooms – that is, unless the power goes out again. I can’t defend myself then – I’m completely helpless. For me, this is the scariest kind of horror. Later on, the game’ll also feature firearms and melee weapons.

While I’m fleeing from the beast, I occasionally solve puzzles that couldn’t be more classic. I press switches, search for items and move things around to escape the mansion and the monster. I’m overcome by nostalgic Resi-esque feelings.

Speaking of nostalgia, the developer says part of the plot of Requiem takes place in Racoon City – the city where the Umbrella zombie outbreak all began. What secrets await us back at the start of the Resident Evil franchise? Will we see old friends and old-school zombies again? Can I explore the city freely?

The development team’s aiming to create «addictive fear» with the game – the demo certainly got me hooked.

Resident Evil: Requiem will be released on 27 February 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC – just in time for the series’ 30th (!) anniversary.

Third hopeful: Pragmata

Pragmata was the game I was least hyped for before my play session – the new sci-fi IP was announced in 2020, then faded into obscurity. After completing the demo, it’s the game I’m most excited about – finally, a gameplay concept that feels truly fresh and not overdone!

I take on the role of astronaut Hugh Williams, who’s tasked with investigating mysterious events on a lunar base. He gets separated from his team and encounters childlike android Diana, who saves his life. From then on, the blonde robot girl rides on his back – it reminds me of the ape-tastic Donkey Kong Bananza.

The space station’s brimming with all sorts of dangerous murder robots intent on killing Hugh and Diana. Luckily, Hugh’s armed with some epic sci-fi guns, which he uses to blast holes into those nasty tin cans. But Pragmata has much more to offer than just dull robot gunfights.

The ingenious gameplay twist: Diana can hack robots while Hugh fills them with lead. The hacking takes place in real time with a mini-game that appears next to the targeted enemy. Using the ✕, O, △, and □ buttons, I navigate a cursor through a square game board. Hacks are distributed across this board that weaken, slow, paralyse or even injure enemies. I have to try and connect as many of these hacks as possible in one move before I can reach the target with the cursor.

My brain first has to get used to this unusual symbiosis of shooting and hacking gameplay – it’s as if I’m playing two games at once.

But I’m learning quickly. By the final boss, I feel like an all-powerful, multitasking android myself. I hack the giant robot, revealing its weak points and poking holes in it while running, flying through the air and dodging attacks. It’s crazy!

I’m also blown away by the audiovisual performance. The cold, clean architecture of the space station is embellished with glowing neon elements and holograms, which create a super stylish overall image. The demo runs on the PS5 Pro with plenty of ray-traced reflections at a stable 60 FPS.

The music’s also impressive, with electronic and often chaotic sounds that add tension, especially during intense battles. I’m sure Pragmata will be a very, very special game.

Pragmata is due for release sometime in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

What’s your most wanted list for 2026? Which of the Capcom games I featured impressed you?

Domagoj Belancic

Senior Editor

Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.ch

My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.

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