Onimusha: Way of the Sword will definitely test your sword skills in this latest instalment of the Onimusha series. The only way to prove your worth is to fight your way through the enemy hordes ahead. But that isn’t all, as you also need to solve a few puzzles or navigate difficult terrain to get past certain areas.
Although there aren’t a lot of puzzles in the game, you would be stumped for an answer after reaching the quest called What Lurks in the Shadow. There is a certain mask puzzle here that provides an obscure hint on what you should be doing, which could stall your progress for a bit.
What Lurks in the Shadow Mask Puzzle Location
The mask puzzle can be found upon reaching Underground Laboratory Level 3 as part of the What Lurks in the Shadow questline. You will get to this point after unlocking the Imperial Castle and navigating to Dokyo’s laboratory.
Keep heading down to uncover the third level of the lab while keeping an eye on your quest objectives. Eventually, while navigating the floor, your quest objective will change to “Solve the Mask Puzzle” after stepping foot inside a peculiar room.
Mask Puzzle Solution
Right in front of you is a small shrine with a mask behind the locked shrine door. You will also spot several hanging masks above it. As you step into the room, you will be greeted by a short cutscene that reveals the entire eerie mask room. Initially, it would seem like there aren’t any answers to the puzzle, but I figured it out as I backtracked out of the room.
Puzzle hint: Leave the room and turn around to face the puzzle room entrance. On either side of the entrance are two mask shadows each. Pay attention to the number of slits each mask has, as this will be the order in which you need to hit each mask with the Oni Bow.
In case the solution is hard to memorise, I have mentioned the correct order below:
- 3rd mask.
- 4th mask.
- 1st mask.
- 2nd mask.
Solving the puzzle will unlock the shrine gate, and you can pick up the Unsettling Mask. This particular mask has the following description:
A strange mask, the mere sight of which is discomfiting. But it must be useful for something…
You can now use this mask to unlock one of the previously locked doors that you had encountered earlier, giving you access to the rest of the area.
