You can solve the mask puzzle in a room in the Underground Laboratory, which is a part of the “What Lurks in the Shadows” mission in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. This guide will provide you with tips and tricks on how to solve this mask puzzle in the game, including the correct order of shooting.
How the Mask Puzzle Works
There are four masks in the room that drop from the ceiling on wooden panels, acting as archery targets for your bow. You need to shoot them all with your Oni Bow in a specific order, and if you do it right, it’ll open a cage below containing the Unsettling Mask, which is basically a key for a nearby door mechanism by the Spirit Mirror.
Note that matching masks will appear in circular windows on shoji panels on the opposite wall by the entrance, each lit by a spotlight. The clue for solving this puzzle is the shadows and light shafts cast by those window masks when you view them from outside the room. All you need to do is count the openings on the masks, such as eyes, mouth or forehead holes, visible in each mask’s shadow. There are usually no more than four of them, indicating the shooting order for the corresponding hanging masks.
- Once you enter the room, the four masks will drop from the ceiling.
- Equip the Oni Bow and step back through the doorway to go behind the opposite wall.
- Examine the shadows or light passing through the window masks.
- Count the openings on each to confirm the correct order.
- Go back inside the room, face the hanging masks, and shoot them precisely in that order.
If you did everything right, the cage below will open, so you can collect the Unsettling Mask. Return to the Spirit Mirror and insert the Unsettling Mask in the door mechanism.
What is the Correct Shooting Order?
If you’re having a hard time figuring out the order of the masks, then simply follow the steps below. Face the four hanging masks and number them from one in the far left to four in the far right.
| Masks | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Third mask (from the left) | The first mask that you need to shoot is the green one with wavy red stripes. |
| Fourth mask (far right) | The second one is the red mask with black details. |
| First mask (far left) | Next, shoot the yellow mask with wavy purple stripes that shows teeth. |
| Second mask (second from the left) | Finally, shoot the purple mask with yellow wavy stripes. |
Note that even if you miss or get the order wrong, the masks will simply reset, so you can always try again. The path back is usually clear of any enemies, so you don’t have to worry about them either.
