As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that Kunitsu-Gami has left an indelible mark on me unlike any other game in recent memory. The intricately woven balance between preparation, combat, and rebuilding has drawn me in like a moth to a flame.
Kunitsu-Gami, developed by Capcom’s first division team, is an engaging action-strategy game featuring a straightforward yet rewarding design. The game is divided into three distinct phases: preparation, combat, and reconstruction. In the preparation phase, you prepare for battle and command villagers. During the combat phase, you control Soh, the swordsman, to purify demonized villages and defend against Seethe. Lastly, in the relaxation phase, you rebuild and recover after each victory.
One thing I genuinely enjoy about Kunitsu-Gami is its well-rounded gameplay. The three-phase structure ensures you’re constantly switching tasks, preventing monotony. In the initial phase, you focus on saving Mt. Kufaku’s villages by rescuing villagers and allocating resources for roles that aid you in defending against the Seethe during nighttime. Now, let’s discuss a fundamental aspect of the game: the combat mechanics and controls.
In Kunitsu-Gami, action and strategy are intricately combined without favoring one over the other. The gameplay doesn’t present a mere fusion of hack-and-slash and strategic elements; instead, they work harmoniously throughout the experience. The melee combat in this title is satisfactory, but its rigid attack commands and simple combos hold it back from reaching greatness. A lock-on feature could have improved the execution of attacks somewhat, but unfortunately, the game doesn’t allow canceling inputs or animations during their execution. One aspect that could have been enhanced was Koh’s limited moveset in the initial stages of the game. Perhaps my repeated attempts to complete the village levels’ optional objectives made me feel constrained in expressing Soh’s abilities… until I unlocked his skill tree.
“You don’t unlock Soh’s skill tree until a decent way into the game’s narrative”
I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the sixth village in the game and finally unlocked Soh’s full potential. Up until then, his skillset felt limited, but once I purified the village, I gained access to a whole new arsenal of abilities. These included parry, quick attack, arrows, stun execution, streamlined strategy commands, and additional combos through new sword forms.
In this part of the game, Kunitsu-Gami‘s tactical aspect comes into play. To utilize the villagers, you need to save them first and then assign roles or classes. These roles are obtained by collecting the game’s eleven masks. Each role has a varying cost in crystal currency, so managing your resources effectively is essential. Do you prefer having fewer expensive, specialized Ascetics, or a larger group of basic Woodcutter units? There’s also a unique unit designed to discover and unearth treasures hidden throughout the village. Crystals are amassed by purifying areas in the village, resulting in obtaining beneficial Talismans upon reaching 100% purification. However, be mindful of the time constraint. Once evening arrives, you must cease crystal accumulation and safeguard the maiden, Yoshiro.
As a gamer, I find controlling my units to be quite straightforward – I simply open the menu, position each unit as desired, and they’ll engage enemies automatically. However, I have an issue with this system that I’d like to share. Currently, there’s no way to round up all of my units in one place at once. That is, unless I unlock Soh’s skill tree after purifying the sixth village. It seems counterintuitive to me that basic commands and conveniences are also locked within this skill tree. Additionally, I believe the command circle is too restrictive, as it forces me to physically move to specific locations before placing my units instead of offering a more expansive top-down view. Despite these issues, I do appreciate the strategic depth of the game. It’s engaging to plan out unit placements and consider defensive or offensive positions for my villagers. The imaginative level design adds an extra layer of excitement and variety to this strategic planning experience.
“Boss fights are fun and varied and each includes a list of challenges and rewards”
The villages in this game offer a fascinating array of diversity, with each level presenting a distinct challenge. For instance, one stage restricts you from attacking as Soh, compelling you to focus solely on commanding your troops. In other levels, you’ll find yourself navigating through dark caverns and lighting torches to guide your units safely. Each stage introduces an intriguing twist, keeping the gameplay exciting and captivating.
In the boss battles of Kunitsu-Gami, creativity is consistently showcased. Unlike many other games, these battles present intriguing strategies instead of becoming monotonous hack-and-slash encounters. Each adversary brings its own unique quirk, compelling you to employ various units and skills in novel ways. You’ll encounter bosses with weak points that long-range archers can capitalize on. Others will flail around, inflicting status ailments across vast areas, while yet another may challenge you to an intense one-on-one sword duel reminiscent of souls-like bosses.
During battles with bosses, you remain in control of your villagers, using simpler commands like “defend” and “attack” instead of specific ones. When dealing with certain bosses who utilize mobs, it’s crucial to keep an eye on Yoshiro’s condition. Simplifying commands to a universal “defend Yoshiro” makes the process more streamlined. The stages and boss designs offer a great balance between Soh’s individual combat and managing the villagers. Furthermore, each stage comes with optional challenges that can be tackled. These challenges may require specific units or Talismans for completion. Lastly, let me tell you about the equipment.
At the purified villages you’ve cleansed, you have the opportunity to organize your gear. These villages are not only sites for sending villagers on construction missions to fully develop them, but also where Soh can manage his equipment and collectibles. In Yoshiro’s tent, specifically, you’ll find the option to equip Talismans and Guards. Let’s discuss Guards first. Guards represent Soh’s unique abilities that come into play during battles. Initially, you have one slot for a Guard, but as you progress and upgrade Soh’s skill tree (which requires significant advancement), you’ll unlock more slots to equip additional Guards.
“Talismans and Guards provide you with lots of skills and buffs to experiment with”
As a gamer, I’ve noticed that Guards and Talismans serve different purposes in our game of Kunitsu-Gami. Guards are more hands-on, actively engaging in combat and protecting me from harm. On the other hand, Talismans work subtly in the background, providing passive bonuses that enhance my abilities or even grant unique perks like having villagers greet Soh.
After you’ve completed organizing your gear, you’ll discover numerous enjoyable attractions in the purified villages. Villagers sent on construction projects will bring you crystal currency, rations for battles, and charming collectibles in the form of confectioneries. These confectioneries don’t offer any practical use within the game but rather add flavor to the lore and provide Yoshiro with snacks for her tent. You can even get a closer look at these sweets by zooming in and rotating their models, which are impressively detailed in the RE engine. Talismans and Guards can also be closely examined and rotated for your viewing pleasure.
“You can pet animals, fix buildings, and collect a variety of sweets within the purified villages”
In Kunitsu-Gami, there’s a satisfying pleasure derived from gifting sweets to Yoshiro, interacting with animals, and finishing construction projects. These tranquil rebuilding episodes offer the gratification of overcoming the Seethe, creating an authentic sense of contribution towards the villagers. Each villager possesses distinct backstories, enhancing the feeling of camaraderie. The soothing Einaudi-inspired piano melodies that play during bunny and deer petting sessions add a perfect finishing touch to these rewarding moments in the game. Few other games deliver such a powerful positive feedback loop as Kunitsu-Gami does through its purified village scenes.
Going back to the beginning of this critique, the intriguing harmony in Kunitsu-Gami prevents any single aspect from growing monotonous. Its prepare, fight, and rebuild stages create an extraordinary cohesive journey that sets it apart. Completing the game takes approximately 20 hours, but you might be inclined to gather everything and tackle additional challenges due to your desire to witness all villages thriving and Yoshiro boasting a full collection of sweets. Kunitsu-Gami is a game where the sum is more significant than its components, making the minor inconveniences easier to overlook in the grand scheme of things.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
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2024-07-15 23:41