Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 (PS5) – A Cut Above

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In the realm of console gaming, comedy often ensues when it comes to anime-inspired battle games, primarily because they tend to be poorly executed adaptations of the original content, with subpar quality being a recurring issue.

In a departure from the norm, the game Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, developed by CyberConnect2, broke free from the trend by skillfully combining top-tier cinematic scenes with intense gameplay, showcasing their signature style.

In this second installment, titled “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2,” it continues the design from its original version. Although it may not be recognized in awards, it offers a thrilling gaming experience for enthusiasts of Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga.

In the revised version of the game, it includes characters and costumes from the Entertainment District storyline, but the narrative concludes at the Mugen Train saga.

Directly following this point, the narrative unfolds, culminating in the happenings at the Infinity Castle – the epicenter of the current blockbuster movie in the anime series.

While personal preference plays a big role, this author particularly enjoys the contentious Entertainment District storyline in the manga, finding it entertaining to witness adaptations featuring characters like Inosuke and Zenitsu disguised as Taisho era courtesans. The humor derived from these scenes might be heightened due to the high-quality writing inherent in the original source material.

Certainly, as the original manga is excellent, this retelling provides a fun spin on the story with some stunning visuals and dynamic scenes. It’s a condensed version that may have gaps, so it’s not ideal for understanding the plot in depth, but it offers an enjoyable means to revisit the narrative for those already acquainted with the manga or anime.

Absolutely, scattered throughout the narrative are multiple arenas where fights occur, reminiscent of the initial game. During these encounters, you’ll find both light and heavy attacks at your disposal, along with a control that allows for the execution of unique abilities.

A significant portion of the difficulty lies in evading your adversary and finding opportunities, which can be exasperating when it appears that higher AI levels are capable of thwarting every move. However, you do possess defensive mechanisms and ways to break through their guard. Yet, we wished for a gameplay style that included more counterattack tactics.

As an enthusiast, I found myself grappling with certain characters’ capacity to unleash vast area-of-effect (AOE) attacks that, quite frankly, were almost inescapable. The game is gracious, providing the opportunity to carry on battling a boss following my demise, albeit at the cost of a reduced score. However, I believe the experience could have been more rewarding with some fine-tuning to make these encounters feel more fulfilling.

In this latest edition, unlike the prior game which initially ran at 30fps, it starts off supporting a smoother 60fps right away. Although the original game received an update featuring a performance mode later on, we believe the graphics quality in this new version is more vivid, despite the similar artistic and aspirational elements.

As an enthusiastic gamer, I’ve found a delightful mix of mini-games that serve as a refreshing change from the main narrative, along with some areas designed for casual exploration. These zones offer opportunities to take on additional quests and hunt down hidden collectibles. While these elements are somewhat reminiscent of the original game, they certainly add depth to the immersive world.

The tale spans approximately 10 hours to complete, yet it’s the vast array of characters that makes it enticing enough for repeated reads.

Here in this game, you’ll find all the Hashira characters from the manga, plus many demons, including beloved ones like Gyokko, the artistic merman. It’s important to mention that Muzan, our main antagonist, will be added later for free as a playable character. Additionally, characters from the Infinity Castle arc will be available as DLC.

In addition to offline options, there’s now survival mode and a competitive arcade ladder, along with an enhanced Training Mode where you navigate roguelite-style levels, gathering character enhancements before taking on a Hashira. You’ll also have the opportunity to replay key moments from the initial game in a sequence of bonus boss fights, serving as a refresher for previously experienced content.

Another notable aspect is introducing gear systems, either earned through game progression or bought with in-game currency from an internal marketplace. This feature provides extra benefits and advantages, proving beneficial for solo play, although its impact on multiplayer balance remains unverified as we haven’t tested it yet.

This game offers an abundance of characters to pick from and a generous amount of solo play options, making it appear as though you’re getting more value compared to its predecessor. Despite having familiar foundations, what might disappoint some is that it doesn’t conclude the Infinity Castle storyline, which seems to be saving that for a potential third installment.

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2025-08-01 17:53