feels like something that got lost on its way to launching on the Wii-U, and I mean that as the highest of praise. It’s one of those uniquely odd games that we rarely get from AAA publishers anymore, with development budgets now being as high as they are. Set on a wooded mountain in Edo-period Japan, you play as a katana-wielding warrior named Soh.
Your task is to protect a holy maiden named Yoshiro on her pilgrimage to cleanse the demonic Seethe that has infested the once-idyllic villages that litter the mountain. I will now do my best to explain the weirdness I struggled to adequately explain ’s gameplay last month, as did the PR representative who handed me the controller upon arrival at that event. But having now played the game, I feel well-positioned to have another crack.
The game operates on a day-night cycle, with each lasting around eight minutes. Day time is where all your preparation and exploration happen, while nightfall is combat against a demonic tide. During the daylight hours, Yoshiro moves toward an infested torii gate, with the goal of cleansing it.
Her movement is fuelled by crystal orbs earned in a variety of ways, but primarily through eliminating Seethe roots during the day, and destroying demons during the night. These orbs are also used to turn the hapless villagers you’ll find throughout each map into various kinds of support classes, the commanding of which will be vital to your success. A carpenter features as a member of Yoshiro’s retinue.