Game On: When Hack ‘n’ Slash and Real-Time Strategy Combine
A review of Capcom’s latest Kunitsu Gami: Path of the Goddess
Kunitsu Gami is a new IP/franchise from Capcom – a studio that has, over the years, offered iconic franchises like Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter, and this year’s solid Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Developed by a smaller team that supposedly comprises people who have previously worked on games like Devil May Cry and Monster Hunter, there is a lot to like here and just the right mix of elements to trigger nostalgia from the earlier games.
The vivid colours, unique aesthetic, and the fantastic art are one of the first things you will notice about Kunitsu Gami as you can’t help but feel that the game draws from Devil May Cry V, however, just when you think that the game gets you by immersing you in Japanese mythology. This is a game that can be played both as a side-side scroller or in 3D form depending on how you position your camera, and it offers a unique blend of hack ‘n’ slash action with real-time strategy.
The unique combination works quite well as the game expects you to fight wave after wave of monsters during the night and then use the mornings to bolster your armies and defenses. As you juggle between fast-paced combat, upgrading your forces and base, and marshalling your resources, you realize that this is a game unlike the narratively similar Kena and Devil May Cry. You are not just fighting demons but also strategising how to free land and its people from demonic corruption.
In terms of gameplay, there are three distinct phases as you progress through Mount Kafuku: recruiting survivors, cleansing places, surviving the Seethe’s nighttime attacks, and clearing the way for the Maiden of the Mountain, Yoshiro, to cleanse the Tori gates of corruption. The game rewards you for surviving attacks night after night, allowing you to acquire resources to rebuild and strengthen during the day. The RTS dimension of the game ensures that this isn’t just a series of battles but a methodically thought-out war. You can recruit the people you save into your army and assign them specific roles. The RTS elements take a while to master but are simple enough to let you enjoy the combat during battle phases.
Despite its fantastic visual aesthetic, replayability of the campaign, and unique blend of genres, the game falls short in some aspects of the overall experience. I found the difficulty levels inconsistent, the crystal-based upgrade system challenging and almost unnecessary between stages, and the repair and rebuild mechanic unnecessarily convoluted. Rebuilding structures isn’t based on the number of hours or days but on the number of stages, you clear. Additionally, the strategy elements, once mastered, lack depth and nuance, becoming increasingly simplistic as the game progresses.
While the overall experience has its shortcomings, Kunitsu Gami does enough as a first-time offering to be memorable. This is a game you’re bound to enjoy if you like hack-and-slash gameplay and are a fan of Japanese culture, or if you’re just a fan of Demon Slayer. Even if none of these aspects appeal to you, it’s worth trying for the unique genre combination it offers.