Shuyan Saga Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · October 6, 2023

For this Shuyan Saga Review, we play a graphic novel series where action scenes come alive in 3D combat gameplay. Set in an ancient Chinese martial arts fantasy universe, you embark on a life-changing journey as Shuyan. Shuyan is a princess of the Chinese imperial family who loses everything to the Guer invasion. To save her people, she must become a powerful Kung Fu warrior, yet only a pure heart can bring miracles into the human realm. What will it take? And who is the real enemy? Success is not what Shuyan perceived it to be. The story revolves around the Five Kingdoms, all built on the foundations of Kung Fu. Every kingdom has unique values and cultures, which have originated from the nation’s Kung Fu system.

Shuyan Saga Review

Shuyan Saga Review Pros:

Beautiful graphics.
3.21GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
English and Chinese voice choice.
Visual novel combat gameplay.
Three modes – episodes, adventure, and tournament.
Jaw-dropping visuals both in the art and the graphic style.
Three books to play – Rise of the Red Dragon, Journey of the Phoenix, and Path of the Warrior.
Three difficulties – Easy, normal, and master.
The visual book part is art with full sound effects and narration.
You can fast forward the visual novel parts.
Multiple choice encounters and questions constantly through the visual novel part.
Handy restart chapter menu option.
Tutorial pop-ups as you play the fighting parts of the game.
The kung fu combat parts are mixed between isometric views and up close almost side in fighting.
Tournament mode is a battle through the characters like you see in a Mortal Kombat game.
You Learn new attacks and combos as you progress.
When in close-up one-on-one fighting you need to time attacks and dodge, learn patterns, and counter.
Build up your QI as you fight to activate and do high damage for a short time.
An excellent blend of combat and visual novel.
Earn EXP and level up to get new upgrades which equates to new attacks.
Combo counter.
As you are doing a combo the button icons pop up to help you finish the combo.
Stealth attacks a QTE with the left stick.
Multiple endings for each book.
Book two gives you a more 3D brawler experience where you can move around more and break the environment etc.
The voice acting is brilliant.
You heal between fights.
Masterclass in how to cut and merge scenes together.
The fighting gets deeper as you level up and play the story, you start focusing on Gong which is a technique where you turn your opponent’s energy/attack back onto them.
As you learn techniques and attacks you use the d pad and perform more QTE.
Nice looking locations.
Big boss battles.
By book three you are doing different brawler genres and the combat gets a lot better.
You can throw enemies into the environment and cause huge damage and beak down pillars.
Easy trophy list.
You can replay stories.
The adventure mode is you playing as Jade and taking on puzzles and fights to clear the temple.

Shuyan Saga Review

Shuyan Saga Review Cons:

The combat is not as fluid as it should be, you don’t have fast free movement, and it’s very clunky and robotic in the first book.
It’s very easy to accidentally push a choice or forget to pick a choice in time.
So much to take in.
Enemies will just stand still waiting to be triggered and it breaks the immersion.
When fighting up close it’s not as smooth to dodge/greet and counter.
The difficulty spikes quite a bit through the game.
Hot detection can be off at times.
Fighting more than one person is always a bit of a clunk-funk mash-up.
Had to restart fights a few times as I either got stuck in an animation or the game didn’t register something like the fight ending.
Aiming where you throw an enemy is not as fluid.
The final fight is a bit underwhelming and doesn’t have voice work which would have elevated it.
Cannot skip the end credits and it even hangs a few times.
Whenever the game takes something out of combat it gets messy and breaks the game flow. Even just moving pillars is a huge issue.

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Shuyan Saga Review