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The Spirit of the Samurai Review (Steam)

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The Spirit of the Samurai Review, Assumes the role of Takeshi, a Japanese samurai who has to protect his village from the onslaught of an Oni attempting to conquer the land with his undead army. Fight against his army of tengu, undead, and the horrifying Jorogumo, all inspired by Japanese mythology, in a unique, brutal stop-motion cinematic adventure.

The Spirit of the Samurai Review Pros:

  • Amazing graphics.
  • 5.13GB Download size.
  • Steam achievements.
  • Full controller support.
  • Graphics settings – resolution, v-sync, and fps counter.
  • Mouse and keyboard support.
  • Subtitles can be turned on and off.
  • Can remap the controls for both the keyboard and the controller.
  • 3 save slots.
  • Cutscenes are a mix of FMV and in-game interactions.
  • The game has this cool vignette-style filter.
  • You can skip the cutscenes.
  • A full 3D backdrop to a 2.5D game world.
  • Resistance is your bar that decreases when executing hits or movements and when receiving hits, at zero you lose a life.
  • You get 3 orbs that represent your lives.
  • Clear EXP bar on the Hud.
  • Runes – used to buy statistics and you get three when you level up.
  • Action adventure gameplay.
  • Tutorial pop-ups as you play.
  • Assign consumables to the quick select menu on the d-pad.
  • Your menu shows your stats like strength, dexterity, etc, your inventory, assigning the quick select shortcuts, and your objectives.
  • A true visual treat from the locations to the stop-motion style movement.
  • Interact with the many characters in the world.
  • Stamina-based system for running and fighting.
  • Checkpoints are littered around.
  • Fully voiced characters for both cutscenes and interactions.
  • Button prompts show with interactive elements.
  • Fighting tutorial section.
  • The combat is awesome with attacks with your sword on the right stuck for different attack styles, you can roll through enemies, parry to stun them, and fire arrows.
  • Earn EXP and earn runes to unlock new attacks and combos.
  • Cool combo creator mechanic where you can put a line of unlocked attacks to create a combo and not just a basic combo, you can setup down, up, jump, and cover attack combos.
  • The game does cool segments like at night with the fog laying low and all you see is the silhouette of yourself and your enemies.
  • Dripping in atmosphere.
  • Breakable objects covering the whole world may have items.
  • Collect incense and trade it at altars for new items.
  • Arrows can be picked back up.
  • Find items to offer to gain better items.
  • Throwable weapons to find and use like Kunais.
  • Many different enemy types.
  • The game has a mix of traditional lore and supernatural.
  • Such a cool fun game to play.
  • Enemy health bars show what difficulty they are.
  • The game world is done in a way so it stays 2.5D but you can gou up and forward on the screen itself.
  • You do combos and get pop-ups but it’s not like a traditional combo counter.
  • The world map shows locations and completion rates.
  • You get exp for everything including the act of picking something up.
  • Auto saves regularly.

The Spirit of the Samurai Review Cons:

  • The cutscenes are so different in appearance and movement from the gameplay that it is somewhat jarring.
  • The early game is a lot of backtracking and fetch quests.
  • The foreground art and scenery can get in the way of combat.
  • Learning the parry takes time not only to pull off but also to remember that a parry pushes the enemy out of melee range.
  • It’s really hard to see items to pick up and it’s a button press making it a lot more clunky than it needs to be in a game like this.
  • Takes a while for the game to get going.
  • Rooms will go dark when you are not in them but enemies can jump and attack you from offscreen technically.
  • Feedback on the damage you suffer is so minimal that you can die by not paying attention.

Related Post: Antstream Arcade Review (PlayStation 5)

The Spirit of the Samurai:

Official website.

Developer: Digital Mind Games

Publisher: Kwalee

Store Links –

Steam

  • 8/10
    Graphics - 8/10
  • 7/10
    Sound - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Accessibility - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Length - 7/10
  • 8/10
    Fun Factor - 8/10
7.4/10

Summary

The Spirit of the Samurai is a visually stunning game with amazing graphics that truly captivate the player. The game has a manageable download size of 5.13GB and offers Steam achievements, full controller support, and various graphics settings including resolution, v-sync, and an fps counter. It also supports mouse and keyboard, with the option to turn subtitles on and off, and allows players to remap controls for both keyboard and controller. The game provides three save slots and features cutscenes that are a mix of FMV and in-game interactions, with a cool vignette-style filter. Players can skip cutscenes if they wish. The game world is a full 3D backdrop to a 2.5D environment, adding depth to the visual experience.

The gameplay involves managing a resistance bar that decreases with hits and movements, and players lose a life when it reaches zero. Players have three orbs representing their lives and a clear EXP bar on the HUD. Runes are used to buy statistics, and players receive three runes when they level up. The action-adventure gameplay is complemented by tutorial pop-ups, a quick-select menu for consumables on the d-pad, and a menu showing stats, inventory, quick-select shortcuts, and objectives. The game is a visual treat, with locations and stop-motion style movement adding to the atmosphere. Players can interact with many characters in the world and the stamina-based system for running and fighting adds a layer of strategy. Checkpoints are scattered throughout the game, and characters are fully voiced for both cutscenes and interactions. Button prompts appear with interactive elements, and there is a fighting tutorial section.

Combat in “The Spirit of the Samurai” is engaging, with various attack styles using the sword, the ability to roll through enemies, parry to stun them, and fire arrows. Players earn EXP and runes to unlock new attacks and combos, and the combo creator mechanic allows for the creation of complex combos. The game features atmospheric segments, such as night scenes with low-lying fog where only silhouettes are visible. The world is filled with breakable objects that may contain items, and players can collect incense to trade at altars for new items. Arrows can be picked back up, and players can find items to offer in exchange for better items. Throwable weapons like Kunais add to the combat variety, and there are many different enemy types. The game blends traditional lore with supernatural elements, creating a unique and fun experience. Enemy health bars indicate difficulty, and the game world allows for movement in multiple directions while maintaining a 2.5D perspective. Combos trigger pop-ups, but not in the traditional combo counter style. The world map shows locations and completion rates, and players earn EXP for various actions, including picking up items. The game auto-saves regularly.

However, the cutscenes are so different in appearance and movement from the gameplay that it can be somewhat jarring. The early game involves a lot of backtracking and fetch quests, and the foreground art and scenery can obstruct combat. Learning to parry takes time, and it can be challenging to remember that a parry pushes the enemy out of melee range. Items to pick up are hard to see, and the button press required to pick them up feels clunky. The game takes a while to get going, and rooms go dark when the player is not in them, allowing enemies to attack from offscreen. Feedback on damage is minimal, making it easy to die if not paying attention.

In summary, The Spirit of the Samurai is a visually impressive game with engaging combat and a rich atmosphere. While it has some drawbacks, such as jarring cutscenes and early game backtracking, the overall experience is enjoyable and offers a unique blend of traditional and supernatural elements. The game’s mechanics, including the combo creator and various attack styles, add depth to the gameplay, making it a fun and immersive adventure, and it is a good unique experience that you really should check out.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!