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IGN Review of Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Muramasa: The Demon Blade is one of those games that is instantly captivating. Being a fan of Vanillaware and the company's rich history I remember seeing first glimpses of Demon Blade out of TGS, instantly recognized the game as being one of Vanillaware's own, and stubbornly demanded that I get to review the game ever since. Here we are on the cusp of the title's release – complete with a Nintendo World Store weekend launch in NYC; not common for third party games – and Muramasa is still entertaining me after dozens and dozens of hours of play. The real question on everyone's mind though – just like it was for me, until I got plenty of time to dive on in – is whether or not Muramasa was all eye candy, or a true classic in 2D gaming.
Truthfully I'd put it somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. First off, Muramasa's visual presentation is simply breathtaking, and it's hands-down one of the most artistically beautiful games this generation on any console. It's a visual masterpiece through and through; no hyperbole. The amount of "wow" moments in this game seems to go on forever, and they hit you at perfectly placed intervals. True, you'll see repeats of enemies and environments – even a few re-skinning, color-tweaking tricks – but considering the sheer amount of animation and care that went into this game it's understandable. For the first time in my four years as a game critic I can truly say there isn't a single screen, single animation, or single character that isn't truly stunning. Some areas more than others, but all-in all this game is a true work of art in interactive form; all arguments over "gaming as an art form" should be pushed right on over to titles like Muramasa.
We've gone over the story and core design of Demon Blade time and time again, but if this is your first time seeing it for some reason it's pretty simple, and a good refresher for those adamantly following the game as well. You'll find RPG elements in Muramasa, but more than anything else this is a purebred action game. The story is broken up into two characters, including the ninja princess Momohime and amnesia-stricken warrior Kisuke. The game follows the classic Kabuki style, mixing drama and dance (in this case rhythmic , flowing swordplay) as its main forms of storytelling. The music is captivating, often growing and progressing as you run from screen to screen, and the visual style… well… it speaks for itself.
Demon Blade's core design really centers on a formula that has been perfected by games like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. At the start of the game your world scope is small, but as you progress areas become opened, alternate routes interrupt the main story experience, and the world becomes your playground. As one downside though, there's less variation here than what you'd find in other games of its kind; specifically in level design and general world traversal. For both characters the experience is different, as are some of the enemies, order in which you traverse world areas, and the like. What stays the same, however, is the one overarching concept of blades as keys. There are eight main blades in the game, each with a different color. Find a boss, kill a boss, collect his blade, and use it to open new barriers that would otherwise stand in your way. Remove all the visual polish and entertaining battles and that's your core game. Blades = keys. Even the core level design is often nothing more than an exit in the upper or lower corners of the screen, and a few optional high ground areas to explore; no grand castle traversing or cramped forgotten labyrinths to navigate – just straight-on action from screen to screen.
Of course the experience goes deeper than that, offering not only main routes to open but also specific enemy rooms with insane challenges that reward players with new gear. One such room has players fighting 100 – yes, for real – ninjas as they spawn out eight to 10 at a time. Kill them all, and a new accessory is awarded. There's also the occasional quick-travel scenario for traversing the map at a faster speed, as well as the classic visual piece of Momohime on a boat fighting a giant octopus (it's part of a random occurrence during the fishing/travel mini-game). These sections help for fast travel and certainly break up the monotony, but there aren't many of them. Once you've ridden the boat, been carried from land to land by the muscle-clad team of hitchhikers, and spent a few minutes in a hot spring with monkeys, bested foes, and the other main story character as a cameo, you've seen most of what's there.
Mobility plays a huge part in the game as well, and it's perhaps the most regretful portion for me personally. There just isn't the feeling of a central hub in the game, so while the worlds are beautiful to be sure, you'll spend time backtracking through virtually empty lands, and running around areas you've already beaten when going back to towns for supplies. Games like Castlevania (DS series specifically) have mastered the art of quick travel, and it results in a way more streamlined experience. Beat a boss in Ecclesia for DS, for example, and a warp to the beginning of the area is just a few steps away. In Muramasa, you walk all the way back through the level you just forged through. It's needless. If you use your mirrors right (basically an item that warps you to your last save point) you can cut down on some of this for item re-ups, but nearly everyone out there will save before big bosses, and those points are right outside the battle itself.
If there was a Demon Blade equivalent to the Library Card, allowing players to warp back to a central shop or just the nearest village for that matter, it would make for a much more enjoyable experience. As is you'll end up blazing through each story in a matter of six – eight hours, and then use the save point warp ability unlocked post-victory to move around the world and unlock all the other goodies you missed. As a personal note, it's not that Muramasa needs to emulate Symphony or Metroid to be a great game – it doesn't need to – but the game does fit within that similar genre, and advancements have been made that are improving these types of games. A few smart changes and Demon Blade would have been as easy to navigate as it is to sit and stare at.
For as much of a pain long-distance travel can be in Muramasa, however, there's a laundry list of reasons why the game still blows me away. The pacing itself – centered around finding new cooking recipies, new accessories, new level ups, new blades, enemies, localizations, story – is dead on in my opinion. It feels like every 10 – 15 minutes you're either leveling again, gaining enough soul to forge new blades, coming up on some kind of scene change, meeting a monkey for a quick dip in the springs, beating on five minute long boss battles (true challenges on the game's harder mode), or finding some kind of goodie that just validated that small chunk of play. Muramasa is a two button fighter, and each character essentially controls like a Smash Bros. character with little more diversity or progression as a character, but even still the game is always pushing you to go deeper and deeper. There's always another tiny reward right around the corner (You remember when publishers had to win your lunch money one quarter at a time in the coin-op days? There's a reason so many classic games are still addicting today…), and that arcade-like feel gives Muramasa serious legs.
The blade system itself – and the linking of cooking along with it in a bizarre "food feeds the soul, souls create the blades" concept – is very intriguing, and where hardcore RPG fans will find themselves right at home. It's still a simple skill tree divided along weapons, but it works. Characters have just two stats to work with, and if both stats meet the sword's needs it can be equipped after being forged (basically purchased). Each of the 108 blades has a different spell and character effect added to them, and while there are only two types of blades (blade, and long blade; the latter of the two being a heavier swing) it still keeps the game feeling fresh. I found a perfect sword halfway through Momohime's quest, swore I'd never replace it as one of my three in-use weapons, and within an hour I had put it on the shelf for another better one. At a general pace of a sword every 15 minutes to half hour or so there's a lot of customization, plenty of options, and a lot to experience.
A couple quick notes on the presentation: The game keeps its Japanese voiceover, and I'm actually a fan of it. The mix of Japanese writing and English is handled well, and the game ends up feeling like a US retail release of an import game; although one you can fully understand and enjoy. Some out there may not be a fan of the Japanese voices or obvious"You get it as it is" story that could very well go over people's heads if they aren't familiar with the culture's history and lore, but in the end it's all part of that awesome immersion factor that comes with Muramasa. You never know what you're going to expect, you're constantly discovering, and if you stop to just admire the world for a few seconds you could find tiny animations and subtle visual love letters by the team. This, like the seemingly ever-expanding Symphony of the Night – is a game that feels like it's never truly over. There's always a new song that you never quite paid attention to, a dragonfly whizzing around the in background you were too busy to notice, or a story element you didn't catch the first time around.
©2009-09-04, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Truthfully I'd put it somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. First off, Muramasa's visual presentation is simply breathtaking, and it's hands-down one of the most artistically beautiful games this generation on any console. It's a visual masterpiece through and through; no hyperbole. The amount of "wow" moments in this game seems to go on forever, and they hit you at perfectly placed intervals. True, you'll see repeats of enemies and environments – even a few re-skinning, color-tweaking tricks – but considering the sheer amount of animation and care that went into this game it's understandable. For the first time in my four years as a game critic I can truly say there isn't a single screen, single animation, or single character that isn't truly stunning. Some areas more than others, but all-in all this game is a true work of art in interactive form; all arguments over "gaming as an art form" should be pushed right on over to titles like Muramasa.
We've gone over the story and core design of Demon Blade time and time again, but if this is your first time seeing it for some reason it's pretty simple, and a good refresher for those adamantly following the game as well. You'll find RPG elements in Muramasa, but more than anything else this is a purebred action game. The story is broken up into two characters, including the ninja princess Momohime and amnesia-stricken warrior Kisuke. The game follows the classic Kabuki style, mixing drama and dance (in this case rhythmic , flowing swordplay) as its main forms of storytelling. The music is captivating, often growing and progressing as you run from screen to screen, and the visual style… well… it speaks for itself.
Demon Blade's core design really centers on a formula that has been perfected by games like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. At the start of the game your world scope is small, but as you progress areas become opened, alternate routes interrupt the main story experience, and the world becomes your playground. As one downside though, there's less variation here than what you'd find in other games of its kind; specifically in level design and general world traversal. For both characters the experience is different, as are some of the enemies, order in which you traverse world areas, and the like. What stays the same, however, is the one overarching concept of blades as keys. There are eight main blades in the game, each with a different color. Find a boss, kill a boss, collect his blade, and use it to open new barriers that would otherwise stand in your way. Remove all the visual polish and entertaining battles and that's your core game. Blades = keys. Even the core level design is often nothing more than an exit in the upper or lower corners of the screen, and a few optional high ground areas to explore; no grand castle traversing or cramped forgotten labyrinths to navigate – just straight-on action from screen to screen.
Of course the experience goes deeper than that, offering not only main routes to open but also specific enemy rooms with insane challenges that reward players with new gear. One such room has players fighting 100 – yes, for real – ninjas as they spawn out eight to 10 at a time. Kill them all, and a new accessory is awarded. There's also the occasional quick-travel scenario for traversing the map at a faster speed, as well as the classic visual piece of Momohime on a boat fighting a giant octopus (it's part of a random occurrence during the fishing/travel mini-game). These sections help for fast travel and certainly break up the monotony, but there aren't many of them. Once you've ridden the boat, been carried from land to land by the muscle-clad team of hitchhikers, and spent a few minutes in a hot spring with monkeys, bested foes, and the other main story character as a cameo, you've seen most of what's there.
Mobility plays a huge part in the game as well, and it's perhaps the most regretful portion for me personally. There just isn't the feeling of a central hub in the game, so while the worlds are beautiful to be sure, you'll spend time backtracking through virtually empty lands, and running around areas you've already beaten when going back to towns for supplies. Games like Castlevania (DS series specifically) have mastered the art of quick travel, and it results in a way more streamlined experience. Beat a boss in Ecclesia for DS, for example, and a warp to the beginning of the area is just a few steps away. In Muramasa, you walk all the way back through the level you just forged through. It's needless. If you use your mirrors right (basically an item that warps you to your last save point) you can cut down on some of this for item re-ups, but nearly everyone out there will save before big bosses, and those points are right outside the battle itself.
If there was a Demon Blade equivalent to the Library Card, allowing players to warp back to a central shop or just the nearest village for that matter, it would make for a much more enjoyable experience. As is you'll end up blazing through each story in a matter of six – eight hours, and then use the save point warp ability unlocked post-victory to move around the world and unlock all the other goodies you missed. As a personal note, it's not that Muramasa needs to emulate Symphony or Metroid to be a great game – it doesn't need to – but the game does fit within that similar genre, and advancements have been made that are improving these types of games. A few smart changes and Demon Blade would have been as easy to navigate as it is to sit and stare at.
For as much of a pain long-distance travel can be in Muramasa, however, there's a laundry list of reasons why the game still blows me away. The pacing itself – centered around finding new cooking recipies, new accessories, new level ups, new blades, enemies, localizations, story – is dead on in my opinion. It feels like every 10 – 15 minutes you're either leveling again, gaining enough soul to forge new blades, coming up on some kind of scene change, meeting a monkey for a quick dip in the springs, beating on five minute long boss battles (true challenges on the game's harder mode), or finding some kind of goodie that just validated that small chunk of play. Muramasa is a two button fighter, and each character essentially controls like a Smash Bros. character with little more diversity or progression as a character, but even still the game is always pushing you to go deeper and deeper. There's always another tiny reward right around the corner (You remember when publishers had to win your lunch money one quarter at a time in the coin-op days? There's a reason so many classic games are still addicting today…), and that arcade-like feel gives Muramasa serious legs.
The blade system itself – and the linking of cooking along with it in a bizarre "food feeds the soul, souls create the blades" concept – is very intriguing, and where hardcore RPG fans will find themselves right at home. It's still a simple skill tree divided along weapons, but it works. Characters have just two stats to work with, and if both stats meet the sword's needs it can be equipped after being forged (basically purchased). Each of the 108 blades has a different spell and character effect added to them, and while there are only two types of blades (blade, and long blade; the latter of the two being a heavier swing) it still keeps the game feeling fresh. I found a perfect sword halfway through Momohime's quest, swore I'd never replace it as one of my three in-use weapons, and within an hour I had put it on the shelf for another better one. At a general pace of a sword every 15 minutes to half hour or so there's a lot of customization, plenty of options, and a lot to experience.
A couple quick notes on the presentation: The game keeps its Japanese voiceover, and I'm actually a fan of it. The mix of Japanese writing and English is handled well, and the game ends up feeling like a US retail release of an import game; although one you can fully understand and enjoy. Some out there may not be a fan of the Japanese voices or obvious"You get it as it is" story that could very well go over people's heads if they aren't familiar with the culture's history and lore, but in the end it's all part of that awesome immersion factor that comes with Muramasa. You never know what you're going to expect, you're constantly discovering, and if you stop to just admire the world for a few seconds you could find tiny animations and subtle visual love letters by the team. This, like the seemingly ever-expanding Symphony of the Night – is a game that feels like it's never truly over. There's always a new song that you never quite paid attention to, a dragonfly whizzing around the in background you were too busy to notice, or a story element you didn't catch the first time around.
©2009-09-04, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved