Muramasa: The Demon Blade Review

October 7, 2022

Muramasa: The Demon Blade gained huge success upon its release in Japan, and even though it didn't become so popular around the rest of the world, this can be partly attributed to the game's huge tie-ins with traditional Japanese pop culture, something which not every gamer enjoys. However, those who do quickly found their next favorite game in Muramasa, and critics and players alike have praised it for its innovation and style.

Gameplay

The player controls two characters, Kisuke – the game's main protagonist who's also suffering from memory loss and is on the run from the law; and Momohime, a princess with an evil force in control of her will. The game is played mostly from a 2D perspective, and allows you to control your characters in three distinctive ways – you can either opt for the Wii Remote, a GameCube controller, or the Classic Controller, with each offering some advantages and disadvantages. If you want to have the most control over your character's actions though, we'd advise you to go for the Classic option.

The game's storyline is seen from the perspectives of the two characters, who start their journeys at opposite ends – that is, the place where Kisuke starts is close to Momohime's final goal, and vice versa. There are two main types of weapons usable by the characters, namely the Blade and Long Blade, with the latter being more useful for taking down large groups of enemies, while the first is meant to attack a single opponent head on and deal as much damage as possible in a concentrated manner.

Graphics and System Requirements

For a 2D game, Muramasa offers a very adorable art style, and its visuals are close to that of Odin Sphere, another RPG title which utilized hand-drawn assets to a great extent. However, Muramasa still has its own distinctive art style and stands out on its own, despite the similarities to Odin Sphere. Everything is bright and colorful, and even the darker levels feel like a fiesta of colors as your eyes glide along the characters and environments on the screen.

The simplistic (in terms of processing power) graphics ensure a very smooth playing experience, and don't put a strain on the Wii's notoriously weak hardware. The game is very well-designed in that aspect and, considering how important it is to have a 100% responsive controller, the developers have taken special care to ensure that your character responds to your actions immediately.

Other

If you're getting this game for the story, don't hold your hopes too high up – sadly, despite being a very finished product in pretty much every way imaginable, Muramasa still lacks a proper ending to its story arc, and leaves off in a rather poorly thought-out manner.

Conclusion

Muramasa: The Demon Blade will be instantly liked by fans of Japanese games, while for the others it may take some time to properly get adjusted to it. Rest assured though, you're in for a thrilling ride if this is your type of game.