Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba is a famous Japanese manga series that has garnered a huge following and developed into an anime television series on many streaming platforms.
As such, being able to relive the experience on a gaming platform is very much welcomed with this game. Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles showcases the events from the manga’s pilot season as well as the movie Mugen Train.
The story mode, also called Adventure Mode, follows the journey of Tanjiro Kamado from being enlisted into the Demon Slayer Corps to his quest to find the cure for his sister Nezuko who became a demon. Depending on your preference, you can switch between Japanese and English audio with subtitles.
SPECS
PRICE: From S$74.90 (PC; PS4, version reviewed; PS5; Xbox One; Xbox Series X|S), available in Lazada and Shopee
GENRE: Action, Fighting
The prologue starts off with a fitting tutorial mode against Sabito, a pivotal character from Tanjiro’s training days. Separated into chapters and nodes, playing through Adventure Mode unlocks memory fragments, characters, attires and accessories.
Most of the segments that mirror the animated series remains unchanged and non-interactive. You will resume the reins during exploration, guided by on-screen map that contains destination markers.
FOR
+ Fantastic 3D animation
+ Offline/online Versus mode
+ Side quests and challenges
AGAINST
– Skeletal roster of characters in multiplayer
– Various performance issues
Story markers allow you to progress through the plot, while others unlock rewards, such as Kimetsu points, for completing objectives. Kimetsu points are hidden glowing orbs that can be used to redeem more rewards. However, the map area is not very big, so it is not difficult to spot these collectibles.
Some scenes from the plot appears padded with additional options that feel lacklustre. For example, just before the Final Selection event starts at Mount Fujikasane, you can mingle and speak with other participants, something that
cannot be done from watching or reading. But apart from the brief dialogue responses, there is no reward for the effort.
Fans of the series would already know how the plot goes. Thus, the only the appeal to play this game is to really to play as Tanjiro, as you can replay his fights scenes and executing his skills in the way you love.
In parallel with the television series, some fight scenes transit into the shoes of other characters and contain
landmark moments that require quick time events (QTE) button pressing. These QTE are fun to look forward to, especially when you know what to expect next.
The campaign culminates after Tanjiro’s encounter with Kyojuro, as he bands with Zenith and Inosuke to press on together and face what lies ahead.
Moving on to the multiplayer modes, you can select from an initial roster of 18 fighters. But some of these are merely versions of the same characters, albeit with alternate attires. Then again, this is the only chance outside the plot to team up and pit any combination of characters.
There are speculations on adding new characters to the line-up, but none has been confirmed so far. Nevertheless, fans of the anime should rejoice at the opportunity to put together their favourite characters and try to beat another fan using skill arts they have come to know, love and master.
Alas, some players have reported about lag and sync issues. Otherwise, if you are not bothered about community ranking, there is much fun in having a friend coming over for a few rounds of offline head-to-head.
The Digital Deluxe Edition comes loaded with character costume unlocks and 8,000 Kimetsu points that can be redeemed to access two additional characters. It is also bundled with standard and dynamic PS4 themes, which unfortunately will not work on PS5 consoles.
VERDICT
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles is a decent entry to the fighting game genre and great addition to the franchise. It should deserve just as much attention from fans of the manga and television series.
RATING
7/10
