SONOKUNI makes me feel very old. Its blurb proudly displays the word ‘biopunk’. I thought I knew all of the words that preceded ‘punk’. Back in my day, it used to be Cyber or Steam. Maybe Frost if we wanted to push the boat out. Turns out that Biopunk is based around the idea of fiddling with biology. What happens when we mess with our DNA, rather than just jamming technology into our brains. I’m all about that. Add in a dose of Japanese myth and we’re in for a good time.
Though SONOKUNI‘s blend of elements does become quite a brain-melting experience. It’s a kaleidoscope of colours, all blending together. A sensory overload, even before it starts rapping at you in Japanese. Another thing that made me feel old. This chaos is bolted onto an equally frantic combat system, which is quite good fun. SONOKUNI is quite the experience, though its love of chaos does drag it down sometimes.
Pruning The Invaders
SONOKUNI‘s core theme is all about assimilation. The titular Sonokuni is the name for a tribe of humans. They’re an ancient people, steeped in tradition, but some among them have been looking outwards. What they’re looking at is the people of Wanokuni, a race of… things. All we can see are mini trees, with their bodies swathed in bandages like a giant egg. Anyway, they want Sonokuni to join them. Only, to join Wanokuni you need to become like them. As in, physically. They’re all identical. The rub, then, is that the Sonokuni may survive but lose everything that makes them, them. There are debates on identity, tradition, and the soul.
It’s good stuff. This assimilation is opposed by Takeru, a Sonokuni assassin, who decides to try and genocide the entire Wanokuni race. The combat, then. It’s simple, in theory. Takeru can take only one hit, but can attack all around her, and can shield and deflect projectiles. If that’s not enough, she can also slowdown time. Fights are segmented into small arenas, with the understanding that you’ve gotta murder everything to escape. It’s good fun, and rewards strategic thinking. Crucially, you respawn very quickly after death so you can keep throwing yourself into it as many times as it takes.
Dice To The Beat
SONOKUNI‘s combat is at its best in small pockets. When you can formulate a quick strategy on the fly. Deflect, shield, strike, win. It’s fun. Cracks only start to appear when it goes on for longer. For one, it seems strangely inconsistent as to how long a swing goes on for. Sometimes I can deflect a whole room, other times only a couple of shots. The boss fights are the biggest offense. They feel brought in from another game, one with movement abilities. One of them is a giant, swirling laser, which fires projectiles. The one-hit-kill element begins to grate here, when you’re forced to dance to the boss’ tune. Even the final boss is just a constant spawn of enemies, with sparse checkpoints.
Still, the absolutely chaotic visuals are a treat for the eyeballs. It’s like looking at a wall that’s been used by a succession of graffiti artists. Everything’s bright, colourful and all smashed together. It does make it a little hard to tell which enemy is which at times, though. That, and figuring out where to go. Soundtrack-wise, I’m a little divided. I suspect it’s down to personal taste, but it wasn’t the kind of driving, intense music that the combat demanded to me. The songs did worm themselves into my head, but it was only after I stopped playing SONOKUNI that they stuck with me.
Sonokuni – Chaotic To A Fault
If you’re with SONOKUNI for the plot, then you’ll be happy. I was quite impressed. Takeru has conversations with both Sonokuni and Wanokuni citizens, and even wavers on her viewpoints. Granted, she has two ‘Gods’ in her brain who are pushing and pulling her, but she felt distinctly human. Wanokuni made reasonable points, and she made good points about the preservation of the soul. The ending felt a touch disappointing, but I enjoyed the ride. If you’re not here for the story, then there’s a speed run mode that stitches together all the combat for you.
You can probably write off some of this review as basic personal taste. If you’re a fan of Japanese hip hop then you’ll likely rate it higher. Personally, I’m more fond of the music in games like Hotline Miami or Deadbolt. Of the gripes raised, only the boss fights are big enough to really cause problems. They disrupt the pace, and caused stress instead of manic enjoyment. Still, if you can get past them then you’ll find a game that’s dripping in biological chaos, which is wrapped about a very human core.
