It’s been four years since the first Hinokami Chronicles released and now Demon Slayer is back with the release of Hinokami Chronicles 2. Is this fighting adventure game worth your time? Or should it have stayed on the small screen?
A Goofy Good Time
I’ll be honest, right off the bat, I knew the title Demon Slayer but that was about it. I knew it was a hugely popular franchise in Japan but I never found the right time or entry point to dive into the series, until now. If you are new to the franchise like myself, the Demon Slayer games closely follow the manga and the anime. The main narrative focus of the franchise follows Tanjiro and Nezuko, whose family are murdered by demons and this results in Nezuko actually becoming a demon as well. Hell bent (great demon pun!) on revenge and avenging, the two have two goals: kill as many demons as possible and make Nezuko human again.
That’s the basis of all Demon Slayer content, simple yet satisfying. Where we pick up in Hinokami Chronicles 2 is directly after the events of the first game. If you were new to the series like myself, developers CyberConnect2 and publishers SEGA have implemented a wonderful quick fire recap of the events of the first game through the ‘Path Of The Demon Slayer’. This recap is a series of six fights which help to inform new players and refresh returning players of the events of the first game. This is a brilliant innovative way of recapping events instead of the bog standard cutscene.
As this game serves as an adaptation of the popular series, fans of the anime and manga will know the main story beats and nuances. The story begins in the Red Light Entertainment section and goes all the way through to the Hashira Training. Tanjiro along with sidekicks Inosuke and Zenistu are in these locations to do what they do best – uncover the demons and eradicate them. As mentioned, this game is a pure adaptation and that shows in the story, as the plot moves at a rapid pace, trying to shoehorn in major plot points fans have read and watched previously.
The pacing is brisk and coupled with the fighting gameplay, is perfectly pitched but it does mean players miss out on the more intricate character building. I would have liked to see more dialogue in between fights with the characters to further understand their emotions and motives. Still, the story of Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a rip roaring adventure of characters willing to stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Coupled with superbly animated cutscenes and a brilliant English or Japanese dubbed audio, fans of the series will feel right at home with this tale.
Player In the Arena
Hinokami Chronicles 1 at its core was a fun, engaging arena fighter designed for fast paced combat and the sequel follows that style beat for beat. It’s clear developers CyberConnect2 knew they had a good formula and didn’t want to alter it too much. If you’re unfamiliar with these games, they are simple on the surface level but grow in complexity the more you dive in. You have two fighters on each side across a multitude of levels and set pieces. You have a basic attack you can morph into skill attacks, a standard dodge and a block. There are some solo battles but for the most part, this game is a tag game of two on two. This feels smooth and responsive, making combat extremely fast paced and fluid. It’s a blast! The complexity in gameplay emerges in the combos you can execute, along with the surge and skill meters which require the meter to be fully filled in order to complete powerful finishers or moves. Boss battles act as the culmination of this complexity and require you to access the full skill set of your arsenal in order to prevail.
In between all the fighting and the cutscenes, you can walk around and explore the world, converse with other characters and find clues or even demons themselves using Demon Slayers‘ version of a detective mode. Whether it’s Tanjiro’s smell or Zenitsu’s hearing, the same gameplay mechanic follows; you activate the ability, follow the path and claim your discovery. Simple, yet satisfying. You can also find collectibles and stat points to unlock rewards for characters. At launch, the game sports a roster of over 40 different characters; a massive upgrade from the 18 of the previous title. And yes, you can finally run in the exploration areas now as opposed to the painstaking walking sections fans had complained about in the first game. There are also some side quests and mini games which help slow down the frenetic pace of the story and allow some introspection into characters, albeit not enough. Overall, this is a superbly robust and in-depth story mode that can keep you invested for hours.
When the credits have rolled in the single player campaign, there is still much to discover. Hashira Training is a roguelite for players where you choose a team and guide them down a board, choosing battles with modifiers and conditions. Unfortunately, your health doesn’t regenerate so this is truly for the hardcore fans of the series. Like the previous game, local and online versus mode return, but be warned, this isn’t for the faint-hearted, I consistently got my ass handed to me by much better players. Ouch! My only real complaints about gameplay revolve around the gear system and a lack of tutorial. The gear system is a system allowing you to add up to three slots of gear to boost attacks or recover health but it’s so weak it really didn’t feel like it helped much at all. It just felt like a last minute addition to the game.
Straight Off The Page And Screen
To describe Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles 2 visually isn’t a tough job because man, it’s incredible. If someone were to tell me this was ripped straight from the anime itself, I wouldn’t argue. This animation is some of the best I’ve ever seen in regards to bringing anime to life. Each character looks stunning as they all drip in detail and expression. Each location and fighting stage looks breath-taking and the transitions between gameplay and cutscenes is something to truly marvel at. Character fighting animations are top notch and boldly capture the feel of the show and bring it to life in the video game medium which is outstanding. The explosion of colour during fights is something to behold. CyberConnect2 clearly revere the franchise and have made sure this game is of the highest quality in visual and animation fidelity. Bravo!
Similarly, the sound design and musical score aim high and they do deliver – mostly. As previously mentioned, the voiceover work in both Japanese and English adds emotional weight to each character’s journey and helped me connect to their struggles more. It’s just a shame there are far too many reused voice lines in the exploration moments outside of combat. The sound design is solid across the board through every attack, counter dodge and block. You can really hear the characters’ exhaustion and exertion during fights. Finally, the musical score is just a real treat. The score captures the frenetic pace of the gameplay through powerful orchestral tracks that splice in booming percussion, all blended with an anime melody that sounds so good!
Verdict
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a tour de force in how to bring anime into the gaming space. A compelling faithful retelling of a story fans love, superb combat and stunning visual and audio design make this game a really special experience. Whilst the lack of additions may upset some returning players, along with the weak gear system, there’s still so much fun to be had in this game. You can really feel the love and care the developers have poured into this sequel! See you in the arena!
