Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 Palms-On Preview (PS5) – If you suppose Japanese popular culture, anime definitely tops that listing. This previous weekend was AnimeJapan, an annual commerce present that’s the anime business’s equal to E3. Dozens of anime-related firms, from publishers and studios to merchandisers, confirmed up with extravagant cubicles. Based mostly on a manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is arguably some of the fashionable anime in recent times. Naturally, it appeared at a number of cubicles.
Demon Slayer even had two of its personal devoted cubicles, one essential sales space and one other with bodily mini video games. Why is there a lot Demon Slayer hype? The franchise has loads of large issues coming in 2025. Headlining this yr is the upcoming anticipated theatrical movie, Demon Slayer: Infinity Fortress. However there’s additionally a brand new online game, Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2, launching close to the film’s launch.
This new recreation is a sequel to Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, which launched again in 2021 and we gave a evaluation of 8.5. It’ll be almost 4 years for the reason that first recreation when The Hinokami Chronicles 2 launches, so followers have been ready for this lengthy overdue follow-up. Given the anticipation, a considerable quantity of the Demon Slayer sales space at AnimeJapan 2025 was devoted to the sport, with a number of playable demo stations arrange.
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 Palms-On Preview – Extra Enjoyable, Thrilling Anime Fights
Persevering with The place The First Recreation Left Off
As somebody who loved the unique recreation, I used to be trying ahead to going hands-on with a demo of The Hinokami Chronicles 2. Like the primary, the sport lets you relive occasions from the anime, with this entry selecting up from the place the primary recreation completed. Extra particularly, the marketing campaign will probably be overlaying the Leisure District Arc, Swordsmith Village Arc, and Hashira Coaching Arc. Nevertheless, the demo at AnimeJapan 2025 was of the sport’s Versus Mode. This was prone to not solely forestall potential story spoilers, however to offer you a fast option to hop into the motion, attempt totally different characters, and even play in opposition to somebody you got here with.
Within the demo’s Versus Mode, every participant selected two characters to make the battle a tag-team match – yet one more nice option to effectively attempt utilizing varied characters. With the marketing campaign set to cowl extra story, the sport’s character roster has expanded to incorporate new characters, similar to Obanai Iguro, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and Gyomei Himejima.
A Enjoyable Anime Brawler
Being completely trustworthy, The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is just not your advanced esports-level combating recreation. It’s not a fighter you’re meant to get tremendous technical over and one that may get fairly button-mashy. And what, that’s fully nice! It’s the sort of easy, enjoyable anime motion recreation that appears like a pleasant throwback. That’s no shock contemplating that returning for the event of this sequel is CyberConnect2, who’ve a storied historical past growing anime brawlers, together with the Naruto Final Ninja video games.
The devs at CC2 haven’t misplaced that sense of pure anime combating enjoyment right here, with battles full of the frenetic vitality and flashiness significantly becoming for Demon Slayer. On that early morning, my internal youngster was the one standing on the demo station with a smile on his face as he bought to really feel like a robust member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
An Artwork Model That Faithfully Recreates The Anime
CyberConnect2 additionally as soon as once more completely nail the visible fashion of the Demon Slayer anime in The Hinokami Chronicles 2. The cel-shaded graphics appear like they had been straight up ripped from the ufotable anime adaptation, that includes the signature thick linework and placing high-contrast colours. Characters’ particular assaults are particularly visually beautiful, with elaborate animation sequences crammed with highly effective vigor and dynamic digicam work. With all of it’s working at a buttery 60 FPS, the motion not solely appears to be like however feels clean and responsive.
In the event you’re a giant fan of Demon Slayer, loved the primary The Hinokami Chronicles recreation, or simply get pleasure from superior anime battles, it will be onerous for you to not have time with Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2.
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 launches on August 5, 2025 within the west, just some days after the August 1 launch in Japan, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Change, Xbox Collection X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
