Slowly however absolutely, the enigmatic Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is revealing itself to us, solely to pose new questions as we peel again the layers on this distinctive sport. Lately, Capcom shared some new background particulars on the festering Seethe, creatures of lore who pose a risk to the Maiden, Yoshiro, and the villages she’s defending.
This previous weekend at Summer season Recreation Fest Play Days, I used to be among the many first to check out a prolonged demo of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, earlier than sitting down with among the sport’s creators to reply all the “what did I simply see?” varieties of questions which got here tumbling forth.
This particular demo was set early within the sport, in an space referred to as Myoko Move; the builders defined that we’ll be spending plenty of time within the mountainous area. “The story takes place and in addition concludes on Mount Kafuku” defined Producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi. “Lots of the Japanese folklore and mythologies have backgrounds the place it takes place on mountains, and that’s the place [we] obtained the inspiration.”
If you happen to’ve seen a trailer for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, your response might have been alongside the traces of “this appears cool, however how, precisely, do you play it?” Luckily, the sport’s loop units itself up early: taking management of masked guardian Soh, gamers earn crystals by purging defilement all through the village (maintain the B button down everytime you see one thing… disturbing). This usually releases a villager within the course of; crystals could be spent to assign them extra martial roles to tackle at evening – when issues go from bizarre to worse.
You’ll must stability build up your battalion with an much more vital process: utilizing crystals to clear a path via the defilement for Yoshiro, the maiden you’ve seen dancing in trailers, to proceed via the village in the direction of a tainted Torii Gate – the titular Path of the Goddess. Soh’s crystal harvesting and path of Yoshiro and the villagers takes place throughout a number of real-time minutes of daytime. As soon as evening falls, it’s time to make one of the best of a deadly state of affairs.
As quickly because it will get darkish, the defiled Torii gate begins spitting forth pint-sized, nearly cute enemies, based mostly on Yokai of Japanese folklore, all making a beeline for Yoshiro. Whereas they don’t transfer too rapidly, they arrive in giant numbers, and from a number of instructions.
Not an issue – Soh is a succesful warrior who employs a sleek “Sword Dance” motion system, impressed by conventional Kagura dance. The consequence evokes a type of “Capoeira with blades” moveset.
I directed Soh backwards and forwards, elegantly slashing my method via dozens of monsters, sometimes pausing to direct my axe-wielding villagers to carry down choke factors. Whereas Yoshiro took successful or two, producing all types of alarm on display screen, she made it via the evening. By dawn, I had earned sufficient crystals to pave a path for Yoshiro all the way in which to the Torii gate, the place she purged that a part of the village of defilement.
This opened up a tent, serving as a base from which to organize for the subsequent battle. Inside, Yoshiro introduced Soh a Tsuba guard, granting a brand new energy to battle the Seethe referred to as Suzaku’s Flame, with the promise of extra to return.
Searching for a better problem, I subsequent challenged a boss. Earlier than heading off to battle, Yoshiro equipped a bounty of crystals, with which I skilled a posse of 4 woodcutters to assist even the percentages. Quickly, Gakinyudo, a large model of the mobs I had been dealing with within the village, got here bursting into the clearing. I assigned three villagers to encompass the abomination, reserving one to protect Yoshiro. We have been dealing out important harm when Gakinyudo summoned extra tiny variations of itself to swarm the battlefield.
That’s when Gakinyudo obtained one of the best of me, sending Soh sprawling to the earth. Apparently, that’s not sport over – Soh change into a floating spirit, nonetheless in a position to direct villagers and hold the stress on the beast. After just a few agonizing seconds as a non-corporeal being, Soh respawned again on the battleground, sword in hand! This made it clear that, in an actual method, Soh isn’t the principle character, it’s Yoshiro; if she is slain, the mission has failed.
This time, I made higher use of Soh’s dodge roll, and earlier than lengthy, Gakinyudo was dispatched. Soh was rewarded with boons to his well being, and even new roles to assign villagers, corresponding to Archer, for the battles forward.
And there might be loads extra fights; this can be a massive mountain, and daylight is already burning. Luckily, we received’t should endure many extra darkish nights till we get our palms on Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, one thing that the builders eagerly stay up for.
“Having it on Recreation Move on day one permits a possibility for many individuals to need to problem themselves to tackle this new gaming style, to expertise this new gaming expertise,” Director Shuichi Kawata informed me. Producer Hirabayashi added, “Whenever you first play it and you then progress via it initially, it sort of takes just a little little bit of time to get used to it. However as you progress via it and past the very first difficulties, you actually get the sensation of the brand new gaming expertise that this sport has to supply. So we’re trying ahead to that.”
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess might be obtainable on July 19 for Xbox Sequence X|S, Xbox One and Home windows PC, and Xbox Recreation Move subscribers will be capable of play the sport from day one. As well as, this title is suitable with Xbox Play Wherever, permitting cross-play and switch of saved knowledge between Xbox and Home windows 10/11.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
CAPCOM CO., LTD.
A brand new story of the Kami awaits…
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a novel Japanese-inspired, single participant Kagura Motion Technique sport.
The sport takes place on a mountain coated by defilement.
In the course of the day, purify the villages and put together your self for sunset.
In the course of the evening, defend the Maiden in opposition to the hordes of the Seethe.
Repeat the day and evening cycle till you cleanse the mountain of defilement and return peace to the land.
©CAPCOM
KUNITSU-GAMI: PATH OF THE GODDESS is a trademark and/or registered trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. and/or its subsidiaries within the U.S. and/or different international locations.
