One of the best Wii games to hit shelves in months.
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So my previous post was my top 5 favorite games. And then, to my chagrin, I pick up a little gem that will probably top all of them. Is it a 3-D shooter? No. Is it a dungeon crawling RPG that will take 200 hours to complete? No. Are you an Italian stereotype or a small woodland creature that runs way faster on two legs than should be allowed? No.
This game is different. This game is simple, but like a great haiku, it is complex in its simplicity.
Combining genres has been the direction every major publisher has been going towards. I guess it makes sense, seeing as how games have been around roughly 30 years, and if we aren't going to make new genres, then we have to mix and match. However, most of the time, it's like that kid who likes to get high and then trys to cook; the ingredients are good, just not when mixed together. On the surface, this is just another of the plethora of "hack and slash" games, but it is much more than that.
Sure, the combat is hack and slash, but you have a katana and are fighting about 15 ninjas at once. What are you going to do? And it's not like most hack and slash games where the combat is so disappointing (Devil May Cry 2, I'm looking your way). The combat style is very much "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon". Or any other bad ass ninja movie. You can dispatch a ton of baddies in a very stylized way. Each weapon you collect has a special move that accompanies it to make short work even faster. And the boss battles are against some insane looking creatures (giant blue cyclops monk anyone?).
By now you're saying, "Okay, so it's a rare good hack and slash, what does that have to do with blending genres?" and I'm all like "Way to interrupt." The way your character moves is very Platform style. Think old school Metroid, before it went all FPS on us. You have a game map (of Feudal Japan) but most of the paths are blocked by a colored barrier, which can only be opened after obtaining stronger swords, which you receive for defeating bosses. Like I said, it's like when Metroid was good. The game also has RPG elements, with your character gaining Experience Points for defeating enemies. When you level up, your Strength and Vitality increase (and not, like, 18 other stats like in Pokemon), which allows you to forge new, more powerful weapons. Also in the vein of classic RPGs is that the battles are all random. Which is usually the quickest way for me to put a game down and walk away and make me want to never pick it up again, but it works. Why? Watch any kung fu movie, and you will see the protagonist get ambushed by ninjas while walking through the forest. This is exactly how the battles happen in the game. Except, sometimes it's not ninjas. Sometimes it's demon bird men. Sometimes it's a giant fungus monster. Or samurai. Or a wild boar. You never know what to expect, and you never know when.
The game is absolutely gorgeous. A game hasn't had me stop and just gaze at the level since Mario Galaxy. And while this is a 2D side scroller, it is still better looking than probably 99% of the other games available for Wii. There is depth and layers not unlike the movie "Ponyo". Trees sway in the wind. Bamboo gets caught in the crossfire and is cut down. Clouds cast rolling shadows on the farm land in the distance. Basically, between the visuals and music, it is every anime ending credits sequence ever made or will be made.
Just as the enemies are unique, the characters could not be a more interesting blend. The story is split having you take the path of Momohime, a possessed female fighter who was protecting a nobleman, and Kisuke, a young ninja who has amnesia. Like "Sonic Adventure 2: Battle", both stories play relatively similar, but unlike SA2:B, you don't want to kill yourself afterward. Kisuke's story does seem to be more battle heavy, but both are just as fun and utilize the same attack patterns. Both are accompanied by a sexy fox demon (the one who tags along to Momo's story is quite a bit more busty and makes me want to give Furrie pictures another chance) who are present at save points to remind them of where the next objective is. Think Jimminy Cricket, but hotter. And lastly, the antagonists are the nobleman mentioned above, and a psychotic evil monk out for revenge. It has all the makings of a great anime/Tarantino film.
Momo and Kisuke are very likeable characters, which is refreshing. Usually you have to play the tough guy and whiny annoying female lead (Sonic and Amy Rose). Kisuke is the cool anime-inspired hero, with spiky hair, a cool-looking scarf (which doesn't exist in real life) and six skulls hung around his belt. And since I'm a fan of Japanese girls and knee high stockings, I in no way mind playing Momo.
Whereas Atlus games has pretty much been dominating the market of Japanese culture-inspired games, this game takes it to a whole new level, seeping every pixel in Japanese/Shinto influences. The game makes a strong argument for the "Games are Art" debate, and the controls are tight, which is a biggy for the Wii (thank you Vanillaware for NOT putting unnecessary motion controls in here). If you even remotely like anime, action games, or anything ninja (and come on, who doesn't?) then this is a must play. It is one of the most unique and original games in recent history, and a great addition to a console who's main bread and butter is shovelware.