Otogi: The Myth of Demons Preview
We take an exclusive look at the localized version of From Software's mythical Xbox action game.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be an undead warrior pitted against an army of demons, From Software and Sega have a game for you. Otogi: Myth of Demons, which was released earlier this year in Japan, puts you in the role of Raiko, a warrior hauled back from the afterlife to deal with a demonic army that seems pretty set on bringing about doomsday. Given the rather traumatic nature of coming back from the dead on such short notice, Raiko isn't quite at the peak of his ass-kicking skills. As you progress through the game, Raiko will gain experience and grow more powerful with every demon he returns to the afterlife. We recently took a localized version of the game for a spin to see how it's coming together for its US release.
Otogi features a basic mission-based structure that, along with its gameplay, bears more than a passing resemblance to Sega's own Shinobi for the PlayStation 2. When you first start the game, you'll spend a bit of time being briefed on its story and pertinent plot points. Following the intro, you'll start out in a tutorial level that will fill you in on the basics of being a newly revived undead warrior. Once you get through the tutorial, you'll come to a tally screen showing off your performance in the level and then move to a menu screen that will let you perform some general maintenance on Raiko. As you go through the game, you'll gain experience that will go toward increasing Raiko's level, thus increasing his overall stats. You'll also earn cash, since, as we all know, the corpses of slain demons are basically magical ATMs. You'll be able to spend your cash in the game's shop, which will let you buy weapons, magic, and accessories. In addition, you'll be able to restore your weapon's vitality, which runs down as you slay the demon hordes. Once you're done blowing your cash, you can pop into the equip screen and try on your goods. You'll be able to equip a weapon, a magic type, and an accessory, all of which have their own pros and cons, depending on your preferred play style.
Once you sort out your gear, you can hop into the game and start "cleansing," which is undead-warrior speak for "killing all the demons." The game's accessible control scheme makes "cleansing" easy and fun. You'll move Raiko around with the left analog stick. The left trigger will lock you on to an enemy, and the right trigger will let you dash in the air. The A button will let you perform a single or double jump on the ground or in the air. The rest of the Xbox face buttons will be used for your attacks. The B button is a basic "small" attack, the Y button is a more-powerful "great" attack, and the X button will let you use your magic. While the trio of buttons may not seem like much, you'll be able to perform some impressive combos with them by varying their order. In addition, your magic will come in four different varieties, each with three power levels.
While Raiko may sound quite powerful, he does come with a bit of baggage. Sadly, the old boy is dependent on magic energy, which runs down over the course of a level. The mechanic works a lot like the sword in Shinobi, which required you to keep it well fed. In Otogi, your life is tied closely to your magic gauge--if it empties completely, your health starts to drain quickly. As a result, you'll find yourself trying to plow through enemies, who give up health and magic power-ups, as well as the aforementioned cash, as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Otogi: Myth of Demons Quick Links
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- Sega
- From Software
- Fantasy Action Adventure
- Release: Aug 27, 2003 »
- ESRB: Teen
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