REVIEW – Capcom is on a roll lately; everything they touch seems to turn to gold, whether it’s major blockbusters or smaller experimental projects. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess falls into the latter category, and it’s a new favorite for real-time strategy fans, especially those who enjoy creative twists.

Controlling a hero in the midst of a battle you orchestrate isn’t new, but the tower defense elements added to the mix give it a refreshing feel. Over its 10-12 hour campaign, Kunitsu-Gami generally provides a fun experience, though it has some rough edges and early-stage flaws. It’s also a bit short; just as you’re getting into the groove, it’s already over.

Samurai demon slayer

The story unfolds almost entirely without dialogue. The protagonist, Soh, tries to stop a demonic invasion from his mountain peak while protecting the local shrine maiden, Yoshiro, who performs rituals to banish the demons. They fail, and the mountain is overrun. The game essentially becomes a continuous tower defense mode as our hero cleanses the land of demonic infestation.

This manifests in a mission-based structure—traversing the campaign map, stopping at shrines, abandoned villages, and tunnels to complete challenges. After finishing a location, you allocate resources to repair it over time. This base-building task is simple and eventually a bit tedious but provides upgrade resources and unlockables.

More than just a bodyguard

Throughout Kunitsu-Gami, you step into Soh’s shoes, guiding Yoshiro along a predetermined path to a gate she must purify. Occasionally, you choose between two paths, but regardless of your choice, the objective remains the same: slay demons.

During the day, Soh runs around the map, purging areas of demonic energy and collecting points. These points are then spent on villagers you free, transforming them into combat units. Initially, you get basic archers and axemen, but soon you’ll unlock more specialized units like wizards who freeze enemies, artillery units that shoot explosive cannonballs, or monks who heal allies.

At nightfall, you position these units around Yoshiro to protect her from demonic hordes, and the battle begins, requiring you to hold out until dawn. This blend of tactical challenge and action makes Kunitsu-Gami exciting and unique.

Demon overload

Enemies pour out from designated spots—demon gates that release hordes aiming for Yoshiro. Your units, obstacles you’ve built, and your own skills slow them down. Soh, being a master swordsman, can sweep through enemies more devastatingly than the units you command. Every night, you must split your attention between fighting demons yourself and strategically placing your units to cover different lanes.

This balance is highly entertaining, featuring a classic rock-paper-scissors element in choosing units based on incoming enemies. Regularly introduced twists keep the game engaging. Some stages prevent you from fighting directly, only allowing you to give orders; others put you on a floating fleet, struggling to keep any ship from sinking; and some stages require lighting lanterns around the map to target enemies.

Not quite a sharp samurai blade

Soh’s combat controls are serviceable but noticeably less smooth than a good Dynasty Warriors character, let alone Dante or Bayonetta. This arguably balances his power on the battlefield but makes upgrading Soh’s skill tree less enticing compared to enhancing your units. Fortunately, the upgrade tree can be reset at any time, allowing for experimentation with different units and tactics.

Most stages last several nights and often a few days, as you move through maps, stopping to gain buffs for the night and giving yourself more time to build enhancements like cannons or sniper towers. Managing your units in these repeated engagements is challenging fun, backed by generous nightly checkpoints, so you rarely need to restart a whole mission if you fail.

Even after the credits roll, you may still be craving a truly tough stage—a chance to triumph against the odds. Those who shy away from high difficulty can rest easy knowing Kunitsu-Gami is more approachable than it seems. The boss fights unlocked between most stages provide the real challenge. These mandatory barriers to progress introduce new, tougher foes or unique, albeit sometimes tedious, battles.

Gorgeous visuals and mesmerizing sounds

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess offers top-down gameplay with extensive camera control, sometimes delivering beautiful visuals despite the relatively sparse environmental details. The creatively bizarre demon models make up for this, and we didn’t encounter performance issues during play, which is crucial for a seamless experience.

The soundtrack stands out, blending smooth, calm melodies for quieter moments with funky prog-rock for intense battles. This contrast enhances the gameplay, drawing players into the atmosphere whether they’re slaying demons or managing strategic resources.

However, the sound design has a minor but annoying flaw. It’s advisable to turn down the DualSense controller’s speaker volume in the PS5 system settings, as the game constantly uses it with no option to disable this feature, which can be distracting.

Overall, Kunitsu-Gami’s visuals and sound complement its exciting and innovative gameplay. Despite some environmental detail gaps, the creative demon designs and excellent soundtrack make the experience memorable.

A unique experience in a short adventure

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess might not feel as revolutionary as advertised, but it’s still a charming game. Its captivating elements often leave you wishing the experience lasted longer. It offers a special, brief adventure where strategy and action harmoniously blend. The game’s world and characters are enchanting, and while it might not provide deep innovations, the experience is well worth a try.

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Style: Real-time action strategy

Release: July 19, 2024.