Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Review (Switch)

We reviewed Hades what feels like a lifetime ago now and remarkably few games of its type have appeared since. We were expecting a wave like the ever-enduring Metroidvania’s but it never came. Maybe that’s because Hades pretty much perfected the formulae or maybe it’s just taken some time for companies to catch on.

Yash: Legends of the Demon Blade does follow the Hades template; all be it in a slightly gentler way than its source material. It changes the ancient Greek setting for that of Japanese mythology, which is presented in some beautifully drawn and constructed environments. This game is certainly big on the looks department.

That isn’t to say there isn’t depth here. The rogue elements are very much in play. There are numerous long-term and short-term buffs and bonuses that can be acquired by defeating enemies or bought at vendors. The range of these is vast and covers simple things such as health boosts to bonuses relating to stacking attacks and general speed and agility. There’s also an element here of quick first time upgrades that soon become much more expensive when looking to expand them further.

Away from upgrades to your character you can also unlock and upgrade a host of different swords. Again, these range from focusing on light or heavy attacks to those that require certain elements to function. There are no weak weapons so it’s all down to personal preference and two can be taken with you on any run. Once within the game temporary buffs can be applied as well, meaning there are a host of combinations you can play around with.

Combat is simple to grasp, with light and heavy attacks, a charge attack and the ability to dodge, parry and counter. These simple commands can be combined and manipulated into something much more devastating though so don’t be fooled into thinking this is a standard hack and slash affair. There is nuance here and you’ll need to get to know what swords work for you if you are going to progress past the first few areas.

One thing that is unusual in this genre is that the levels aren’t randomly generated. Each run sets you against the same environments and enemies with he same bosses at the end. There is only one exit out of each arena type level so things can get repetitive after repeated plays. That said, the longer you play and stronger you become and the quicker you slice through the earlier rounds, and we found we got further we each play through.

The bosses are big and colourful as well and varied in their style. You start out taking on a giant crab, but before long all manor of crazy demons are turning up with each behaving in a unique way. The boss battles really are a highlight and allow you to show off your skills without seemingly being unfair or insurmountable.

Overall, Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is a really nice surprise. The Japanese folklore setting lends itself perfectly to this type of game and it looks beautiful most of the time. The action is fast and slick and even the story is passable. It comes highly recommended to both hack and slash fans and those looking for more Hades style action that’s unique enough not to feel like a copy.

Overall 8/10

Sonokuni Review (Switch)

Every now and then you get something that appears out of the blue with little fan fare or hype that proves interesting enough to take a deeper look. A top down biopunk and Japanese mythology based, Hotline Miami, inspired indie game certainly fits the bill.

The Hotline Miami inspiration is obvious in terms of the games look and style. You enter buildings and move through the levels room by room in a series of sort of mini arena sequences. Each room contains a set series of enemies that all need to be approached in different ways to defeat them. This adds a sort of puzzle element as well as there’s normally only one way to get through without dying.

What is helpful is that if a certain enemy kills you too many times, then a video will pop up at your death showing how to deal with them. In terms of your arsenal, you have a spin attack, a deflection shield and the ability to slow down time for brief periods. Some enemies need shots deflected back at them, some need to be hit directly, while others may need to be dodged first or hit within a certain time. Knowing which order to do things is the key as one hit and you die and will need to repeat the room from scratch. The auto save is pretty good though, so you’ll be instantly back in the action without much time passing.

The biggest issue with the game though is the absolute crushing difficulty. Hotline Miami at least allowed some fluidity in how you could take enemies out. The closed arena nature of the rooms here really means it is a case of learning the pattern of each one and then making sure to execute it perfectly. And it does have to be perfect or else you will die and have to start again. This means if you do get stuck in a particular place it can soon start to get repetitive and frustrating quickly.

Some levels have boss fights as well. These tend to end up more like bullet hell shooter sequences where you must alternate between dodging attacks and deflecting and reflecting different colour bullets at the enemy. These are well handled and general walk the line well between challenging and fun.

There’s a good attempt at story telling and lore building as well. There are some great looking comic book style sequences and between levels you can explore a 2D village which acts as a small hub area. Here you can talk to other characters before heading off to the next level for more destruction.

Overall, Sonokuni is a fun attempt at trying to bring something a touch different to the Switch. It’s going to appeal to gamers who want games based on lightning fast reflexes and quick thinking. If the controls and pacing were tightened a little it would be an addictive masterpiece. As it is its good fun but veers more towards frustration than that ‘one more go’ ethos just a little too often.

Overall 7/10