We can say what we want about Capcom, its strategy, its numerous remasters and other remakes that we have been doing for several decades, also the fact of doing too much around the Resident Evil series (its goose that lays the eggs gold), but in reality, who wouldn’t do the same? We can say it, Capcom has found a certain balance in the way it manages its assets, and if there is something that we cannot blame it, it is its desire to think outside the box. Okami, Auto Modellista, Viewtiful Joe, Dark Void, Bionic Commando, Asura’s Wrath, Shinsekai or more recently Exoprimal, all these titles may not have smashed the charts in terms of sales, but they have each in turn helped to beautify the image of a Capcom that does not rest on its laurels. And it is with this same state of mind that we will immerse ourselves in Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess, a game which follows this logic of surprising, of trying new things. Are you curious, do you like Japanese folklore and games that do nothing like the others? Then this game is probably made for you…
Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess, it’s true that the name is not easy to remember and it’s also true that the game has been rather discreet until now. However, it’s already been a year since the game was announced, and the first time was in June 2023 during the Xbox Games Showcase. The game resurfaced a few weeks ago during the Summer Games Fest where it was also playable. But Capcom also organized sessions in Paris, in their offices for people who could not go to Los Angeles at the beginning of June. But Capcom France did better, instead of the short 30 minutes that were playable in California, we were treated to a session of more than 3 hours to better understand the concept of this rather astonishing game.
CUNI WHAT?
So what kind of game is this Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess? It’s an action-strategy game that borrows a lot from Tower Defense, all bathed in Japanese folklore, where the Yokai shine brightly. And yet, our first steps in the game make us think of something else, more like a classic beat’em all, in horizontal scrolling view, but with a camera that is ultimately free to move. It’s also because Capcom and its game director Shuichi Kawata wants to offer a true hybrid game, capable of attracting fans of classic action games and those who like slightly more complex gameplay. A highly perilous exercise, since reconciling the very general public with the niche market, many have broken their teeth. The advantage is that within Capcom, we have a certain background in beat’em all and the expertise of Shuichi Kawata, particularly with his latest game Shinsekai, can offer a nice marriage.
The story of Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess will ask us to save a mountain, Mount Kafuku, gangrened by corruption, a kind of filth that looks like very viscous oil. Only the priestess Yoshiro is capable of putting an end to this curse and scaring away the demons by purifying the soiled places. The only problem: the young woman, apart from making incantations, she is rather vulnerable. And that’s where Soh will intervene. He is a swordsman warrior who wears a mask and a rather stylish design who masters the art of combat and dance and he will use his skills to purify all the villages that need it. Soh’s advantage is that he can recruit villagers, often after saving them from certain death. Once these villagers are indebted to him, Soh can assign them a profession: lumberjack, archer, shaman, sumo and ascetic, thief, many others that we will be able to unlock throughout the adventure. Each profession behaves like distinct classes and therefore has its own combat techniques. The lumberjack is effective in hand-to-hand combat, the archer will be more interesting over long distances and reach flying enemies. There is also the mage that we will use to create protective barriers, heal others and even slow down enemies. Obviously, all of them can evolve and see their abilities increase throughout the game. In any case, we will have to be behind them at all times, they are not absolutely autonomous. Movements, positions, attacks, it is up to you to guide them everywhere, and this is where the game takes on the appearance of a strategy game with a Tower Defense tendency.
TEAM GAME
At first, I played it a bit nag, because I told myself that I could do all the work with my dexterity and my appetite for close combat, but the more we advance in the game, the more numerous the enemies, but above all the tougher . Because in addition to the basic Ikoku (this is the name given to the monsters in the game), many bosses and mid-bosses invite themselves to the party, without forgetting that their number quickly rises to a crescendo. Basically, you will quickly be overwhelmed by waves of enemies that will be impossible to manage alone. You will have to demonstrate martial skill and strategy to keep Yoshiro alive, because the goal is to escort the priestess to the corrupted torii of each village while protecting her. She also has a life bar that allows you to keep an eye on her state of health. The particularity of Kunitsu-Gami is that the game takes into account the day/night cycle in its gameplay, with an interesting approach. It is in fact at night that the monsters come out of their parallel world to invade the world and it is throughout this night that Soh and the indoctrinated villagers must hold out, until the early morning. Moreover, at the bottom left of the screen, we have a seal filled with water which gives us the position of the sun or the moon, via their reflection on the water, a very beautiful materialization of the marker at the moment of the day. Note also that it is possible to act on it, by accelerating the day/night cycle at any time. When the sun is up, Soh can do other things, such as making repairs and building infrastructure in the village thanks to the villagers who will do the dirty work for him. These moments of respite will also be the time for Soh to develop his skills, his dances which are the equivalent of combos, but also add powers to his sword, develop the professions of the villagers, etc.
The gameplay is therefore interesting, quite unique in its kind, and even if Capcom knows that it will not be easy to reach the general public, the Japanese publisher hopes that curious players will like this different proposition. The feeling is quite surprising at first and very quickly, we get used to it, especially since the controls have been simplified as much as possible so that the strategy and controls aspect are as simple as possible. And in a few hours, we master the gameplay. It remains to be seen if the game will be able to renew itself enough to keep us on the edge of our seats, with missions varied enough so that protecting the priestess does not become boring after a while. In any case visually, even if the game is far from being a lightning bolt of war in terms of technique, Kunitsu-Gami stands out with its atypical and seductive artistic direction, very Japanese-Japanese and for people who are fans of Japanese folklore, there is already enough to be seduced. Answer on July 19 for the final verdict.
