Resistance to Vanillaware’s latest game is feudal.
WHAT YOU’LL LIKE:
The Art, Obviously
Vanillaware made a name for itself with Odin Sphere not because of the surprisingly intriguing mythological story or the cosplay-friendly main characters, but because of the stunning, hand-drawn 2D art. Fans of such a thing know just how rare a commodity it is today, with even Capcom finally giving in to the dark side of three dimensions. If you ever owned a Sega Saturn, the art in Muramasa should remind you of a time in your life when everything was going to be all right.
Cuts Deep
Odin Sphere’s gameplay was somewhat shallow but Muramasa grants players with tons of standard moves in addition to the unique special attacks that come along with each of the game’s 300 different swords. The combat can be quite spectacular as well: You can have three weapons equipped at any given time and switch among them instantly. This allows for elaborate combos, a mixture of special moves, and varied tactics when taking on multiple enemy types at once. Simply changing weapons creates a screen-clearing slash, so you know this game is serious business. There are two combat settings which determine how difficult the game will be. On the easier setting you can basically just spam the attack button until everyone is cut in half, but on the advanced setting you will need to use parries, dodge rolls, and every other move in your arsenal to overcome your enemies.
No Motion Controls
Motion controls would have killed Muramasa (see Soul Calibur), but the lack thereof and compatibility with the classic/Gamecube controllers means you can play it just like a real game!
WHAT YOU WON’T LIKE:
Just As Repetitive As Odin Sphere
Vanillaware promised Muramasa would learn from the flaws of their previous title, cult classic Odin Sphere, yet the only one that really mattered still remains: The game gets tediously repetitive after a while. Obviously Vanillaware worked very hard to make a beautiful game, but after you have to backtrack through the same forest five or six times it becomes harder to appreciate it. The combat system is fun at first but not deep enough to last the entire game (or twice, if you play both characters) without being augmented by other mechanics, which sadly there are none. Also, both characters share the same enemies, locations, and weapons, making the second playthrough an absolute chore.
Just as Repetitive As Odin Sphere
I felt the need to mention this twice in hopes that Vanillaware will actually listen this time.
Just as Repetitive As Odin Sphere
See, isn’t that annoying?
RECOMMENDATION:
Despite it’s repetitive nature, Muramasa is still one of the best games on the Wii. I suppose part of that comes from a lack of competition, but still, if you bought Nintendo’s little white box, you owe it to yourself to buy Vanillaware’s little white box as well.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
LOVE Muramasa!! I can’t resist that beautiful art even if it is a bit repetitive. It’s different, and the backgrounds are really nice to look at.
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:17 am
Plus when you have company over it keeps them busy while you make multi-million dollar deals and level up in Mobsters 2.
October 17th, 2009 at 6:47 am
I’ve heard a lot of good things about this game, but it is sad to hear that it’s just as repetitive as Odin Sphere. I loved Odin Sphere, but just couldn’t finish it because of all the “doing the same thing over and over” ness.