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Muramasa: The Demon BladeBy Marlon Esmeralda - 10-21-09 Print  EmailWhen I first laid eyes on Muramasa: The Demon Blade, I instantly became a fan. It wasn't the 2D gameplay or the fast-paced sword fighting, but the fantastic visuals. Of course, gameplay is very important and Muramsa would have been quite a disappointing experience if it failed in that field. Fortunately, that wasn't the case and Muramasa is a great package. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's a high quality action RPG for the Wii, and Wii owners should definitely take notice. I'm sure for many, Muramasa's artistic visuals was the main thing that caught their attention. With good reason too, as the game was developed by Vanillaware, makers of the popular RPG Odin Sphere, which sported some great visuals of it's own. If you are a fan of Vanillaware's previous works, then Muramasa's art style will certainly amaze you as well. No one can really argue that Muramasa is one of the best visual masterpieces of this generation. As you play through the game, you will be at awe as you encounter each new environment. Seeing little details - like grass swaying, bugs flying, and waterfalls - are just very pleasing to watch and really draws out the feeling of each location. The backgrounds do begin to repeat as you play through the game, but you'll never get tired at looking at them.  Fighting is the same for both characters, and is where the core gameplay lies. In order to progress the story, you are to make your way to each specified location and fight a boss. On your way, you will encounter random battles with enemies, where you will unsheathe your sword and will need to take them all out in order to move on. The fighting is fast-paced and the battles can end in mere seconds, depending on how skilled you are. The controls are simple(aside from pushing UP to jump), and it feels like a typical button mashing beat 'em up. As you'll find out later in the game though, you're going to need to utilize other button combinations for other attacks in order to survive, so the game has a bit more depth than some typical button masher. Other elements like having your blade break, and needing to switch to another on the fly, will certainly keep you on your toes. As you kill off enemies and bosses, you will gain experience and eventually level up. Killing off enemies will also give you souls(souls can also be found outside of battle). These souls are used when making new blades in the game. You will also need spirit, which is obtained by eating food. Once you have enough spirit and soul for a particular blade, then you can forge it and equip it(if you meet the stat requirements). New blades are also obtained from boss battles, and getting new blades will open up more chances to forge new ones via a tree system. It's kind of like the skill trees you see in other RPG titles, and there are a lot of bladess to collect in this game.  The game is pretty linear, as you're always traveling from one location to another. There's also quite a bit of backtracking involved, and chances are you'll find yourself spending a good amount of time moving from screen to screen. What makes it a bit more bland is that since you just cleared the area of enemies, you won't even encounter anyone on the way back, so it is basically a long sprint until you're where the action is. You are able to explore other areas though, and can stray off the path a bit. However, since many areas are blocked off until you acquire a specific blade, you won't be able to explore much of anything until later in the game. No real side missions are available either. There are enemy lairs that you will find along your journey, where you will be bombarded with waves of enemies as you fight to be the last one standing, but these lairs are also blocked off until you acquire the right blade. The battles are definitely the meat of the game, and will hardly change up as you play. No new skills are learned, though each blade will have their own special art attached. I'll admit that the gameplay is very repetitive and if you don't enjoy doing much of the same for many hours, then you may start losing interest. I didn't find this a problem though and enjoy fighting in this game. The battles are random though, so there will be areas where you won't even encounter anyone. For as long as I played the game, I never felt bored with the system and was always looking forward to slashing through the next group of baddies. Plus, obtaining a high number combo is always satisfying. Now we know how great the visuals are, but the audio accompanies it just as well. You get a nice Japanese flavor with the music, and it goes well with the action of the game. You get a relaxing tune as you venture through a quiet field and some upbeat tempos as you face off enemies and bosses. And I never get tired of the little sound you hear as you change blades. As with the visual and audio, the voices in the game are also given the Japanese treatment. Voices have retained their Japanese dialogue and is the only track available in the game. An English dub could have been nice, but the Japanese voices fit very well with the whole feeling of the game. With the presence of a story inspired by Japanese folklore, the environment, the music, and the voices, this game really does feel like an import of sorts. I really enjoy Japanese culture, so I really liked the whole Japan vibe that I got from the game.  There are two stories in the game for you to play through, with each story taking around 7 hours to complete. The hours will vary depending on how sidetracked you become with exploring other areas and other things, rather than going straight to the next boss. Even after beating a character's story, there are still things to do. Multiple endings are available, and you will need to play through each story to get everything in the game. So the experience will be a pretty lengthy one if you plan to experience all the game has to offer. I also can't forget to mention that a harder difficulty is also present in the game, and can be adjusted at any point, should you ever want to change things up a bit. Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a visual masterpiece, but it has some very satisfying gameplay as well. Simple, yet addictive. It can be repetitive, but I found myself never getting bored with it. If you just want a game that's straight up action, then Muramasa can fill that void. The overall majestic feeling of the game also enhances the experience and I am definitely in love with the whole style of the game. It may not please everyone, but if you're looking for a top quality title on Wii, then I say give Muramasa a shot. Ratings |
 Select Choice Award |
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