This Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Chronicles PS5 review <breathe> is a bit of a chore to do, mostly because I’m over it now. As it’s a game I purchased, there wasn’t any urgency to produce a write-up.
This was a game on my stoked list, a title that my eldest would finally play with me, and in fairness, we’ve played this a lot, so it was well worth it on that level. It’s one of the few games she’s completed, and she is now picking up the trophies.
For everyone else, not as much. The solo campaign is lacking somewhat with linear maps, easy gameplay and an unbelievable amount of cutscenes. As a cutscene whore, I should be frothing, but to be brutally honest, I skipped a lot of them, which is rare for me. Why? Because I’ve been forced to watch the first season twice and read the manga recently – I don’t want to repeat it all so soon. CyberConnect2 accuracy in recreating the story.
The story is very faithful to the source material, all the way up to and including Mugen Train, but it’s a crash course for newbies as the cutscenes replicate the anime and stills throughout that fill in the blanks. It’s not in any way complicated and an enjoyable story if you’re into it.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Chronicles is separated into chapters following the story arcs, unlocking new characters, costumes, profile goodies for playing online and more. You need Kimetsu points found on stages and awarded by completing challenges to earn all of this. Versus mode is what we got the game for. Gameplay is uncomplicated, and anyone can easily perform a string of attacks or pull off their special. You can call upon your teammate to add to the flurry of attacks or bail you out.
My issue was with the frequency of specials. As exciting and lavish as they are, they slow gameplay, and you can expect to see two or three of these cutscenes per round. The visuals throughout can’t be faulted, though – they’re exceptional – as is the sound design, featuring all of the characters’ voices either in English (why would you do that?!) or Japanese. Zenitsu is as annoying here as he is in the anime.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Chronicles loses steam quite quickly. Before you know it, you’ve unlocked all of the characters, beat the training modes and can’t be arsed with the sound files for online play. That mode is naturally unpredictable on who you’ll get – button mashers or people who like to overkill the specials.
In terms of authenticity and impeccable presentation, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Chronicles fires on all cylinders. As a triple-A fighting experience, it’s average, and say it’s not worth paying full price and holding out for a sale. Considering CyberConnect2 other series, Naruto is frequently on sale, has a lot more to offer; if you aren’t so loyal to Tanjiro and Nezuko, hold out and play those in the meantime. As for Demon Slayer fans, you won’t be disappointed, but perhaps the gamer in you will feel unfulfilled at missed opportunities. Let’s see if there’s a sequel covering the next arcs, additional Hashira, and maybe we’ll get to fight Michael Jackson.
