Sometimes I like a little action with my strategy, but only when it promises to fit like a glove and not get in the way of the action. And this one almost fit perfectly.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, from developer Capcom, came out on the PlayStation 5 (and other platforms) around a year ago and has made its way to the Nintendo Switch 2. While not much has changed, other than playing it on a teeny-tiny screen, my attitude towards it has stayed the same – somewhere in the middle.
I do enjoy action with my strategy, as it can change how games are played sometimes, but not in the way that Capcom implemented it. The action is nice, the slow progress and creative monsters are equally good, but when you throw in NPC assignments/placements to help with attacks (and other tactical warfare), it becomes more of a hindrance. That’s not to say that this game is terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but it just feels so darn slow by forcing strategy into its equation.
So, sit back, try to close those demon gates, and let’s get running towards this review.
Creepy story that helps gameplay
The story of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a fun one. You are tasked with purifying defiled areas from monsters called the Seethe. The Seethe are a vile set of creatures that are as deformed as they are scary. They pop through Torii Gates, which you must close with the help of a divine maiden named Yoshiro. The gates only open at night, while during the day used for preparation for the oncoming evening.
The story plays two different roles in this game and complements it with how preparation must be made during the day, and the success of fighting during the evening hours. While the structure is simple, the overbearing feeling of dread looms throughout the experience because of the story. The story does a good job of magnifying the gameplay, which can only stand to help it.
Knowing that the story is set up to give you X amount of time with the day, and then you have to survive X amount of time during the evening, is a narrative recipe for horror and good times. It lays the groundwork for the gameplay to stand on because of this, and does a great job of making this yet another survival horror-type of game from Capcom.
The gameplay is a completely different matter.
Gameplay balancing act
When the game launches, you’re immediately put into the scrum of the world. You run and fight Seethe and learn the basic ropes for taking down the monsters. It’s such a positive beginning to the game that injects a hefty dose of high sensation value into the experience, and it feels retro in its intentions, as you’re given a 2D action vantage point that looks cool and feels easy to get into. You can’t find a better way to snuggle gamers into the concept of sword fighting against horrendous Japanese-inspired monsters. You will want to hack and slash all the time in this game.
As soon as you get through the first set of enemies, the game slows quickly. You’re thrown into a strategy phase, where you rescue a village and now must free its villagers and assign them tasks. The tasks can include fighting alongside you and/or rebuilding the fallen village pieces in preparation for the evening fight.
While the concept of each is neat on paper, the game goes from this action-packed thrill-ride speed to a sit-down and play chess with the villagers’ tone. You are asked to assign duties to villagers, and those duties can only be achieved if you have enough of them. If you don’t, you can assign them to be attackers, swordsmen, bow/arrow folks, or defenders of Yoshiro. It’s a slow process of gathering villagers and then making them workers in some way.
All the excitement garnished from that opening action sequence is just sucked out because the game needs you to stop and think a bit. And don’t get me wrong, I like strategy games a lot, as I was obsessed with RTS titles eons ago before it was cool. For my tastes, getting that initial injection of action was just too good, and I didn’t want to slow down to assign anyone tasks. I just wanted to swing a sword and roll with the good times.
Now, at this point in the game, I figured this was only going to be a ‘while in the village’ type of strategy deal. Sadly, the strategy spills over to the enemy and boss fights. During boss fights, you can assign villagers tasks to do on their own, such as the previously described duties, and then leave them to their own devices. You’re essentially taking over the duties of the game’s AI strategy dealer, as you are the only one who can command them to participate in the giant boss attack. If you don’t assign them roles, then you’re going to be the only one fighting. If you do assign them roles but don’t direct them to attack said boss, then you’re going to be the only one fighting. While you can change their roles in mid-fight, it just adds more slowdown to the process.
What I would have preferred, if I were looking for strategy in the mix, is giving them roles and then letting them do their thing without me having to tell them to do their thing. Telling someone that they’re going to be a sword-swinging samurai should be enough to assume they are going to be actively involved in an impending battle. Same with bows, same with defense – if I assign you the task, then I expect you to do the job. But you must direct them after assigning them tasks, which just slows the pace.
This reminds me of the time when Call of Duty implemented a similar strategic component into their action gameplay. While it certainly changed the gameplay and gave it some deeper military meaning, it also slowed the gameplay experience down, which took away from the game’s fast-paced excitement and over-the-top personality. Much like that experience with CoD, this one feels forced, as if the devs were trying to force a square peg clearly into a round hole. It was a balancing act that simply did not work.
I might be the only one feeling this way about the game, but for me, it’s a noticeable shift in gameplay pace. I can spare minutes telling my troops what their roles are, but it goes just a bit too far when I must tell them that they need to attack the large, looming, grotesque boss that is in front of us. I mean, they’re soldiers. They should know that is why they have been brought on the adventure.
Anyway, I understand the tactical side that Capcom was shooting for with the strategic component of the game. I honestly think it doesn’t work, especially when you get a taste of that sweet, sweet action.
On the action side of the tracks, it’s fun as hell to take down the Seethe, learn powerful new moves as they are mystical, and earn objects that will help against Seethe as you progress and execute strategy. When the action began in this game, I couldn’t get enough of the chaotic battlefield of Seethe that pours from the gates and gives you as much challenge as you want from them. It even gets more intense when their goal is to take down Yoshiro, and you must pay attention to how close they’re getting to her. That just adds a nice drop of intensity to the entire scenario.
The boss fights were equally impressive, as you get to go up against monstrous beasts with different abilities that make each one a unique battle experience. They are also trying to take down Yoshiro in the process, so you have a finite amount of time to take them down before they get to her (or game over).
Anyhoo, the action was the sweet spot of this treat, and I wish there was a constant focus on this aspect of the game. I felt like it had a lot more to offer than the tactical side. The action just worked better and smoother, which made it fun.
Graphically gorgeous
While the gameplay seems to compete with itself, the graphics are perfect. The game is a blend of traditional Japanese lore and modern survival horror, which lends it a visually ancient feel. The characters look and move well on the Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware, and have surprisingly detailed textures and model movement.
Having played this on the PS5, it was neat to see this game didn’t miss much of a beat on its way to Nintendo’s new baby. The characters are smooth, the environments are grotesquely gorgeous, and everything looks and acts visually quite well. I’m impressed by how Capcom brought such detail to this little engine that could.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap up this review.
Conclusion
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, developed by Capcom, brings good and stylish action to its gameplay, while incorporating strategy elements to slow it down. If you like a tactical side mixed with your action, then you’re going to love what this game offers. It felt a bit imbalanced for my taste, and I wanted more action to take the lead in this gameplay experience.
