Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae is a prime example of a title that lives and dies by how entertaining its gameplay is. Fortunately, the stylish hack and slashing that's on offer here is worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre. Despite its low budget feel, this is a Japanese indie game that delivers on what it sets out to do, and the result is a focused and satisfying release that's perfect for a quick fix of over-the-top action.

A throwaway story with some design issues overall, held together by some fun early gameplay which tails off at the end. Niche fans of the genre may find something to like here, but few others will.

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae has all the makings of a game that I would love to play, but it's only halfway there.

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae had the potential to be a solid hack and slash title, but such potential has been squandered. What sours this game is that outside of combat, everything else, from the repetitive mission structure to the average visuals, feels lazy. If more time and effort had been put in, this could have been good but, instead, the experience completely falls down.

With a cheap price tag and bland visuals, this is an easy title to ignore. However, for anyone who enjoys character actions games with deep, engaging combat, I cannot recommend it enough. I found myself tearing through repetitive wave after wave because of how much fun the combat is. What it lacks in presentation, it more than makes up for with game play.

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae is an arena fighter that features a great combo system that makes it fun to play... for a while. Unfortunately it has a limited number of enemy combatants, and once you learn the strategies for beating them, the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive.

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae has the potential to be an enjoyable title if you learn to master its combat system, making use of all the moves on offer

'Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae' lives and dies by its combat. There's nothing else here, and I don't say that to be snarky. There's a story that barely exists (maybe two minutes of total cutscene time), but outside of that, it's all action. Thankfully, 'Mitsurugi' overcomes the low budget to deliver excellent mechanics that are capable of standing entirely on their own. I wish there was a little more to it all, but this serves as a nice action game that should easily satisfy genre diehards.

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae is an enjoyable arena combat game that will appeal to fans of the genre.

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae cheapness and poor presentation mask what is legitimately a great action game.