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It’s, rather interestingly, been a pretty good year for samurai media. If you’re yet to sample the TV series Shōgun, I highly urge you to think about changing that. It’s easily the greatest thing I’ve watched this year. Team Ninja treated us to the action RPG Rise of the Ronin which may not be an all-time great but is certainly a fun, enjoyable romp and then, of course, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is on the way. There’s one more project though that should be on your radar.
The Spirit of the Samurai is an upcoming action-adventure game from developer Digital Mind Games and publisher Kwalee. You’ll assume the role of Takeshi, a Japanese samurai who is tasked with defending his village from a powerful Oni - a form of Japanese demon - seeking to wreak havoc with his undead army.
I’ve always been interested in Japanese folklore, particularly its darker side, and I find myself somewhat surprised that it’s something that’s not exactly been explored in gaming as of late. That’s not to say it’s never been touched upon but those aforementioned projects and other similar ones - Ghost of Tsushima springs to mind - largely find themselves concerned with the land of the living. It’s fellow samurai, ronin, soldiers, and shinobi that form our foes.
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In The Spirit of the Samurai though, the Oni will unleash a wide array of terrifying beings upon you, ranging from a legion of Tengu (powerful bird-like fighters) to the horrifying Jorogumo (a spider deity that can lure you in disguised as a beautiful woman). I want to make it clear that The Spirit of the Samurai isn’t a horror, instead cementing itself as an action-adventure, but the fact that it’s playing around with this wealth of macabre imagery is something I personally find incredibly exciting.
Take a look at The Spirit of the Samurai in action below.
When I say that The Spirit of the Samurai is an action-adventure, you might then assume it’s a third-person affair as is so often the case but you’d be wrong. The other defining factor that left The Spirit of the Samurai shining in my memory is that it’s a stop-motion 2D sidescroller. Inspired by the works of Ray Harryhausen, including Jason and the Argonauts, The Spirit of the Samurai is truly a sight to behold. You can tell that developers have poured such love and care into this project. Having been hands-on with the game for around 15-minutes at this year’s Gamescom, I can attest that it’s unlike anything else I saw or played. A real testament to the developer’s vision.
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The Spirit of Samurai’s story will, naturally, see you caught up in plenty of combat scenarios. The game may be a sidescroller but that doesn’t mean it’s a metroidvania. It instead simply borrows some metroid elements. It goes without saying that Takeshi is a skilled samurai, so you’ll be able to use your katana, spear, and several other weapons to unleash your fury upon your enemies. You’ll also have the help of two friends though. The first is Kodama, a small yet brave spirit, whilst the second is Chisai, a fierce warrior cat. This duo won’t simply aid you in combat, so too will they imbue you with the skills you’ll need to execute The Spirit of Samurai’s platforming - dashing across a large gap, for example.
There’s a lot I’d still love to know about The Spirit of the Samurai, including getting a sense of the way in which its combat difficulty builds and progresses but a key box has already been ticked. My curiosity is there, and it’s important that games sink their hooks into us. The Spirit of the Samurai has achieved that. Exploring the fascinating realm of Japanese folklore via such a visually arresting approach to gameplay, The Spirit of the Samurai is full of promise.
The Spirit of the Samurai is set to launch on PC in the remainder of 2024. A release date is not yet available.