Capcom rewinds the tape with Kunitus-Gami: Path of the Goddess, delivering a motion RPG-tower defense hybrid that’s refreshingly retro in this era of open-world, always-connected gaming experiences. For others, it may deliver exactly what’s sought: a pleasantly decent experience. A period defined by an iterative process that combines hacking and slashing with administrative tasks and basic maintenance to achieve a moderate level of proficiency. While I acknowledge that the genre may have its allure for some, I genuinely doubt that this combination can truly encapsulate the essence that draws in enthusiasts of the finest tower defense experiences.
Kunitsu’s set on Mt. Kafuku, a behemoth of a mountain, lies scarred and battered from the relentless onslaught of dribbling demons. As dusk fell, the torrential rains persisted for an indeterminate period – days, weeks, or even months – ultimately inundating the picturesque Kafuku district, whose residents had woefully underestimated the need for adequate flood defenses. Isn’t this serene countryside just captivating? Coated in gloop mate, sorry. However! As the last glimmer of hope fades, a mystical presence awakens in the form of Yoshiro’s Mountain Maiden, whose extraordinary abilities imbue her dance with an otherworldly power capable of vanquishing the entrenched gloom and banishing the perpetual darkness from the mountain once and for all. Can you ensure Yoshiro’s safety by guiding him through the cleaning process with your mastery of swordsmanship and organizational skills?
As you embark on the cleaning course, you’ll navigate a series of increasingly challenging terrain sections, each comprising two distinct missions: a tower defense hybrid that I will explore momentarily, followed by a standalone boss battle. As you navigate the predetermined path, you’ll need to devise a strategy to overcome any obstacles that hinder your progress, relying heavily on your ability to think critically and make informed decisions. Although I didn’t encounter any difficulties, the game’s simplicity and abundant resources allowed me to easily power-up Soh and his minions to keep pace with the fast-paced action.
In Tower Defense-style missions, the setup is straightforward, placing Yoshiro at one end of the map, followed by a challenge to escort her safely to the Torii gate, allowing her to dispel it. However, there are, in fact, several caveats to consider. As the gates creak open under the cover of darkness, Yoshiro’s stealthy movements are perfectly synced with the whimsical pace of the tumbleweeds, rendering it impossible to casually stroll alongside her while the night air still lingers. To facilitate her observation, you can invest specific orbs to create a pathway, which typically requires waiting through several day-night cycles, allowing her ample time to complete her personal journey.
As Yoshiro approaches the gate, he’ll spend his daylight hours, marked by a solar icon on the backside left, amassing resources and fortifying defenses in anticipation of the nightly attacks to come. As a skilled warrior, one must engage in perilous expeditions to vanquish twisted, hellish tendrils that serve as a vital source of mystical orbs; procure rations to mend wounds and bolster allies by dispatching demonic beasts infected by the malevolent goo; fortify structures like barricades to impede the devil’s advance; and most crucially, liberate captives from the viscous substance and transmute them into loyal minions using your sacred orbs.
To successfully navigate this scenario, focus on identifying potential enemy entry points, denoted by purple gates on your mini-map, and strategically deploy your minions to intercept anticipated defensive positions held by Yoshiro’s forces. As one would expect, each minion aligns with a specific archetype perfectly. While archers excel in ranged combat, exceling against airborne foes, they struggle when confronted up close. In contrast, Sumo warriors are adept at soaking up damage, but rely heavily on their allies to deal significant harm. Savoring the thrill of discovering effective pairings or strategically situating units on environmental obstacles – such as high ground for archers, which can amplify their impact – provides a sense of satisfaction, albeit tempered by the realization that even these optimized placements are often marked by unremarkable performance.
As a result of this assignment, Typically, in approximately 90% of scenarios, it is essential that you engage actively alongside your peers to collect the fallen orbs generated from defeated enemies. With upgraded abilities, you’ll be able to unleash devastating combinations of hack, slash, and fiery projectiles – including hearth arrows and crushing finishing moves that can annihilate even the most formidable foes. As some individuals might find fulfillment in contributing to a defensive effort, I’ve found that my heightened energy levels, relative to those of my friends, have successfully satisfied an influence fantasy of mine. I’m convinced that mandatory involvement strips the genre of the authentic enjoyment one can derive from playing tower defense video games.
What’s that pleasure? As I soar above the terrain in my aerial command center, the thrill of supervising unfolds with each calculated placement, effortlessly dispatching teams to quell the chaos below. Not having to worry about accomplishing a task in any capacity, and relishing the freedom from responsibility.
You play Kunitsu, the meticulous manager tasked with rectifying the inefficiencies of a workforce engineered to operate in suboptimal conditions. Compared with discovering it thrilling to team up with my friends, I honestly find it a bit exhausting.
As the sun sets, a new opportunity arises: survive the night and allow the dawn to arrive, bringing with it an automatic cleansing of any remaining demons that have not been vanquished from the realm. Here: The final stretch is where you’ll exhaust your accumulated orbs, either propelling Yoshiro closer to the endpoint or, upon its completion, entering a challenging gate chase phase that demands the creation of a fresh defensive perimeter and minion composition. If I’m suddenly thrust into another gate-to-gate pursuit, I must confess that a small portion of my being retreats to its fetal state, oscillating wildly in anticipation. As a direct consequence of adhering to a daily routine, which involves orchestrating an orb collection, recruiting minions, and other tasks. Adopted by the nocturnal hours, this redundant cycle becomes increasingly tiresome, prompting my apathy.
The various mission options add a delightful layer of variety to the experience. As you navigate the lake, you’ve secured multiple vessels to safeguard against potential threats, and in another instance, you’ve procured a set of drums, harnessing their rhythmic power to unleash area-of-effect spells that reverberate throughout the surroundings. With dripping venomous wit, my most thrilling escapade unfolded as I transformed into an ethereal entity, doomed to collect luminous orbs and deposit them at Yoshiro’s feet – all while craving liberation from the infernal grasp of a demonic headcrab that refused to relinquish its hold on me. As the sport evolved, I gained the ability to delegate more tasks to my team members, empowering them to take on greater responsibilities and fostering a culture of accountability where they were held accountable for their performance rather than mine.
Boss battles grant access to novel types of allies, while the boss encounters themselves pit you against formidable foes with unsettling, terrifying designs, such as writhing centipedes and tortured Buddha statues that wield prayer beads as deadly weapons. While early battles may exhibit some repetition, this predictability gives way to engaging, if occasionally exasperating, scenarios that expertly toggle your attention between defeating bosses and assisting Yoshiro.
While it’s thrilling to unlock new minions, such as healing shamans, swift spear-wielding warriors, and summoning ascetics who create zones that hinder enemy movements, I must confess that I don’t find them particularly impressive. Enemy selection empowers players to explore distinct archetypes, with potential alterations to map layouts ensuring that experimentation is essential. The allure of Dark Souls’ character builds is diminished by lackluster upgrades that offer only fleeting benefits – additional health, damage, or a few more strikes – leaving one’s investments feeling more like a spreadsheet exercise than a thrilling journey.
Once spaces are fully cleared, with each individual completing their respective tower defense and boss missions, you’ll have the opportunity to revisit previously cleansed areas, now serving as bases that require restoration. These entities serve solely as a source of in-game currency, dispensing Musubi, orbs, and charms that facilitate upgrades to your minions or Sōh and provide occasional skill and stat enhancements. While initially engaging, these makeover projects ultimately devolve into a pointless exercise, lacking the charm of DIY SOS. Despite assigning villagers to repair these areas, they still require numerous mission days to complete. Typically, you request villagers to gather scattered wood around the designated bases before assigning them to a more lucrative and fulfilling task. After each mission, you head back to the base to collect your gear and prepare for the next assignment.
In most popular mobile strategy games, when you finally restore a base after a long period of disrepair, you get a significant boost in resources, including gold, elixir, and dark elixir. Additionally, the restored base often comes with upgraded defenses, troops, and other buildings, giving you a noticeable advantage over your opponents. With zero interaction with the villagers and Yoshiro’s absence of friendly banter, the sole reward is a slightly increased amount of foreign currency. Nick Knowles managed to secure conversations with the builders and homeowners following renovations on their properties.
Capcom’s unexpected launch of a unique blend – a tower defense/motion RPG hybrid – brings an undeniable charm, reminiscent of early 21st-century gaming aesthetics. While my enthusiasm might wane, others may find the micromanagement aspect of the game particularly engaging, as the incremental nature of base repairs and gradual energy accumulation creates a seamless way to invest several hours in a solid online gaming experience. Despite this, many may still find the game’s take on tower defense only partially satisfying. While its constituent elements – base-building and hack ‘n’ slashing – function harmoniously, the game’s overall design succumbs to a monotonous pattern that fails to capture the excitement and thrills often found in more straightforward tower defense experiences.
