Over the past decade the number of licensed anime games has evolved substantially! What was once a source of inspiration for games that were subpar and only licensed to sell extra copies has become some of the most lucrative and popular games on the market! This shift in paradigm was because of one studio that set out to push the boundaries of what licensed games could accomplish by bringing a stunning adaptation to the Shonen Jump franchise, Naruto. For the better part of 10 years, CyberConnect2’s Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series immediately impressed with beautiful graphics and passion for the source material, that led to a series that sold a staggering 15 million copies across 6 installments! A game that attempts to replicate the same appeal of this series is no easy task, but Demon Slayer Mobile Games: The Hinokami Chronicles is the spiritual successor that that fans like me were waiting for.
Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles is a 3D arena-based fighting game that was developed by CyberConnect2 and was published by SEGA. Based on the original manga written by Koyoharu Gotouge, the series has become one of Shonen’s most popular series. It has an anime adaptation from UFOTOTAL, the top-grossing anime film of 2021 and in the near future, a console video game by a well-known developer, it’s clear that Demon Slayer mobile games is a big deal within the world of anime! It’s a perfect storm for Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chroniclesto be a great time, but can the console version of this game surpass the bar for this incredible game?
Contents
Story
Demon Slayer Mobile Games The Hinokami Chronicles retells the events that occurred from the Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc all the way down to Mugen Train arc. You control Tanjiro Kamado, who’s world is turned upside down when he learns that the entire family of his was murdered by an evil spirit. The only person who survived is his sister, Nezuko however, he quickly realizes that even though her life was not affected but she was turned into the demon. With renewed determination, Tanjiro aspires to become the Demon Slayer to not only destroy the demon responsible for the murder of his family but to also come up with a method to transform Nezuko back into a human.
I’ll admit that I’m not the greatest enthusiast of Demon Slayer mobile games. It’s not to say that the story isn’t great, it’s just not the typical Shonen story with a hard-working main character with a desire to keep them going throughout the entire series. This isn’t a terrible effort though I’ve read similar stories many times before. However the thing that makes Demon Slayer mobile games stand out and the reason I believe it’s extremely popular is due to its diverse character cast. A lot of them are enjoyable to watch regardless of Zenitsu experiencing severe panic attacks on the most insignificant things, Inosuke being a parody of other shonen heroes who think of nothing but fighting, Shinobu’s constant positive outlook to the point where it’s almost frightening and the list goes on! It also applies to the many characters Tanjiro is forced to combat that often have a sympathetic backstory to explain why they behave in the manner they do.
It’s a shame that the weakest of the heroes is Tanjiro. I wasn’t averse to Tanjiro, but he’s not that interesting. His unique traits extend to being a shrewd sense of smell, a tough head that’s regularly utilized to headbutt others, along with… that’s all. As you might expect, his determination to never quit and is a kind heart however, these traits are a dime a dozen for protagonists from this kind of genre. What sets him apart though is the fact that his motive is a noble one, and he always thinks about others before himself, even to the point of constantly sympathizing with the demons who he battles. This helps us to support him and his growth! And before you ask, yes. Nezuko is adorable and, despite the fact she doesn’t say much she’s the emotional heart of the story. I was hoping to see her return to normal.
The question that is now posed is which is: can Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chroniclesserve as a good way to experience it for the very first time? The answer is a little complex. The major events of the story are covered in the game’s narrative. However, it’s not a complete version of the story. Though I do like the fact that the game provides an alternative way to view scenes that aren’t covered by the game using what’s known as Memory Fragments. The reason for this kind of confusion is because some of them are becoming unlocked much later during the game, which means scenes at the beginning of the story are locked off until you reach an unrelated time in the game’s narrative. It doesn’t make much sense. Whatever, the game is an effective way to gain an abbreviated version of the Demon Slayer mobile gamesstory!
Gameplay – Story Mode
Every arc of Demon Slayer Mobile Games: The Hinokami Chroniclesis separated into chapters. To get through the game, you’ll need to finish all eight chapters. It’s highly recommended to do this, as it’s the fastest method to unlock all characters and stages you’ll use in the game’s mode of versus. It’s unfortunate then there’s no guarantee that this story is exactly consistently. On Tanjiro’s quest for his sister’s protection, he’ll often find himself exploring different environments, leaping across rooftops and sliding through the bushes. It’s interesting, right? Sadly, these exploration sections aren’t the most effective part of the campaign. The interactive elements I described can only be done at pre-determined locations. This seemed like a bizarre choice given how agile the characters you control will be in cutscenes. This is compounded by the fact that your character’s movements are at an extremely slow speed but there’s no means to increase the speed. There are side quests that you may tackle however calling them “side quests” is rather generous. They’re all about communicating with specific individuals or interfacing with objects all of which are marked in your map, taking away any enjoyment from taking the time to explore every area.
It doesn’t help that the story is often poorly paced also, with you being forced to watch a plethora of cut scenes, in addition to already explained adventure parts prior to fighting any monsters. However, the moments when you’re forced to unclip your sword can lead to some of the best aspects of the story! This is particularly true for the great boss fights in the game! Every fight adds an element that is unique to make the fight more exciting by making use of your move options to dodge big attacks or taking on more than one boss simultaneously. All of these fights also conclude with a stunningly designed interactive cutscene featuring CyberConnect2’s famed quick-time events. A bit of a nitpick here However, as impressive as these ending sections of boss fights are, I was shocked to discover that some of these quick-time events only require two or one button press and are quite different from CyberConnect2’s previous titles.
Beyond the main plot There are also special monsters to battle as you finish each chapter. Although they’re not required I found them enjoyable because of their difficulty and unique mechanics like the one that inflicts poison on enemies when they attack! Good thing too, since the majority of the single-player campaign is a cakewalk. Dying is quite rare because attacks are frequently communicated to players and are possible to avoid by timing them correctly. The game gets more challenging near its conclusion However, this challenge will not hinder the fun boss encounters.
Gameplay – Combat System
The most appealing aspect of Demon Slayer Mobile Game Its Hinokami Chroniclesis being able to play as your favorite characters in a thrilling combat game. I’m delighted to announce that the combat system that the game provides is easily one of the best aspects! CyberConnect2 did not have a reputation as a combat system that was balanced It took them several installments in the Naruto Storm series to repair the broken mechanics they introduced, for example. All this experience was very successful, and the mechanics and combat of Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles are the best that the studio has ever created!
Two characters are available to players, with one acting as a backup character to extend combos , or help you from an opponent’s combo. The battles are played in a 3D arena, which allows players to move around the arena. Movement is mainly done with sidesteps and ground dashes. The ground dash has properties that homify, as do your aids, however in the event that an opponent takes sidesteps, they’ll lose the homing properties. The second character you choose to assist you as well, but you’ll also be able to swap places to them, allowing the two characters to build combos, or to make previously unsafe moves more secure. As for blocking attacks, there is possible, it is also an option. You can also push block to create space between you and your opponent. Or, with good timing, parry their attack and leave you open to attack for an attack. In addition to that you’ll also have a blue gauge to use for specific attacks, as well as a super gauge you can spend to use your ultimate attack , or improve your speed and attack for a brief period of time.
While you’re not limited to the standard fighting options there’s much more intricate mechanics to play with. At any time, you can halt an attack by jumping, sidestepping or dashing, by using one bar on your blue meter. That’s exactly the meter you use for special attacks and with you only able to hold a maximum amount of 5 bars, you must think strategically about how you make use of it. If you manage to land a combo, depending on the type of attack you are using you will see a small, colored wheel will appear alongside your combo meter. This will determine how long you can attack your opponent before they can no longer be damaged. In the case that the gauge’s color is green, which is typically when you are able to successfully tackle your opponent, you can perform a very lengthy combination. When the gauge reads red which tends to occur when fighting an opponent from above, the amount of time you are able to damage your opponent is drastically reduced. When all of the above is combined this makes for one of the most enjoyable fighting games I’ve played in years! It’s simple to learn to play, however there is enough depth to please those who are looking for it. I could definitely see myself continuing to play Demon Slayer Mobile Games The Hinokami Chroniclesfor quite some time!
However, it’s not perfect, as there are two issues that detract from the combat system’s quality. The first concern is the roster of characters. At launch, there are 12 playable characters available to choose from, with six of them receiving an alternate version with more comical final attacks. It’s not uncommon for a game of fighting to feature a smaller roster however, since some of the characters available feature very similar special attacks between each other I think this game designed to include a larger initial roster, but that it was forced into release at this point. This belief is reinforced by the anime version of Demon Slayer Mobile Games starting its anticipated second season just a week prior to the game’s release. However, we know it will be receiving six characters from the DLC for free This means that this roster deficiency won’t be a problem for too long.
The second issue is more serious that could have a negative impact on the game’s gameplay if not resolved. For the PlayStation 4 version I’ve experienced and has been mentioned by a lot of gamers that there is noticeable delays in inputs during the game. It’s not only limited to playing online, since it also happens when playing locally. This means that a player’s response time is greatly reduced and in a situation which requires precise timing to parry moves, how this problem made it out of testing is beyond me! Although reports of this delay being present in other versions of the game such as those on the PlayStation 5 and PC are in conflict, it’s presumed that the current generation of hardware does not have this input delay. We’ll just have to wait and see if this issue with delay is fixed in that PlayStation 4 . though that isn’t an assurance.
Gameplay – Online
Being someone who’s spent a number of years playing CyberConnect2’s games online, I am very familiar with how their games work, but the results are quite mixed. For many years they’ve been constantly improving the online options available to players, such as creating lobbies and tournaments and a spectator mode. But when Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 was released in 2016, many of the options that were available to players were not there. It was impossible to create lobbies that could accommodate more than four people, and watching matches couldn’t longer be done. This was fixed within the Road to Boruto expansion one year later, so you’d think that the studio had learned their lesson and aim to not skimp on online options for their subsequent games, wouldn’t it? However… we’ll just think that they’ve come up with a way in which online gameplay was made even more restricted!
There are two options to play online. Ranked matches to show your superiority in its ranking system. You can also play custom matches which allows you to change options and invite friends to join in… that’s it. I’ve met many amazing people by playing games with CyberConnect2 online because of their previous fighting game titles having online lobbies and spectating options. By removing these options and offering us the basic options and the players’ community Demon Slayer Mobile Games The Hinokami Chroniclesis really going to be hurt in the long term! For example, there will be no easy way to organize tournaments online, which will ultimately hurt the potential competitive aspect of the game. Like the input delay problem on PlayStation 4, we can only hope that these options are included in the game later on down the road.
Concerning that delay-related issue with inputs Let’s look at the game’s netcode. The game utilizes a delay-based netcode that has brought a number of gamers to sigh in unison. In essence, based on connection of your opponent, you’ll enjoy a good fight or a game that has huge input delay. When you add in the game’s current input delay problem on its PlayStation 4 version, you can be afflicted with an insane amount of input delay when fighting online! I’ve been through a lot of online battles with other players in my area and while I became accustomed to the issue, I’m not sure all can engage in this manner.
Presentation
If there’s an area in which CyberConnect2 never fails to impress is the way they present their games, and Demon Slayer Mobile Games: The Hinokami Chroniclesis no exception. The game is simply stunning! Cel shades have changed dramatically in the past two decades and many instances of the most impressive use of this style have blurred the line between 2D Animation in 3D. I regularly had to pick up my jaw off the floor with how faithfully some of the characters and shots were recreated from the anime’s adaptation, and, in some instances, the game completely outclasses it! If you think about it, I’m comparing CyberConnect2’s efforts to ufotable, one the best animation studios in the world of anime, that speaks for itself! I often had to make myself aware that the game was not a 2D animated game because of how well the anime’s art style transitioned to a 3D space! The animation work is exceptional, whether it’s an entertaining story or a final attack with amazing production values it was awe-inspiring! However, it’s not perfect: While the locations you’ll visit in the story mode are unique and packed with detail There were some moments where texture pop-ups. This is a minor point when compared with the amazing way that the game appears when it’s in motion!
Surprisingly, the loading times were fairly decent, regardless of the PlayStation 4. They took between 10-15 minutes, regardless of whether it was a story mode cutscene or a multiplayer match so major props for the speed improvement on older platforms! The game is running at a steady 30 frames per second. Some people might scoff at this, particularly since it being a combat game, I found it gave the game a cinematic feeling and allowed it to be more faithful to the original material!
The sound quality is also a highlight! Not only does the game make use of some of the songs of the now famous anime soundtrack and the original music compositions are perfectly in line with the tone too and I was never bored of hearing the same battle music as I fought my online friends for more than 20 matches in a row! In a rare step for an anime-licensed title it also comes with a dual audio track with both English as well as Japanese voice acting available immediately out of the box. While I first was watching the anime in its original Japanese language however, the English voice cast does an excellent job as well, featuring Bryce Papenbrook as Inosuke being the clear standout for me! It was not difficult to convey the character’s chaos however I believe Byrce was absolutely perfect in his performance! But I have to highlight Zach Aguilar’s performance as the main character in the show, Tanjiro. Although he does a good job in the majority of the time however, when he was forced to yell or express intense emotions like anger or crying, the tone and delivery don’t match the rest of his character. It got to the point at which, at these times the actor almost sounded as if it was as if he were playing a other character. It was extremely distracting!
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Verdict
I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m put between the rock and the hard spot when it comes to Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles. It’s a 3D combat game by one of my most favorite game studios that has a well-known anime franchise backing it; It captivated me from the very moment it was announced in March of 2020! Its release in the hands of one of my top game companies, SEGA, didn’t hurt too! It’s true that I had a great time a time playing it even though I’m the most enthusiastic about Demon Slayer mobile games in comparison to Naruto and Naruto, however there are some inexplicably bad things which prevent it from the top of the line. The lack of online options and the slow input speed and the slow pace of the story keep me from making a positive recommendation, but I am confident more than anyone that there’s a market out there for a game of this type.
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