Sometimes a single strong hook is all it takes to attract a ton of eyeballs to a game. The Spirit of the Samurai‘s stop-motion inspired art direction landed it on my radar while covering a Future Games Show stream for Game Informer a couple of years back. I thought it looked awesome and wanted to highlight it, and a news story I expected would garner minimal engagement amassed over 40K views. I’d like to attribute that to my exceptional wordsmithing, but I’m sure it had much more to do with the game’s alluring presentation combined with the always-appealing feudal Japan setting. After going hands-on with the game’s Steam Next Fest demo, I’m happy to report The Spirit of the Samurai is more than a pretty face and I’m eagerly anticipating its full release in December.

Steeped in Japanese mythology, the game stars the samurai Takeshi, who must protect his village by cutting down an undead army summoned by a villainous Oni. Takeshi is joined by a Kodama (tree spirits in Japanese folklore) and a cat named Chisai. Players will swap between using these three defenders in the full game, but only Takeshi is playable in the Steam demo. This slice of the adventure presents the start of the Oni’s attack on the small settlement.

The Spirit of the Samurai’s most alluring draw is its stop-motion-style presentation. Fans of Ray Harryhausen films such as Jason and the Argonauts to the original Clash of the Titans, will likely appreciate The Spirit of the Samurai’s visual homage to those special effects. The 2D action game looks as if it was meticulously hand-crafted and animated frame-by-frame. It looks fantastic in still images and even better in motion, thanks to a reduced framerate offers film-accurate animation without bogging down the smooth gameplay. 

The action unfolds as a side-scrolling twin-stick sword fighting game. Pressing the right stick in a cardinal direction executes a corresponding combo string. Pressing up unleashes an upward assault starting with a rising slash. Leaning the stick forward executes a frontal attack. Combat takes a little getting used to and can lead to mishaps; my thumb sometimes wavered in an undesired direction during hectic bouts. But the action felt good and more natural the longer I played. The same control applies to firing Takeshi’s bow, though this is a little trickier since it requires holding the right shoulder button too. Takeshi can also block and parry incoming melee and ranged attacks (such as arrows), momentarily stunning enemies to create windows to retaliate. If blocking isn’t your thing, dodge-rolling behind foes is a useful tactic to strike foes from behind. 

In a cool twist, each three-move combo string can be customized by slotting in new unlockable attacks upon leveling up. Is the stabbing attack that concludes the downward combo not doing it for you? Replace that with a different finishing blow. I enjoyed tinkering with this system to build combos that felt the most satisfying to execute. Each move also sports a few stats, such as attack power, creating a simple but engaging layer of strategic number crunching. Regardless of my preference, slicing through undead swordsmen, multi-legged bug-like demons, and other supernatural threats is a flashy treat. Collecting currency nets items such as throwing kunai, health potions, and strength tonics. Gathered materials such as walnuts and cherries can be used as offerings in exchange for more cash.

The Spirit of the Samurai’s demo is heavy on cinematics and storytelling. These moments feel like watching a new Wes Anderson animated film (minus the surreal quirkiness) while highlighting some strong performances. The game also has a pronounced undertone of horror I find appealing. This is best seen while exploring the bloodied, corpse-laden halls of a dilapidated home as zombified threats attempt to ambush me. Some of the larger, more intimidating boss-like creatures shown in the trailers look downright terrifying.

The Spirit of the Samurai is the first Steam Next Fest demo I’ve played, and it set a high bar for everything else I plan to check out. It’s worth keeping an eye one, and I’m anxious to see how the full adventure turns out when it launches for PC on December 12. 

Welcome to another list of games that would never have been placed together anywhere else. I’m excited to highlight a time-hopping, feathered friend-saving experience, a game that pits you against homicidal livestock, and a chill title encouraging to reach new heights.

Duck Paradox

I’m sorry to discover this amazingly bizarre game escaped my notice until now. Thankfully, the narrative centers around traveling in time to right past mistakes. More precisely, Duck Paradox puts you in the labcoat of a scientist determined to recover her beloved duck companion, Quark by traveserving the multiverse.

Running through the portal on a loop pits players against a series of challenge rooms. Some require platforming skills, some demand puzzle solving, while others still need good, old-fashioned shooting. The goal is to grab each room’s meta version of Quark and bring him back to the portal safely. Its a compelling formula, and one you don’t want to miss!

Speedollama

With a demo out right now, you don’t have to wait until this frantic game’s release next week to get a sense of the action. And it won’t take long to get exactly what this game is. Wading into the bloody conflict between Llama and Alpaca kind, my job is to shoot any offending pack creatures, ripping their bodies to gory shreds, while searching for a set number of gems.

These collectables are scattered throughout winding, cavernous levels filled with dangers and resources. I can’t leave any behind because the door ensuring my safe escape is sealed tight until I offer it all the shimmering jewels it demands. Of course, that’s not enough pressure. There’s a clock counting down to your noticeably gruesome demise. So, be sure to find what you need quickly!

Tensei

Transformation and transcendence are Tensei’s main offerings. Out and ready for players to get into the flow, my main task in this game is to take my little ink blot as high as I can. There are no real pressures. This is a vibe kind of experience, and it’s easy to settle in for a session of smooth, upward sailing as my hero hops from cliff to cliff while transforming into creatures like a frog or butterfly brought to beautiful life by the ink painting art style.

Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have unveiled over 20 minutes of new gameplay footage of the upcoming musou game Dynasty Warriors: Origins during Tokyo Game Show 2024. Fully English-subtitled commentary is also provided, giving prospective players a realistic, in-depth perusal of how the actual gameplay is shaped. Dynasty Warriors Origins occur inside the Three Kingdoms, a [...]

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