Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Expertly paced and bursting with fresh ideas, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess kicks down the door of the real-time strategy genre like few others, combining energetic action with spectacular demon slaying.

I’ve never played anything quite like it, and I absolutely adore it. It feels destined to become an overlooked gem but frankly, it deserves better. It is a game of specific scope and vision that’s executed upon perfectly. Take the chance on it, and it may just surprise and delight you as much as it did me.

It is, at heart, a tower defense game, but it’s one that’s held aloft by breathtaking artistic direction, a deep and abiding love for Japanese mythology and tradition, and one of the most deceptively simple gameplay hooks that the world of AAA gaming has seen in years.

It’s a little annoying that so many people will play Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess and not then take it upon themselves to learn something about where the game comes from. To suggest it’s an “action tower defence” game is doing it a disservice. No. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess uses the action tower defence mechanical framework to share something an authentic and meaningful interpretation of Kagura through the video game medium. Capcom previously did something similar with Okami, only to have people limit it to a “Zelda clone.” But just as Okami had something sincere to say about Japanese spirituality, so too does this game. Hopefully, at least some players are inspired to learn where this game comes from.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess feels like a PS2 game built for modern consoles in the best possible ways. It has a few rough edges, and two bosses annoyed me, but I adore everything else about Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. It runs well on Steam Deck, has excellent music, a gorgeous aesthetic, and was structured so I kept dipping in and out of it for an hour a day since getting review codes. The structure suits portable play as well, and despite loving how it looks on PS5 and Xbox Series X, I found myself happiest with Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess on Steam Deck.

Quotation forthcoming.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a precious gem. These are precisely the games we sorely miss: the ones that made a console shine between one blockbuster and another, the ones that the general public should respect. The mere existence of a game like this is a success, but Kunitsu-Gami is also a fantastic video game. We couldn’t ask for more.

Characterized by stunning visuals rooted in Japanese folklore, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess' tower defense and hack-and-slash action is like nothing I've ever played before. While there are a few minor frustrations, Capcom's new adventure is a must-play and a ready-made cult classic.

Kunitsu-Gami isn’t particularly deep. However, it makes the most of all its many concepts, and outside the few dull moments of downtime, it’s always pushing you to think carefully and take in every part of its richly realized world. There’s genuinely nothing else like it, and I hope there’s more to come in the future.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is an original and exciting video game, capable of captivating through its game design and showing a pleasant and touching story. It might be challenging for those who are unaccustomed, but that's the beauty of deep video games, with a playful expression that reaches its peak through a fantastic approach.

Kunitsu-Gami's a gorgeous and engaging take on the tower defence formula.

While Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess may not be the best action game or the best tower defense game around, Yoshiro and Soh's journey is undeniably compelling. Thanks to great map, scenario, and enemy design, along with plenty of viable tactical options and a wide arsenal of abilities, this new IP from CAPCOM stands out as one of the most surprising titles of the year, held back only by minor issues, such as a shallow narrative and a low challenge level.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, as we were saying, is a nice breath of fresh air for its ability to create a mix between different genres which, in a very simple and linear way, puts us in the shoes of a warrior called to defeat hordes of demons. The union between tower defense and action is rewarded when it seems like you are living two experiences in the same context, with the troops called to follow your orders and you intent on performing a real dance of combat, almost wanting to emulate the movements of Sekiro. In a typically Japanese setting, among demonic creatures that have the aftertaste of Nioh, Capcom manages to create a Mount Kafuku steeped in Japanese tradition, in which all fans of a world that fascinates and continues to surprise will get lost. With greater attention to the narrative component and a greater variety of the environments created we would have truly had a pearl in our hands ready to shine.

The combination of action and tower defense seems exotic at first glance, but quickly manages to hook you. However, there are limitations to the combat system.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is an action, strategy and tower defense game in one, set in a feudal Japan full of magic and fantasy. With a high degree of variety, always expect the unexpected.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess manages to pull two genres together in a way that captures the best of both worlds, and wraps them up in beautiful traditional artstyles with a soundtrack to match.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a unique work in its own right. Capcom has seamlessly blended action and tower defense - two seemingly unrelated genres - using an astonishing art style and the niche, mysterious theme of Shintoism, making the game look more like a piece of art emerging from a rural shrine. However, like many games that attempt to merge different gameplay styles, this fusion brings a fresh experience but also weakens the depth of both genres.

Capcom has been firing on all cylinders lately in regards to its tenured franchises, and now that success has manifested in an interesting new IP. Kunitsu-Gami begins on strong footing, and we may be witnessing the next great Capcom franchise carving a path right in front of our eyes.

Undoubtedly, the original game combines action battles with the tactical use of settlers and preparations for the invasion of monsters. All wrapped up in Japanese folklore.

What I can say for Kunitsu-Gami is that it feels like a game that could have existed on the PlayStation 2, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. It’s experimental and interesting, and I’m glad Capcom Development Studio 1 was able to make this game. The way it builds on the tower-defense genre and gives the player a more active role through the use of Soh as an avatar makes the game immediately more involved and interesting. I hope Kunitsu-Gami ends up garnering some kind of success so that it can show Capcom that these risks can be taken, even for AA titles, so we can see more of what its various development studios can create outside of established franchises.

It's a massive blemish on an otherwise fascinating game, unlike anything else I've really played. Not one that makes Kunitsu-Gami a complete non-recommendation, but absolutely one that tempers my praise somewhat. Capcom has still delivered something special with this release, even if the rough edges are glaringly evident - the artstyle, the story delivered without any dialog, and the rest of the aesthetic in tow; even considering the problems with combat, level design always had something unique up its sleeve, forcing players to think on their feet to protect the one hope of containing the Seethe. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a game that feels like it mimics the equally thorny path set upon its protagonists; despite whatever stumbles along the way, it's a journey you won't soon forget.

Kunitsu-Gami isn't going to be for everyone, and even for those who do find it alluring, its gameplay loop might eventually start to wear thin. But it's hard not to love something this creative, especially when its seemingly disparate gameplay elements are so deftly unified with a consistent and compelling style. There might be hundreds of fluid action games with more sophisticated combos and hundreds of strategy titles with deeper mechanics, but there's only one Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and that makes it worth a lot more than many of those games will ever be.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a blend of genres that demontrates how Capcom is one of the few brave Majors left that can experiment with games in a market of mere clones. Not a top-notch game, but a very consistent one.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is the guarantee of discovering an original game wrapped in a particularly stylish universe. We like the idea of ​​integrating traditional dances into a world of Japanese folklore which mixes with very elegant choreography and a particularly pleasant bestiary to discover. The game reserves some good surprises to renew a gameplay loop that maintains the same structure from start to finish, missing the boat in some of its aspects, such as balancing and the progression of the main character. Kunitsu-Gami finally proves to be rather clever in its strategic proposal, with its different systems, its day/night cycle and its limited resources. An experience that will fill your summer for a good twenty hours.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess isn't perfect, but it's a fascinating game and one that begs for a more refined sequel that builds on its ideas. What's here is still mostly great and should greatly appeal to fans of tower defense games, the Pikmin series, and even the Demon Slayer anime. It's great to see Capcom willing to roll the dice on such a unique concept, and hopefully there's more of Kunitsu-Gami to come.