Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles

Kimetsu no Yaiba, or Demon Slayer is one of the biggest successes in recent years in anime. It became such a massive hit that it totally conquered even the American comic market. Becoming not only one of the most popular shows, but also one of the most popular manga, and even comics, available at the moment. And by checking it out for just a moment, it’s easy to tell why it became such a huge success. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before it made its incursion into the video game world, and it’s finally coming with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles.

Since the anime is so popular not only because of the really incredible action scenes but also because of the incredible plot and development, the game has a heavyweight on its shoulders. So, what is the game about? Does it cover the same things we've seen in the anime already? Will it go further on into the story and give us a deeper look into the lore and story of Demon Slayer? Well, let's talk about that.

About the game

Anime games have always struggled with creating original content, so most of them opt for adapting the anime story into different gameplay styles, and that is the case with The Hinokami Chronicles. In the same way as the anime, Tanjiro is the big protagonist here, both in the story and in the gameplay.

We’ll get to play the story covered up until the Midnight Train arc, so there really isn’t any spoiler if you’re up to date with the animated series and the movie. But you’ll finally be able to experience the story by your own hand as you control Tanjiro and other characters to recreate the anime.

A step in the right direction

It is uncertain how long Demon Slayer will be, but this game seems to definitely be a big step in the right direction for future game adaptations of the show. Not only does it perfectly recreate the art style of the game, but it isn't’ even afraid to go into long dialogues and cutscenes to make sure the story is rightfully told.

The gameplay is a 3D arena fighter a lot like we’ve seen in many other anime games like the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games so many times in the past. CyberConnect2 really did outshine themselves when developing this title.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is a great way for the show to get into the video game world. But there’s still room for improvement. The exploration mode is pretty linear and there isn’t much to do in there, aside from going from point A to B, and interacting with a few NPCs.

The combat is incredibly simple, and there's not much variation in it, however, you can produce some incredible fight in VS mode. Thanks to the incredible visuals, the game is a loyal recreation of the anime, all the iconic movements and moments are here, and they really do feel as powerful, if not even better.

Pros:

• Beautiful art
• Excellent story
• Loyal Recreation of the original content
• Great adaptation
• Lots of collectibles and unlockables

Cons:

• Combats are too simple
• Linear exploration mode

To say I know anything about Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles would be an understatement. After all, this game is based on a relatively new anime, and I'm still determining the lore, rhyme, and reason for its existence. Regardless, it has generated significant popularity in Japan and some regions outside, so naturally, a game must follow to capitalize.

As one would expect, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is an action-fighter game that stems from the series, putting players in their favorite protagonist's role. So what can we expect from a fighting game from a series I know so little about? We'll judge the mechanics and gameplay as they stand up against competitors.

Battle the Beyond

What we understand from Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is that the narrative is based on events from the anime, adding another dynamic to the story with its angle. Although I'm unaware of anything within the storyline, there appears to be enough to reel you into the events and set the scene as to why you'll be battling demons for the next few hours.

Now we move onto the most integral part of gameplay; the fighting mechanics. Are they decent? Absolutely. However, decent only covers the common sense of the word, where fighting in Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles seems elementary at best. Each character you play only has a few sets of moves, taking away from combat intensity and allowing players to button mash to win.

Still, the stunning cel-shaded visuals offer a saving grace. In contrast, the fluid animations and color palette make battles look more satisfying. Generally, the visual outlook is what times the game together, covering up the basic fighting mechanics and the incredibly dull exploration missions between combat events, beyond the boss encounters and intriguing story moments.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles isn't a game you'd purchase to get the ultimate fighter experience. However, if you were already a fan of the anime, you could find some solace in your loyalty to the series and the chance to play as some of your favorite characters from the anime. It's a solid attempt to spawn a game from the franchise, but not something that will impress genre fans.

Basic Demons

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is more of a risk-averse first title rather than a medical fighting game. You see all the elements for something potentially outstanding but don't want to go too far outside the box where there could be a series of loyalty backlash. The game isn't as thrilling as anime fighters like Dragon Ball Fighterz, but it does enough to satisfy.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The visuals are stunning
• Boss battles are thrilling
• Stays loyal to the original series

Cons:

• Elementary fighting mechanics that get dull
• The exploration missions are a drag
• It can feel like a grind in places

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles is one of the best anime video game adaptations that I have played. I have a fun story with this game in that my lovely wife got me the PlayStation 5 version of the game for Christmas in 2021. After Christmas dinner was long done, it was about 6 PM and I finally had some free time to play this game, I ended up playing it until 2 in the morning stuffing my fat face with Christmas chocolate and pounding down Pepsi like it was going to be discontinued as I played!

For Your Sister

I was already a fan of the anime before I played Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles so I was familiar with the story and the characters and this game takes us from the first season to the epic movie. The basics of the lore are that our main character is a youngster called, Tanjiro whose sister, Nezuko has been turned into a demon! This leads him to join the Demon Slayer Corps to try and save her and turn her back to human as well as getting rid of any demonic threats.

Beyond The Series

One thing that I feel Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles does arguably better than any other anime game is allowing both players familiar with the franchise and those new to it, to enjoy it. This is a fantastic retelling of the story and those familiar with it, will get a kick out of how it is presented here and also the little “extras” that are thrown into it. On the flip side of this, I feel that they do an excellent job of making sure those new to this series are not left out and that they make it as easy to follow as possible.

Smash And Grab

The gameplay of Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles is something that I immensely enjoyed, but I can see why for some people it was not quite as great. The game has two main sections of gameplay. Part of what you will be doing is exploring these rather small “open world” areas, this part of the game is not the best, but it certainly serves its purpose. However, the best part of the game is the combat! The game features these epic arena style battles where you can eventually play as a ton of different characters. While it is fast-paced and easy to figure out, the game will require you to get good towards the end, change your strategy and learn new moves as it has a solid progression in the difficulty.

The Show Or The Game?

Being a fan of the show to say that I was blown away by the presentation of Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles could not be a bigger understatement. They have perfectly captured the look of the show here. All the characters look just like they should, the animations, especially in battles are phenomenal and the whole game just has so much flash and style that it is a true joy for the eyes. The voice cast returns from the anime which helps add to the authenticity and they all bring their A-game here as the voice acting is amazing. This is as close to playing the anime as we can get in my humble opinion.

Pros:

• The game feels like you are playing through the show
• The voice acting and graphics are amazing
• The combat is easy to pick up and play, but it also has a fair bit of depth to it
• It is one of the best anime games I have ever played!

Cons:

• Some may find the gameplay loop a bit repetitive toward the end
• How can they possibly top this?