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Summary
A fine showcase of what the PS Vita and developers can do to make each other look good. The artistic direction and arcade gameplay style will bring you back to Muramasa Rebirth again and again, even if the map is cumbersome.
We like
Beautiful visualsAddictive, simplistic combatInvolved blacksmithingWe dislike
Repetitive landscapesLack of exploration-combat balanceUnder the shadow of the next generation of graphical prowess, the notion of an absolutely beautiful two-dimensional game seems rather intrusive, but Vanillaware’s PlayStation Vita title Muramasa Rebirth has what it takes to be visually astounding. Granted, Muramasa Rebirth is a remake of the Nintendo Wii title Muramasa: The Demon Blade, which leaves the potential for this portable rehash to flop--as ports are somewhat prone to do. Still, a place will always be open in my heart for games with this artistic direction (thanks, Odin Sphere). The blockbuster PS Vita titles aren't coming until later this year, so this is the perfect time for portable PlayStation gamers to experience something unique while the competition is scarce.
When it comes to plot, Muramasa Rebirth won’t win any awards, but fans of Japanese-inspired narratives and characterization will enjoy a separate storyline for two different characters. In the first, a young girl named Momohime is possessed by the soul of a powerful demon who’s in search of his sword; in the other, a warrior named Kisuke is stricken with amnesia and seeks his lost memories.
The focal point of this game, however, is not the narrative, even if the main cast and supporting characters alike are believable. What really stands out is the game's visuals, which transform a highly detailed art style into an interactive experience. What differentiates this title entirely from something like Odin Sphere is gameplay with faster pacing. In fact, the combat takes on a life all its own as Momohime and Kisuke battle a wide variety of enemies, ranging from the grand appendages of big, green demons to a massive kraken and even droves of ninjas, spectors, and samurai. All the while, the game keeps showcasing a visual experience that you cannot help but be addicted to. Slick animations and clever cutouts make for eye candy made that much more appealing on PS Vita's mouthwatering OLED screen. A recommendation: turn the brightness all the way up. Burning through a charge this way is totally worth the optic sensations.
Coupled together with the visual strengths of Muramasa Rebirth is the pick-up-and-play combat style. These two excellent factors ultimately form a triple threat with the way the game distributes swords. Players collect souls, which are both littered throughout the game and looted from fallen enemies, and use these souls to forge many new swords via blacksmith. Indeed, Muramasa Rebirth features 108 different swords to create and wield, and each one features unique attack speeds, attack sequences, special abilities, and many different combinations of these three factors. On top of graphics and gameplay, yet another addictive aspect surfaces.
At all times, the player is equipped with three swords and can swap between them mid-combat. The act of switching blades has a tactical advantage: it acts like a samurai sword draw that slices the entire screen and deals heavy damage to anything that’s on-screen. During combat, swords lose their soul essence and break, which comes from overuse or sustaining heavy damage too often. Therefore, managing swords while in combat becomes quite a strategic endeavor as the game progresses and the enemies grow more complicated and hearty.
There are also two combat modes for the even-more hardcore. Legend and Chaos modes can be toggled at the beginning of every play session. Legend is a much simpler experience that allows players to simply move around and mash Square--Momohime and Kisuke will automatically reflect most attacks and projectiles from any direction and attack simultaneously as long as Square is pressed at the proper time. While in the Chaos game mode, you will have to aim in the direction of the projectiles and press Square in order to deflect them. Believe me: a couple rounds with basic random encounters will leave you over-encumbered with responsibilities that require extensive micromanagement.
Fans of Japanese voice-overs will be happy to know that this entire game is voiced in Japanese and ... (continued on next page)
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