Some video games end up arriving in stores making a lot of noise and many others go a little more unnoticed, although sometimes the latter end up becoming some of the biggest hits. One of the most likely to become part of this group is Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, a new project being developed by Capcom and without a doubt one of the best titles I've tried so far this year.
During my trip to the Summer Game Fest 2024 in Los Angeles I had the opportunity to try this game about which I must admit that I did not expect anything at all. The truth is that I was going completely blind, as happened to me with Phantom Blade Zero, since I had not followed its lead and I was not clear about what its proposal was going to be, its mechanics, the objective, etc. Despite all this, was the one that impacted me the most of all the ones I was able to play at the Los Angeles fair.
It turns out that we are facing a tower defense, but not just any one that is based on placing units and simply observing how they begin to attack the enemies incessantly. It really is the most original title I have come across that is committed to this genre and with which if I had been able I would have spent more hours at the controls without hesitation. Even so, I was able to discover its virtues for more than an hour and a half and I can already tell you that be very careful with the cupinazo that is coming.
Preparing to fight a battle against corruption
This trial version dropped you at the beginning of this adventure without dialogue and without being very clear about what to do. After a complete tutorial that explained perfectly how to play, I was thinking for a long time that this game was a bit strange and that perhaps it wasn't going to convince me. However, as the minutes went by, it caught me more and more and the only thing I thought about was continuing to advance while my desire to play the final version increased.
![Kunitsu 02](https://i.blogs.es/7f63bb/kunitsu-02/450_1000.webp)
With a Japanese theme and with a mystical touch, our protagonist is Soh, who has the mission to protect with his life Yoshiro, a maiden who is moving up a mountain. Her task is to travel through this place performing a dance of purification to eradicate the evil and corruption that has invaded these lands, so players must do everything possible to keep her safe and healthy while she travels through the stages.
In each phase the setting is splendid because it takes you fully into its fantasy world and everywhere you see how corruption has taken over the plants, booths and has also trapped some villagers who must be rescued at all costs. Once they are saved, they will become part of Soh's ranks, which is why it is so essential to find them so they can give you a hand.
Likewise, killing corrupt plants serves to obtain a type of spheres that act as currency. Thanks to them you can change your profession of the villagers so that they become more powerful, being able to turn them into hand-to-hand fighters equipped with an axe, archers and even shamans, among other professions, so it is important to plan well each phase and the situation so as not to waste these spheres in vain.
![Kunitsu 03](https://i.blogs.es/1ceeca/kunitsu-03/450_1000.webp)
![Kunitsu 03](https://i.blogs.es/1ceeca/kunitsu-03/450_1000.webp)
Although jobs can be exchanged at any time, you have to pay for them again, but here comes the main reason why it is essential to keep them. Each phase, with a 3D scenario through which you can move freely, consists of a central road that is totally corrupt and through which Yoshiro is walking, purifying it to restore peace. However, she does not move on her own, but we are the ones who must give her the order in exchange for spending the aforementioned spheres.
Therefore, if you use all of them on the villagers, you will not be able to progress, while reserving all of them on it will seriously complicate the situation because the villagers play too much of a determining role. In fact, in more than one moment I understood this fact the hard way because I prioritized moving forward to strengthening the assistants and it is not the most advisable thing to do.
The threats that lurk in the night
At this point, you may be wondering how you can advance, this being the moment where the game brings out its tower defense vein. More than anything because the adventure It has a day and night cycleso in the morning you have to prepare thoroughly and when the sun sets is when the demons and other infernal beings begin to emerge from the so-called Torii portals to reach Yoshiro and kill her.
![Kunitsu 05](https://i.blogs.es/c6d747/kunitsu-05/450_1000.webp)
![Kunitsu 05](https://i.blogs.es/c6d747/kunitsu-05/450_1000.webp)
From these dark portals arise the so-called regrets, horrifying beings, each one more sinister than the last. Most of them are easy to eliminate, but over time they become more ruthless and monsters of different types emerge, among which there are some that move on the ground, others in the air and there are even mini-bosses. In turn, they generally go in a straight line to Yoshiro, so it is easy to determine which route they follow to stop them, although this is not always the case.
As you progress through the game, these creatures become more intelligent, so they take alternative paths and appear from various portals, so it is not enough to focus on guarding one of them. Besides, These spawn points sometimes change their position. during the same level, which forces players to constantly have to move villagers and think of new strategies.
In any case, this title boasts a huge hack 'n' slash component, because Soh is equipped with a katana with which you can limit yourself to dealing out slashes with some brutal combos in the form of a dance. In the long run this ends up becoming the best way to annihilate the otherworldly beings while the villagers lend a hand, but they are more supportive, so in the end you don't stop hitting the buttons and dodging attacks, because either blocking or rolling on the ground, at the same time that the enemies taste the cold steel of our weapon.
![Kunitsu 04](https://i.blogs.es/3b6e32/kunitsu-04/450_1000.webp)
![Kunitsu 04](https://i.blogs.es/3b6e32/kunitsu-04/450_1000.webp)
All of this is vital to keep Yoshiro alive, but also to obtain the spheres that help him advance. This means that, when night comes, you have to limit yourself to pounding left and right until the sun rises again, at which point the preparation phase begins, and so on constantly until you reach the destination, which is when all the characters come together to perform a special dance and finish purifying the area. This may end the phase or open a new path that must be completed.
The latter is an essential detail that should not be overlooked, because some screens are very long, the enemies are increasingly violent and the only way for Yoshiro to recover part of his life points is by destroying the Torii portals, although you don't get all of them back, which is why you should emphasize that strategy is the strong point of this very curious tower defense. Of course, you can also place barriers or activate zones that serve to enhance the characters' capabilities.
On the other hand, after completing the first phase a camp is established to which you can return at any time. This place is a destination that eventually becomes a recurring visit because it is where you can purchase upgrades for the villagers' professions and equip medallions that grant passive advantages, among other functions. What's more, it's not nonsense because the difficulty of the game keeps increasing and becomes a constant challenge.
![Kunitsu 06](https://i.blogs.es/9e4734/kunitsu-06/450_1000.webp)
![Kunitsu 06](https://i.blogs.es/9e4734/kunitsu-06/450_1000.webp)
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess It is one of those games that you have to try no matter what to understand its greatness and everything that makes it so special, being aware that you have to spend some time at the controls to fully discover it. In short, I have always loved tower defense and finding something that is out of the ordinary, and on top of that it is so addictive, has caused it to become the title that I most look forward to this summer and one of the great promises of this 2024.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Release Date
The good thing is that you won't have to wait too long to taste the final version of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. Capcom's new work is scheduled to go on sale on July 19 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC through Steam and can also be played from day one with Xbox Game Pass.
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