Toukiden Kiwami

[Master Raelthorne]

So I picked this game up on a whim when I was at Gamestop and I am enthralled with it. For those who have never heard of Toukiden, which I am sure is most of the forums, Toukiden is basically a Monster Hunter clone for the Playstation Vita and Playtaion 4 which Koei published in response to the latest Monster Hunter games being released as Nintendo exclusives.

Toukiden: Age of Demons and Toukiden Kiwami (the "Plus" version of Age of Demons) are set in a Japanese influenced world where Oni have flooded into our world from the Netherworld where they reside. Much in a similar manner to Monster Hunter, it is up to the Slayers (those who hunt oni) to hunt and kill massive swarms of small oni as well as large "boss" oni to collect their part and build new armor and weapons from said parts. This is the central focus of character progression as there are no character levels, like Monster Hunter. Unlike Monster Hunter, however, another means of character advancement exists in the form of the Mitama.

Mitama are the souls of ancient Japanese heroes who were devoured by the Oni. When a slayer kills an Oni who has consumed a particularly strong human soul, that soul can attach itself to that of the Slayer if the Slayer's Soul possesses an aspect that is highly valued by that of the Ancient Hero. There are over 300 souls in the game to collect, making this a vast and powerful tool to making your slayer a force to be feared.

In addition to this typical Monster Hunter style game with an Oriental skin, Toukiden possesses a respectably-sized offline story mode, something that I do not remember a Monster Hunter game ever having. The story-mode characters are actually well rounded and interesting. The story, in turn, is actually good. It's certainly not something that I would have expected from a hack and slash game, but it is a very welcome addition.

Anyway, I was wondering if we had any Slayers here on Blue Moon? I have only just started the game, so I cannot help with the online endgame boss monsters, but I would love to hook up and play with some of you on the ol' PS4.

 

[Trygon]

I played the SHIT out of the original, but I just can't afford Kiwami yet. It's a shame, too.

 

[Broomhandle45]

I'm pretty much into anything Koei shits out on a regular basis, I played the demo and enjoyed it quite a bit. It seems a little easier to get into, but I can't really afford squat either.

 

[Master Raelthorne]

Yeah... Games carry a hefty price tag these days and with the recent trend of games relying on graphics and hype rather than gameplay to bring in sales, it's always such a gamble. It's a frightening calling card that could very well usher in a second crash in the video game industry. If the consumer can't trust the developers anymore, it can only spell dark times.

Fortunately, we have developers like Koei, who know what they are good at and know their audience. When you have the spare cash, Trygon, it's worth a buy if you liked the original. Kiwami is a continuation of the story and includes everything from the first game while extending the single player story mode with a second story arc that will take roughly the same amount of time to complete. It also adds three new weapon classes in the form of a giant spiked club, naginata, and rifle.

As for the demo, I didn't play it, but I will assume it was a sneak peak at two or three of the single player missions. That's basically the whole game. A whole lot of what you were doing in the demo. It's a hunter game, so it can definitely get grindy to collect rare oni parts for that shin new weapon and armor. It's a great game to look into, but if you're the kind of player that doesn't enjoy repetitive and/or grindy games then spend your money on something else, Broom. As fun as the game is, it is definitely tailored for a specific market and people outside of that demographic will find little to love.

 

[Trygon]

Yeah, I played the demo. That rifle is badass. I played bow in Age of Demons, but as soon as I pull a rank 6 rifle, I'll be switching.

Oh, that's the other thing. Data porting. Whenever I do get it, I'll get to bring my endgame slayer into the new title. Mwahahah.

 

[Master Raelthorne]

The rifle is my preferred weapon as well because the right bumper button can be used as the trigger. I can't use the bow very well because of the analog layout. The left moves the character and the right is to aim, which is fine. That's how most games work ranged weapons. For the bow, however, the triangle and square buttons fire your normal arrows and that means that aiming while firing just becomes a cumbersome chore. The rifle doesn't have that problem since it can fire from the bumper button.

 

[Trygon]

Press square to pull arrow -> Hold right trigger -> Release square. Arrow stays pulled and you can move and aim. Little bit awkward, but I got used to it.

 

[Master Raelthorne]

I'll have to give it a shot. I want to like the bow, but it's so cumbersome.

 

[sk0m]

I played the first one on the VITA, I have been looking into getting this one

 

[Blue Hatter]

I haven't played Kiwami but I played quite a bit of Age of Demons. It's a pretty awesome game (though I do wish it was a little easier to get stronger and that battles didn't usually take 30-45 minutes each). The story, I thought, was pretty interesting. I also found the characters to be enjoyable.

My character uses the chain and sickle. That weapon is fun.

 

[Trygon]

So uh I'm TOTALLY down to play Age of Demons anytime. I've completed the main story, but the online is a ghost town these days, so some of the later MP missions are walling me off.