Review: Here’s why Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess just shot to the top of my wishlist 

Capcom’s new IP Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is scheduled for a multiplatform release on July 19, 2024. Ahead of the launch date, players can now access the demo, which gives you a taste of its unique twist on classic tower defense style gameplay. Here is our review of Myoko Pass, the demo’s initial stage and boss battle. 

In Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, you take on the role of Soh, a warrior who must protect the maiden Yoshiro as she purifies a mountain that has been defiled by the demonic Seethe. The first stage of the Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess demo presents you with a cursed mountain path. During the day, you can run along the path as Soh, freeing trapped villagers, destroying cursed plants and obtaining rations by breaking vases. Every time you destroy something cursed- pink orbs will spill out of it. Collecting them is vital as you can assign villagers roles by spending these orbs. Two roles are introduced in the first stage- the Woodcutter, who is good for close-range attacking, and the more expensive Ascetic, who can create a barrier to slow down the Seethe. 

.

Clear the path and you will be able to instruct Yoshiro to move forward in increments. This will set her off on a slow walk towards the shrine that needs purifying. However, the player must bear in mind that it takes her a while to move along the path, as she performs her purification dance as she goes. She also cannot retreat- so it is important to make sure she is in a position where you and your freed villagers can protect her once night falls. 

.

Keeping an eye on the time is vital in this game. The bottom left corner of the screen shows a water basin, the appearance of which will change as the night draws closer. During the daytime, you must prepare to defend against the Seethe’s nightly attacks. This involves strategically placing your rescued villager units. You want to make sure that the Seethe can’t sneak down any side paths to break through your defenses. That adds tension to the gameplay, making it even more addictive and rewarding. 

.

When the demonic Seethe come pouring through the shrine gate at night, you are Yoshiro and the villagers’ most powerful line of defense. Soh can unleash various attack combos (using the square and triangle buttons on PlayStation) to vanquish Seethe in his Oka Dance attacks. It may be tempting to move Soh as close to the defiled shrine as possible- however this is not a good idea as getting too close to the source of the Seethe will brand Soh with a curse. Keep getting attacked, and Soh will momentarily lose his body and become a floating soul. This prevents you from being able to attack. 

.

To complete a stage, you need to get Yoshiro to the cursed shrine during the day so she can safely perform her purification dance. After finishing a stage, you and your party will move into a rest area. The rest area allows you to calmly soak up the atmosphere of the game while listening to Chikara Aoshima’s relaxing score. The game’s lush greenery and atmosphere- right down to the subtle mists and gleaming sunshine- really shine here. I found myself imaging the smell of the greenery and the incense coming from the shrines, truly feeling for a moment like I was on an idyllic Japanese mountain path. The game’s rich Japanese fantasy and lore will doubtless appeal to fans of Okami, Clover Studios’ hit game that was first published by Capcom back in 2006. 

.

Popping into the tent at the rest area, you can save your game, upgrade your units, change your sword guards (Tsuba), look at the Emaki you’ve collected, offer Yoshiro realistic Japanese sweets from an actual Kyoto confectioner, and make other preparations for the next stage you choose to tackle. You can also greet animals. Any game that lets me pet a cute shiba dog in its downtime gets extra points from me. Rest areas also provide a refreshing break and change of pace from the pressure of managing the night and day cycle during the Seethe-battling stages. 

.

After that you can progress onto the boss stage. The battle against Gakinyudo takes place in an enclosed area- meaning that you will have to carefully place your units before battle and then use your Oka Dance to attack the boss and the hordes of Seethe tumbling through the portal. Defeat Gakinyudo to get access to a new Archer class, which will come in useful when defending Yoshiro against flying Seethe in the following stage.  

From the demo, it seems that Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will feature various achievements and items for the player to collect (for example, there is an achievement for beating Gakinyudo in under one minute). This encourages players to revisit stages and try out new strategies to unearth all that the game has to offer. 

.

Overall, the demo of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess offers a good introduction to the game’s mechanics and atmosphere. It will be interesting to see what the final game does with the tower defense system, and how its story plays out. Although the demo stages are simple and meant as a tutorial, it is easy to imagine how the game can be made progressively more difficult- requiring you to carefully strategize which units to deploy and upgrade. Its addictive gameplay, which perfectly matches its intriguing lore and atmosphere, has sent Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess to the top of my wishlist.  

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is scheduled to be released on PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X|S and PC (Steam) on July 19, 2024. It will also be available on Game Pass for Xbox players.