Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Review (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, & PC)

The way that Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has blended tower defense, and hack-and-slash gameplay is so remarkable even newbies to either genre will indeed find comfort in it. While not so quite as in-depth as you might expect from Capcom, the game focuses its energy instead on well-balanced gameplay that gives a little bit of frantic combat, relaxing base-building, and thought-provoking strategy. Combined, you enjoy wholesome gameplay that covers all the bases satisfyingly well. But first, let’s break down all you can expect from the new game in our deep-dive Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess review. 

Escort Missions, Reloaded

The premise is simple. Yokai—demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings have descended upon a sacred mountain, unleashing chaos on all surrounding settlements. Portal gates have sprung upon these settlements, further sinking the world into mayhem. Thankfully, the goddess, Yoshiro, has the power to cleanse the lands. The only caveat is that she’s defenseless against attacks. Thus, the guardian Soh is tasked with guiding the goddess through the infected settlements, protecting her at all times as she purges the world of all evil. 

And well, that’s pretty much it. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has little to no dialogue, only grunts here and there. Most of the time, characters use gestures and facial expressions to relay their interaction with the world. And we also get cutscenes here and there, although they are also few and far between. Otherwise, the game sticks to its course, introducing us to a straightforward escort mission that carries the gameplay through to the end. You’ll descend the mountain, purging the settlements you come by of evil demons. These are structured into stages—17 total—each with a distinct aesthetic.

The Purge

Before each stage, a snappy cutscene sets the mood of the type of settlement you’ll be passing through. You’ll stumble onto Yokai roaming around the place and infecting the settlement’s villagers and animals with their rot. And so, your first order of business will be to hack and slash your way through the village, killing all enemies you come across. 

With each kill, you’ll net the in-game currency called Crystals. These are used to carve out a path for the goddess toward the portal gate at the end of the stage. But also in your list of things to do is to free the villagers you come across of the rot of the Yokai. Once rescued, you’ll be able to cash out some of your Crystals to bestow upon them masks that classify them into various roles. 

Barries Go Up

And hence, the tower defense section of gameplay kicks off, which recruits the villagers you rescue to fight for your cause. You’ll group villagers into classes, which, to start, gives you access to simpler roles like ranged archers and melee woodcutters. With upgrades, however, you’ll unlock more powerful classes, from tanky sumos to villagers, that can slow down enemies. 

And then strategic planning kicks in, with the need to assign villagers to classes and position them at advantageous points on the battlefield. Ideally, you’ll want to protect the goddess at all costs, surrounding her with the best defense. It’s paramount to protect her because, while when you die, the villager can hold the fort for you for a few seconds before you respawn, when the princess dies, it’s “game over.”

On Your Toes

As a result, quite a lot of thought goes into tower defense. Because while you want to protect the goddess, you still cannot neglect yourself or the village at large. You want to put up a strong barrier that enemies cannot penetrate. If anything, you want any enemy that draws close to the barrier to sustain damage. But inevitably, you’ll discover cracks in your strategy that push you to think outside the box. 

At times, a stray attack can take down the goddess, who can only withstand a few hits before she dies. Meanwhile, enemies can spawn in places you may not see coming, forcing you to reposition your village units constantly. Fortunately, battles pause while you try out new strategies. When you add the fact that enemies’ attacks vary extensively, from aerial attacks to toxic emissions and suicide bombs, tower defense becomes a deeply engaging part of gameplay that keeps you on your toes.

The Guardian

Now, while villagers do one heck of a job protecting the goddess, Soh, and the village at large, with each class proving useful and worth experimenting with in the end, Soh must put in his fair share of combat to beat the game. He takes up the hack-and-slash section of the game, often unafraid to get up close and personal with enemies. One strategy is to allow your units to take out smaller hordes of the Yokai. That way, Soh can focus on stronger enemies, leading up to the ten boss fights at the end of most of the stages. 

At first, the combat isn’t complex, with weak and strong attacks as your main go-to. Often, you’ll unleash a weak attack and follow it up with a strong attack to inflict the most damage. But you can also weave in dodges and well-timed parries, creating a rhythmic dance inspired by Kagura. With more Crystals, you unlock new abilities and upgrades that add more depth to combat. You’ll unlock a guard move, for instance, that comes with the caveat of breaking when used repeatedly.

Yokai

On the other hand, enemies put up a decent fight. Their attacks vary, with stagger meters that require relentless pursuit to break through. Boss fights can also be quite challenging, with unexpected attack patterns that you’re pushed to learn on the fly. Unfortunately, bosses have more impressive designs and animations than combat. Truly, the level of grotesque yet pleasantly stunning designs the Yokai have is on another level. Perhaps it’s the high bar set by the art style that makes you feel the combat should have been just as strikingly impressive. 

In any case, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess’ combat isn’t at all simple. During the day, Soh focuses on cleansing the village. But in the night, the Yokai attack relentlessly, bursting through portal gates that spring open throughout the village. It can take quite a while to defeat all the demons in each village. And you’re encouraged to do so to earn Crystals and unlock rewards for completing stages. But regardless, the venture feels hugely rewarding to pull off. 

Rebuild 

The third aspect of gameplay is base-building. Once villages have been cleansed and purged of all demons, they revert to their initial vibrant palettes. And only then can you instruct villagers to begin rebuilding various settlements. Unfortunately, base-building isn’t as complex as some of the more fully survival strategy games you may have played. It’s a rather straightforward system that can feel a bit menial, repairing lanterns, statues, and more. 

Each repair needs a specific number of villagers to get done, and since villagers are limited, you may need to think through managing their numbers. Still, once assigned, you’re free to play any of the other stages. And once you’re done, you can return to find they have made valuable progress. It can serve as a nice way to let your hair down after frantic boss battles. Just as long as you don’t expect a fully-fledged base-building system with ways to gather ingredients and craft equipment, you should have a lovely time.

Sweet, Sweet Monsters

And finally, the graphics. It juxtaposes lush and vibrant life with toxic and grotesque creatures so beautifully. While the duality of adorable and ghastly can easily go wrong, the game somehow manages to balance the two. Some of the monsters are so creepy they make you jump out of your seat. But they also make you pause to appreciate just how stunning their intricate detail and overall aura via Capcom’s now-standard RE Engine.  

Verdict

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess feels like such a pleasant surprise from the capable Capcom studio. With Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, and more similar Okami franchise hits, we may very well be looking at a new IP that stands tall on the same podium. It’s quite a high starting point for a possibly long-running series with well-balanced multi-genre gameplay elements. On the tower-defense front, you’re juggling the best positioning and unit management while also upgrading each unit’s skills and abilities. 

But you also have the hack-and-slash segment to tend to, which demands keen moment-to-moment combat and execution. While these aren’t as in-depth as games solely dedicated to either genre, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess still finds a way to keep your run-through engaging. It does so via tasteful animations and environmental storytelling. You’re pulled into a deep Japanese folklore setting that single-mindedly ushers you into specific lore you can’t help diving further into. 

To catch your breath, you spend time repairing broken structures and settlements, giving gameplay the feeling of renewal and rebirth. Sure, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess story may not be the most profound. But it sure does know how to grasp your attention through everything but frantic combat, compelling lore, and all-around balanced gameplay.