Okay, let’s see where this takes us. Buckle up, because I’m diving right into “Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade” but in a zig-zag sort of way that might feel like a brain dump. Just go with it, alright? Here we go:
So, there’s this game, right? “Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade” by Game Source Entertainment and 7Quark. It’s set during the Edo period in Japan, which is, like, an ancient and vibrant era. The twist? It’s all about a roguelite RPG thing with demons popping out like it’s nobody’s business. I kind of love that. Or maybe I just love chaos? Anyway.
The gist is, there used to be peace between humans and demons – picture a kumbaya moment. Enter the Nine-Tailed Fox (seriously, how cool is that name?), who mucked it all up by leading a demon parade across the human domain. Enter our heroic trio: Shigure the Immortal Ninja (yep, she just won’t die), Sara the Oni Emissary (she’s got her own baggage), and Taketora…who’s more of a tiger-demon-samurai hybrid. Think stripes and swords. It’s wild.
Last year, 7Quark tossed the game onto Kickstarter, shooting for HK$400,000 – which I think is like a fortune cookie amount or something. Magically, they ended up with HK$609,000, which sounds like a jackpot, to be honest. They planned for an April release but, surprise, surprise, deadlines got funky. So, they took a little pause to polish things and finally hit launch in May.
As for the characters, they’re each their own brand of awesome. Shigure’s got this dual-blade thing going on, a ninja on steroids type, if you will. While Sara sort of speeds around like she’s got ants in her pants but can’t really take a lot of hits. Taketora…well, he’s like a bulldozer with finesse, if that’s even possible? Strong but maybe not as quick to dodge a punch. Oh, and his dashes are super short, which makes me giggle for some reason.
Controls? Yeah, I should mention those. Pretty classic stuff – move with the stick, attack with buttons, pull off combos to keep the baddies dizzy. You’ve got a dash for dodging stuff, and there are some strategic weapon switches. They keep it engaging, you know?
Now, here’s a quirky detail: you battle demons, nab these Soul Orbs along the way, and they’re like power-ups on a cosmic scale. I remember stuff like the Soul Binding Soul Orb (because, come on, that’s a killer name) which gets you more damage the closer you are to a face-plant. You can grab permanent upgrades too, in this shrine-thing. Sounds sacred, right? Kinda love it.
Between runs, there’s this chill village you can hang out in. You’ll find a tea lady – for healing – and a ramen stall, because why not? Ramen solves everything. Plus, there are these creepy-cute Hideaway Daruma dolls dishing out challenges. Seriously, it’s like a bazaar with its own vibe.
Weapons are the real deal here – Demon Blades with their unique pizzazz. I mean, they did get creative. There’s one called the Crimson Autumn that unleashes fire when it feels like it. If that’s not a party in a sword, I don’t know what is.
So yeah, that’s my not-so-eloquent round-up on “Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade.” It’s dropping on the Switch for $29.99. Are the heroes going to save the day? Maybe. Are we going to have fun finding out? Probably. But, well, only one way to know, huh?
Disclaimer: The copy for this wild ride was courtesy of Game Source Entertainment. Thanks for the chaos!
