NOTE: Some of images used in this article are promotional pieces from the developer.
Nakatsu Kuni (the mortal plane) is protect by "Slayers" (specialized warriors) who battle oni that seep through dimensional rifts. The protagonist is a resident of Utakata Village, one of the final lines of defense against the oni and a new recruit with the rare ability to accumulate multiple mitama - spirits of heroes past willing to assist in battle. Eventually, the borders between the human world and the Otherworld (origin of the Oni) become blurred, causing the land to crack and time to warp in an event called the "Awakening". In an attempt to find the source of the disturbance, the Slayers are forced to navigate deadly miasma and combat it's ever growing assortment of new Oni. Three months after the Awakening is put to an end, oni hordes appear from the north. In response, the Holy Mount dispatches it's elite force, the "Hundred Demon Corps" to Utakata Village. Defiant members of the independent Shiranui Village also arrive, along with spies from a mysterious group known as the "Council of Elders". Each organization has their own motivations and ambitions for coming, increasing political tensions.
Toukiden has an interesting setting based in Japanese myth and folklore, so the lack of an English dub actually makes sense lore-wise; there are English subtitles. Despite their importance, most of the world and its political scene are left to the imagination; the focus of the story is chiefly on the fate of Utakata Village and the various troubles afflicting the Slayers. The supporting cast is a mixed bag - a history buff, a ninja who speaks fox, a girl who doesn't age, a tree looking for investment loans, and so forth. As fun and strange as they are, the game does a really poor job of fleshing out its world and characters. There honestly isn't much that can be said about them. The gameplay is where the meat is, and even that gets old after a while.
The game is split between missions out in the field and story segments in Utakata Village, which acts as the player's hub area. Missions parameters are almost always "slay the oni within the allotted amount of time" and can be taken on solo or with up to three AI companions. Each mission area is made up of interconnected maps filled with target and non-target Oni. The arsenal of weapons at the player's disposal is rather diverse, raging from basic swords to kusarigama. Each weapon has the same controls: a light attack, a heavy attack, and a special move that consumes a chunk of the player’s stamina meter. Every weapon has its own move set and combos, which can be discovered by chaining together light and heavy attacks. Healing and other boosts can be activated depending upon which mitama the player has slotted into their equipment. Combat is pretty straightforward - you attack the oni using heavy or light attacks and dodge at the right moment to minimize damage taken. An ability called the "eye of truth" reveals breakable parts and the oni's remaining health - which is normally hidden. Pieces hacked off of the oni must be 'purified' to harvest the resources.
Left: Leg is highlighted as "breakable". Right: Oni parts being purified.
After enough damage has been sustained, the oni may enter a temporary "rampage" state in which they undergo a transformation, becoming more grotesque and violent. A blue gauge to the left hand side of the screen gradually fills over time, granting the player a devastating combo attack as soon as they are near one or more of their fellow Slayers. Combo attacks are capable of bringing a rampaging foe to their knees and loping off several limbs in one go. All of the player characters stats are determined by the equipped gear, which can be crafted and improved at the village smithy using oni parts collected during missions. Tenkichi, the player's pet Tenko (fox spirit), can also be sent out on missions to gather resources, alleviating some of the grind for monster parts that these types of games inevitably have. The player's home provides personal storage space and a save point, as well as easy access to the front desk where missions and side quests are accepted.
Toukiden: Kiwami is an easy introduction to monster hunting games. The gameplay isn't especially challenging and lacks the learning curve common to the genre. There is a surprisingly good selection of tastefully designed weapon and armor sets; I was especially fond of the vibrant colors used on the equipment. However, the pool of unique oni was pitifully small by comparison, leading to a lot of repeat battles with the same oni in the same areas. It doesn't help that the core gameplay loop of the genre is already repetitive by nature: kill beasts, craft gear, rinse and repeat. Toukiden's first few hours can provide some decent monster killing fun, but by hour 15 it will have overstayed its welcome.
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