Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles (Switch) 2022 Review

Striking for the first Demon Slayer Game

With an absolutely gorgeous art direction and a sympathetic hero, Kimetsu no Yaiba (also known as Demon Slayer) took the manga world by storm in 2016 and blasted to an extreme level of popularity with a fantastic anime adaptation from Ufotable. Episode 19 in particular was one of the most memorable action sequences ever, a slash heard around the world that solidified Demon Slayer as something special. With a wildly successful film in Mugen Train and another stunning group of episodes in the Entertainment District Arc, it is no surprise that a video game exists. For the first title to represent Demon Slayer, The Hinokami Chronicles captures the visual language that makes the anime so striking but even after several character additions and updates there is still a lot to be desired, creating tremendous opportunity for a sequel or separate game. 

Developed by CyberConnect2, a well-known name in anime gaming for better or worse with a flair for capturing the action of anime fairly well, The Hinokami Chronicles is an arena fighter featuring a fairly standard cast of Demon Slayer’s main characters while sticking to the current spread of heroes and demons revealed in the anime up to the Entertainment District Arc. DLC add-ons have kept players coming back to wield the blades of the most popular characters such as Tengen Uzui or Daki but generally, the game is best in its straightforward, flashy combat. 

As far as fighting games though, Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles is nothing outlandishly complex nor is particularly praised by FGC warriors but it is fun and the mechanics are simple enough to string together satisfying combos without much worry. Most characters can go from basic attacks to special attacks fluidly and a smartly utilized combo gauge keeps players from being juggled into oblivion. This easy-to-use system pairs well with the game’s movement and defensive options, including a parry and a block push, resulting in a fun way to slash up friends. There are a few bizarre inputs that I just couldn’t get used to, primarily the charged attack where one has to flick the stick and hold the attack button, feeling wildly inaccurate compared to what a general holding of said button could have been. The parry is executed in a similar manner but has the weirdest timing window that I just didn’t use it for most of the game. 

Oddities aside, the combat of The Hinokami Chronicles is enjoyable and I would love to see how the game performs in a tournament setting. There isn’t a terrible amount of depth in the roster either with most characters feeling pretty similar. Unfortunately, this game loses longevity points because there’s no quick way to play with a full roster. Each individual character has to be unlocked and gathering them all takes quite a bit of time. A cheat code or a separate versus mode for tournament play would add extra value to The Hinokami Chronicles and it’s something that I wish more fighting games would implement. This likely won’t be a favorite for arena fighter fans but it is a solidly built game with gorgeous animation and it’s easy to pick up and have fun with. 

The game’s main story mode, where most players will likely spend the most time, is a bit of a double-edged sword. 

The Hinokami Chronicles sticks so closely to the plot of Demon Slayer that it’s almost like re-watching the anime with slightly worse visuals. Thematically, the game fits the world of Demon Slayer exceptionally well even down to the various action lines and dark outlines for characters. Walking around the various environments is almost exciting but it quickly becomes just a way to putz around picking up collectibles and having empty conversations with unnamed characters. It’s almost as if there was a potential RPG mode in the works but was scaled back in favor of the visuals and performance which does make for a perfect style representation of Demon Slayer. 

While I often dislike filler content or straying from the core story in the games, this anime title could have used extra scenarios or the ability to freely explore Demon Slayer’s rich Japanese towns. There are two or three chapters that are all the same tasks, picking up collectibles and doing a mini-game; it’s hilarious how repetitive this section is. 

There are bosses that are fairly memorable with cool finishing scenes that are presented as quick time events but most of these fights boil down to getting a few hits in and then waiting for the foe to swipe away at the air and lose their invincibility period. These moments are fun as a slight shake-up to the typical fights but I do wish there was more complexity to them. CyberConnect2’s previous work in the Naruto franchise was a far better type of cinematic boss encounter. Battles against unnamed demons are also rather dull, focusing on trying to get a parry off for a quick finish which is a finicky mechanic. When the game allows for regular fights though it is exciting to swing blades and watch the awesome visual effects erupt into a fireworks display of color. 

The worst parts of the story are when the game forcibly slows down the player, usually while controlling Zenitsu who stops mid-walk to scream at things. I have never liked Zenitsu and I find him to be the worst character in the story but being able to skip cutscenes involving him brought a smile to my face. That said, his combat style involves waiting for openings and unloading whole bars of meter for huge burst damage and that feels awesome. 

The voice acting is comparable to the anime and the music fits Demon Slayer’s tone super well but there is just not enough creativity going on for any of the audio to stand out. 

Adding in an extra mode or two would have brightened up The Hinokami Chronicles so much; the final form of this arena fighter includes a by-the-books story mode, a solid but overtly simple versus mode, meaningless unlockables such as quotes and profile photos, and not much else. Those who overly enjoy Demon Slayer might connect to it further by playing with friends on occasion but there needed to be a bit more fan service to make The Hinokami Chronicles truly capture one of the most energetic anime stories of our time. 

Criticism aside, the framework established by The Hinokami Chronicles could lead to a much more interesting sequel. Clearly, CyberConnect2 can masterfully represent the visual beauty of this series. Now it comes down to adding to this foundation. New modes, a better story, an expanded roster, and deepening the fighting game mechanics could make for something exceptional. 

For now, Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles is a faithful representation of the popular anime but it sticks to that path so strictly that it fails to expand beyond that framework into something more meaningful. Even with the game’s extra characters that add a little spice to the online lobbies or weekend fight nights, The Hinokami Chronicles needs more substance.

SCORES

GAMEPLAY - 7.5/10

VISUALS - 9/10

SOUND - 6/10

CONTROLS - 6/10

REPLAY VALUE - 6/10

OVERALL - 6.9/10

Learn more about Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles on the official website. A digital Switch copy was provided for the purpose of review. Screenshots were captured using the native features of the Nintendo Switch while in handheld mode. Featured image courtesy of official Sega press materials.