Stop-motion animation is having a small moment in videogames. There was the brilliant Scottish folklore-inspired Judero earlier this year, colorful schmup Feltopia is on the way, and now we have The Spirit of the Samurai, a stunning but brutally hard Metroidvania you can get right now.
The Spirit of the Samurai is an action game posited on a classic setup – you’re a samurai defending your home fromlets evildoers. Takeshi, the hero, must slice his way through demonic entities from Japanese folklore. He’s helped by two allies: Kodama, a small but powerful spirit, and Chisai, a cat. (Listen, you always want a cat on your side.)
As a Metroidvania, it’s all side-scrolling, forcing you into close combat against whatever hellspawn is on the screen. Each of the three warriors requires different ways of thinking. Takeshi is all hack’n’slash, Kodama is smaller and more tactile, and then Chisai uses agility.
Central to progression is the combo-centric combat system, where everything can be chained together if you’re slick enough. More elaborate combos become available through unlocking more moves, giving you a personal jigsaw puzzle for every fight.
Seeing it all depicted in stop-motion gives the new PC game a filmic quality, like a halfway point between Yojimbo and Demon Slayer. Developer Digital Mind SL has done a remarkable job using the animation techniques to make something truly eye-catching and immersive, even if it doesn’t shield you from how tricky it is.
If you’re familiar with Hollow Knight or Dead Cells, then you’ll already understand that death is part of the equation. This is no different – just think of the satisfaction of how amazing your success will look in that gorgeous animation.
The Spirit of the Samurai is available on Steam now. Have a look at our list of the best roguelike games for other challenges, and we have a list off the best upcoming PC games to keep you informed on the latest and greatest that’s on the way.
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