GRAPHICS: Normally, the first thing I focus on in a review is gameplay and then the graphics, but I'm making an exception for Muramasa. Goodness is this game gorgeous. The graphics wowed me from the start. Simply amazing. The entire game is composed of stunning 2D artwork with multiple layers of animated backgrounds. The color palette is amazingly deep and rich and everything animates smoothly. This game is one of the best looking games that I've seen on any of the three current consoles, and that fact is entirely due to the amazing artwork and sense of style that pervades the entire game.
GAMEPLAY: The game is a combat-heavy 2D side-scrolling action RPG title made by the same developers as Odin Sphere, and the gameplay is very similar. For anyone who hasn't played Odin Sphere, the gameplay is somewhat like Castlevania and Metroid meet Smash Brothers and Viewtiful Joe. I kind of imagine this is what Legend of Kage would have played like if Legend of Kage was actually a good game. You play as one of two characters, each of which has their own story and acquires their own special abilities throughout the game. Although the game contains some platforming elements, the focus is on combat and the combat feels excellent. Some areas of the game already have enemies placed upon them, but usually you are ambushed by a number of enemies and then the game slips into combat mode. As you progress throughout the game you will constantly be discovering and forging new weapons, and with each new weapon comes a new combat ability to take advantage of. Weapons are unlocked in a progression tree fashion. I haven't counted all of the weapons in the tree, but my estimate is there are about a hundred or so different swords to use. The pacing is just about perfect, and I probably have been unlocking a new weapon every 15 to 30 minutes. Additionally, the game includes a simple, stylish, and effective in-game map system that is both functional and non-intrusive, which is a huge bonus. Finally, boss battles are very challenging, especially on the high difficulty setting and always open up a new weapon which opens up new areas of the game to explore.
CONTROLS: The controls are very good and precise, for the most part. The game can be played with remote and nunchuck, the classic controller, and also the GameCube controller. In fact, if you've played Smash Brothers Melee on the Wii, the controls are almost identical. Similar to Smash Bros., the game is button-mash friendly but if you take time to learn the nuances of the combat, you can become a devastating force of nature. Most of all, I prefer to play this game with the classic controller. My only serious complaint about the controls is that there isn't a separate jump button and the jumping is a little too touchy as it currently stands.
SOUND: The music is great, ranging from traditional Japanese themes and instruments to some light rock mixes. The music almost always seems to fit the scene and feels great. In particular, I'm in love with the The voice acting is enjoyable, but it is in Japanese. It might be good or bad voice acting in Japan, but to my untrained American ears I can't really tell and it seems to flows nicely and smoothly. While I don't understand a lick of Japanese beyond "konechiwa", I feel that the choice to use Japanese voices with English sub-titles definitely keeps the game feeling authentic. Combat sound effects are well done, consisting of exactly what one would expect with a swordplay heavy game. Clanging weapons and lots of noises that sound link clink, shink, and whoosh.
VALUE: The game contains two stories that follows two main characters. The two different adventures play very similarly, but you will explore different areas in a different order. The game is reasonably long and the amount of mileage you get out of depends on if you race through it and stop playing or explore and unlock everything.
THE GOOD:
+++ Gorgeous graphics and artwork
+++ Great music
+++ Easy to learn, tough to master gameplay.
+++ Tons of new weapons to unlock at every turn of the game.
+++ Enjoyable story.
+++ Quality 2D gameplay in an industry where it often feels like 2D gameplay is going the way of the dinosaur.
THE BAD
--- Some areas, especially the villages use very repetitive graphic tiles. Gorgeous, but repetitive. A bit more variety would have been nice in these areas.
--- The game lacks a good quick travel system. This game could have really benefited from a Castlevania-style quick teleport mechanic that could eliminate some of backtracking that you have to endure.
Overall, this is an amazing game. When so many games today are trying to wow us with fancy 3D tricks, lighting, and particle effects, it is truly refreshing to see a game set out to impress through pure artistry. What's even better is if that artistic game plays well, which this game definitely does. If you enjoy 2D hack-n-slash RPGs such as the Castlevania series, I highly recommend purchasing this title. Fans of the 2D Metroid games will probably also enjoy this game immensely.