Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Is a Stylish Combination of Swordplay and RTS
At Summer Game Fest, Restart went hands-on with Capcom’s upcoming action strategy game, which features some traditionally “mobile game” elements.
Posted 5 months ago
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess was on full display at Summer Game Fest, and Restart had the chance to go hands-on with this beautiful Kagura action strategy game. (“Kagura” is a form of Shinto traditional dance).
In Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, players will become Soh, a guardian challenged with defending and helping the Maiden Yoshiro cleanse the grotesque defilement from Mt. Kafuku.
The level-based experience features a day and night cycle that splits gameplay into two main portions. During the day, players can clear the defilement from the surrounding area and rescue nearby villagers before assigning them a fighting role, like that of a woodcutter (the game’s basic unit) or an archer, among others.
At night, players must work alongside the rescued villagers to defeat the monstrous Seethe that appear from a Torii gate somewhere in the stage. Players can assign each fighter to their desired location on the map and they’ll automatically fight nearby enemies. This leaves players to control Soh, who can attack the Seethe through dance-like sword fighting.
At first, players will only have access to NPC fighters and Soh’s own abilities, but over time, they’ll unlock a series of defensive structures, such as walls and towers, that can be used to give them a better chance at holding back the Seethe.
Health potions can also be used to heal Soh and the villagers, but if Soh ever falls in battle, it’s not game over. Instead, Soh will enter a temporary “spirit state” and can move around the battlefield to make decisions as the villagers continue to fight.
Players can recruit fighters and build defensive structures during the day
©Capcom
As players clear the defilement and defeat Seethe, they’ll earn a currency that’s used to convert villagers into fighters, as well as to clear a pathway for Yoshiro to walk through the stage toward the Torii gate. The stage will only end once Yoshiro reaches the Torii gate and clears its defilement.
As you might expect, currency is a valuable commodity here, as the way players spend this precious resource will determine how quickly and easily they complete each stage. Players will need to think strategically as they decide which kind of fighter to convert each villager into (they have different abilities and costs), as well as ensure they keep enough currency to clear the path for Yoshiro to walk down. Depending on the way players spend their resources, multiple day and night cycles may need to pass before they can complete a single level.
Upon completing a stage, players will receive a rating of up to three “stars” (essentially) for completing specific tasks, and they can replay stages if they want to earn any “stars” they previously missed. This setup came as a surprise, though not necessarily a negative one, as it will allow players to go back and practice their skills in previous stages if they’re having trouble making progress.
In between levels, players can use the area they’ve cleared as a base camp of sorts, where they can purchase premium upgrades for their unit types. They’ll also earn upgrades for Soh over time.
Finally, Kunitsu-Gami will have a series of accessibility options for details like the game’s on-screen colors, closed captioning, and more.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Release Date: July 18, 2024
Digital Only
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will hit PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC July 19, 2024. It’ll also come to Xbox Game Pass on day one. Those who pre-order will receive two bonus equipment items for Soh: the Walking Basket and Astral Projection Mazo Talismans, as well as a digital mini artbook.