Oboro Muramasa (Wii)

[briareos_kerensky]

Gave the title an other spin on Kisuke's side and in Shura difficulty.

Kisuke is exactly the same as Momohime (blades that can be forged aside), something I find strange after Vanillaware spent time in making each character different in Odin Sphere. Here the only real difference between the two main characters is the blades that one can forged and the special arts they grant; Momohime has more katanas than Kisuke, who has -of course- more no-dachis.

Unfortunately there's a lot of backdrop recycling even for different areas of Japan, but some of Kisuke's locations are really stunning.

Like with Momohime, Kisuke's story throws so many names at you in the first hour and it's difficult to keep up with them, especially if you're still struggling with Momohime's story. My suggestion is to start with one of the two characters and follow through his/her whole story and then switch to the other; they have some characters in common but apparently their role is quite different.

I also made my way to what I think it's the most graphically-demanding boss battle up to now with Kisuke and I'm very happy that the game didn't slowed down even with that large number of independent and linked sprites.

Shura mode is defenitively better than Muso, as you can start to appreciate the differencies between the various blades and their power and mashing the attack button won't do you any good, resulting in untimely deaths. If you die you are sent back to the latest "room" visited and you have to start from scratch.

With Momohime I already had my good dose of backtracking...I rally hope this won't make the game too dull, cleared areas bear no enemies and while the game hints at a "teleport" system, I'm still unable to use it.

Right now I'd say that two bosses have overwelcomed their stay:

->Open Spoiler<-

Momohime's samurai was challenging but a bit too hard for a third boss and Kisuke's triple centipede was just too long and without any real threat.

[chopemon]

I've played about 4 hours on the easier difficulty so I'm rattling through it and really enjoying it.

Its an absolute joy to play and look at. It seems a bit repetitive but I'm really enjoying it.

[ShadowDancer]

Anyone else playing this? I would give my left nut to play this. Figure of speech like.

[Kaladron]

Playing the US version on Shura mode with Momohime (or whatever she's called).

I really love it, especially the unusual combat, which mostly has me holding the attack button down then swishing the analogue stick to direct attacks around the screen, slash through my enemies and juggling them up and down. It really is one of the most fluid systems I've come across and is very rewarding to play.

Just did the big green giant boss. That was a lot of fun!

[Spatial]

After Odin Sphere, it's amazing how they've got to grips with the Wii and I've seen no slowdown at all.

Such a beautiful looking game but the combat does get a tad repetitive.

[Kaladron]

Such a beautiful looking game but the combat does get a tad repetitive.

Which difficulty are you playing on? I've found the combat just about right on Shura... There's enough variety to be able to express yourself in battle, and the enemies change rapidly enough that you're always having to adapt to keep up.

At the end of the day, though, I see this as more of an RPG than a beat-em-up, and I've spent just as much time tinkering in the menus as I have actually fighting.

Up to another boss now - the Lion thing on the rooftops - doesn't seem too tough but I'll have to go find food before I can tackle it properly.

[eastyy]

really enjoyed the combat only problems i had was the huge amount of time getting from one place to another

[briareos_kerensky]

I was hoping to write earlier, but...

Game completed with both Kisuke and Momohime and now I've begun the second cycle: the game is kind enough to hint you what you need to do to get the "right" ending; well, it keeps showing you those white barriers that you can't overcome and you get a new demon blade at the end of the final battle as it was any other boss in the game, so the second cycle isn't only a story-driven replay of the final battle.
Finishing the game grants each character the ability to warp between shrines, cutting a lot of walking between provinces but if you want to level up (and you need to if you want to beat all lair challenges...so far met one at level 74, currently 50-ish).

I enjoyed Muramasa more than Odin Sphere.
Although the first impact with Muramasa isn't as awe-inspiring as Odin Sphere graphics-wise, the game flows betters: no slowdowns, no cumbersome weapon/character level up system and even the restaurants and cooking fit better into the game mechanics.
Just like Odin Sphere, Muramasa falls short in enemy and background, with the same enemies encountered with both characters and over and over throughout medieval Japan; the first acr however includes character-specific locations and no bosses are shared, if not for the lair challenges.
These challenges are the same for both characters and since they start and end in different places and proceed through Japan in a different way, sometimes it's possible to find a low-level challenge for you lvl 40 Momohime/Kisuke, which is disappointing, as instead of being challenges they are more of a attack button mashing contest.

While the game is a 2D masterpiece, Momohime suffers a lack of awesome graphics till the end of her chapter, which a lot of eyecandy going to Kisuke; my suggestion is to start with Momohime and then go with Kisuke: even with Momohime building HPs slower than Kisuke, you'll get a graphical cresendo that won't disappoint you. Kisuke bosses are especially beatiful, often passing the artwork seen in Odin Sphere.
Backgrounds too, some are much more inspiring and less repetitive than Odin Sphere.

Back to the game mechanics and bosses, they are more inspired in their work, or letting you having fun while fighting them. While in Odin Sphere you just hack your way through them, in Muramasa some of the bosses require a definite strategy, jumping skills and sword management that makes them fun, simple as that.

Music is a partial letdown. A few track fit well with the setting, other range from jazz to soft-rock and they sound completely out of place.

As mentioned earlier, the biggest drawback in Muramasa is how repetitive it can become. Enemies and backgrounds are a joy to watch, but once you have met a ninja you have met them all, especially when you are the most common enemy; some areas, like rivers and waterfalls spawn Kappas and poisonous frogs and forests usually have Tengus in them, but the time you reach half a character's story, you have met all standard enemies the game has to offer.
On the bright side few are recolors/redrawings of other enemies, making Muramasa a bit better than Odin Sphere in this aspect.

[Kaladron]

I'm about half way through with Momohime, but am starting to think I should swap to Kisuke and play them parallel.

My reason - The weapon tree seems to indicate that you can only get certain swords once you've reached a particular level with both characters?

Thoughts?

[briareos_kerensky]

Spoiler for the swords tree

->Open Spoiler<-

You can't get certain blades until you beat the game once with both characters. Once you do, Momohime and Kisuke can share all forged blades, enabling you to create blades with linked trees. With this ability you can complete the game a second time by equipping certain blades to both characters.

BTW, finished the game second cycle. Not too many things to do, the "second final battle" was really interesting if a bit dull, now on a quest to get all blades and level both of them high enough to finish the game once and for all.

[Kaladron]

Spoiler for the swords tree

->Open Spoiler<-

You can't get certain blades until you beat the game once with both characters. Once you do, Momohime and Kisuke can share all forged blades, enabling you to create blades with linked trees. With this ability you can complete the game a second time by equipping certain blades to both characters.

Could you not play both saves in tandem and upgrade the swords as you go?

[Spatial]

Which difficulty are you playing on? I've found the combat just about right on Shura... There's enough variety to be able to express yourself in battle, and the enemies change rapidly enough that you're always having to adapt to keep up.

The majority of my play had been on Shura.

The combat's good and I love how it gives you the tools from the offing to fly around the screen like a pro-ninja, but I just found that it was generally far too easy with the general enemies that it got a bit repetitive. Bosses were a different matter though.

This, coupled with the backtracking, means it just started to get a bit stodgy for me by the time I hit the playthrough for the second character.

Perhaps playing through them both at the same time might have softened that a bit though.

[briareos_kerensky]

Could you not play both saves in tandem and upgrade the swords as you go?

During the first playthrough Momohime and Kisuke swords trees are completely separate. Even if you have the right blades on both sides you won't be able to forge "shared" blades.

->Open Spoiler<-

This ability is given after you beat the final boss for the first time with both characters: Kisuke can forge and use Momohime's blades and vice versa, but you still need to level them up to use a certain blade.

->Open Spoiler<-

Each final boss (one for Momohime, one for Kisuke) gives the blade to destroy white barriers; with this sword you can forge other swords but you still need to perform some backtrack to get all unforgeable blades (square frame around them); you can get these blades by beating challenges and going where a character was forbidden to (for example Hell for Kisuke, Shinano battlegrounds for Momohime).
As these blades are shared (you can get them only during the second and third playthrough), you can get them with the character you prefer, but you'll need to level up the other to let him/her use a particular sword.

I'd suggest to go with one character and then the other, jumping from a story to an other can lead to confusion.

[briareos_kerensky]

Aaand game completed. All blades, challenges, items and cooking books.

Levelling up for using the last blade,

->Open Spoiler<-

the Oboro Muramasa

, was easier than expected,

->Open Spoiler<-

it only involved getting to the highest lair challenge (lvl 92, Izu province, "Total Pandemonium", basically all other challenges put together) a couple of items with the Master Handbook (5% more experience)

and there you go,

->Open Spoiler<-

level 92 for using the Oboro

and a couple more levels to finish the game a third time with ease.

In fact,

->Open Spoiler<-

the third last battle is nothing more than the first final battle with a different ending, you just have much more powerful swords and everything falls before you in a very easy way. It's rather disappointing that Momohime Jinkuro doesn't get to fight the real Fudo-Myoou, but Kisuke ends his game with a very badass attitude and a sweet happy end

Enjoyed the game from start to finish, maybe I'll try Shigurui which gives you just one (1) HP and no items to help.

[Kaladron]

Just discovered something cool. If you have anctive save for both characters, then they'll meet eachother when you visit a hot spring. Confusion ensues, naturally... It's pretty funny.