Onikira: Demon Killer Devs Need Support to Reach the Tokyo Game Show

Onikira: Demon Killer is looking good, using shadow to create some great looking monsters for players to hack and/or slash. You might want to take some time to enjoy the wonderful look of the game as you explore a fantasy feudal Japan, but as a samurai trying to keep underworld monsters from rising up and taking over, you’ve got work to do.

Luckily, that work involves a solid combo system to keep this flat plane 2D beat ’em up interesting. It’s not an easy thing to do, as many beat ’em ups allow for some movement up and down the screen, meaning players can use their placement to create strategy. It gives players a lot of different ways to dodge attacks or approach the enemy, but in Onikira, you’re stuck just moving ahead. Well, moving ahead and slashing with your katana, launching the enemy into the air, following up with your naginata on the nearest building to drop it on your enemy. While taking place on a single plane, the developers at Digital Furnace Games have put a lot of work into adding mobility and various attacks that more than make up for not being able to move up and down a bit. The main character gets around, and with a variety of different moves available, this game feels like a 2D Devil May Cry. Well, without the bad voice acting.

While the game is looking to take its players to an alternate universe feudal Japan, the developers just want to go to regular old normal, modern day Japan. They’ve been tapped by Sony to present at the Tokyo Game Show, and are looking to cover the costs of their travel there by taking pre-orders for the game (for €10). It’s a unique approach to covering costs for the trip without resorting to traditional forms of crowdfunding. Considering the nice level/enemy design and the tight action-platforming in the game, it might be a good idea to grab it now so you can be one of the first to play at launch.