Demon Slayer is one of the most popular current anime series. The first season was well-liked but the movie that came out in 2021, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, seemed to really increase the fandom. Now seems like the perfect time to release a video game in order to capitalize on that sweet anime heat via Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles.
It doesn’t feel like a quick cash grab by the publisher, Sega, and the developer, CyberConnect2, as attested by reviews. It’s not getting anything stellar but the scores are good across the board. What else is there to know about Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles before gamers jump in and are there any handy tips to make life easier?
7 What Storylines Does It Cover?
The game begins a bit into the anime wherein Tanjiro is training with Sabito at the giant rock. This episode acts as a tutorial and Tanjiro’s full journey in the anime picks up from there and ends at the film, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles is a good way to recap the events of the anime and film in order to get prepared for season two. Some events are relegated to smaller episodes as side activities but the main story is at least there for a good cliff notes version.
6 Quick Option Tips
Before beginning Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, there are a couple of options gamers should change. If players are planning to play the game in English, they should change subtitles to minimal. This will make sure that no text gets in the way of cutscenes or in battle.
The control guide should also be turned off. Removing both of these options should make the game more immersive during battle instead of cluttering the HUD with unnecessary elements. This should make Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles more immersive because of how authentic it looks as compared to the anime.
5 Play The Campaign First
There are only a handful of fighters available at first. The rest need to be unlocked in the story campaign. This is bad news for gamers that want to buy the game in order to play with friends locally or online.
The good news is that it shouldn’t take more than three to four hours to complete the story. Don’t worry about doing the extra content or rewatching the story bits for those interested most in unlocking characters. Gamers can always go back after the fact.
4 Difficulty In The Game
There are difficulty options in versus mode when players wish to fight against the CPU. It is recommended to fight the CPU on the hardest difficulty as soon as players feel comfortable with the controls. Doing this will give gamers a better understanding of the combat in order to prepare themselves for tournament fights against real people.
The anime campaign has no difficulty options for the main episodes. The plus side to this is that there is no real way to die. If players fall in battle they can get revived on the spot. Their final score will be lowered but that doesn’t affect unlocking characters anyway. This makes the campaign accessible in terms of challenge.
3 Study The Map
If players wish to soak up every piece of content in the game then it is important to study the map. Some episodes are linear while others are a bit more open. There are spots where gamers can look into side quests which are marked with blue exclamation points.
There are also memory episodes to unlock and spots to gather points that can help unlock content in the rewards menu. Studying the map may help alleviate players from backtracking too much. Sometimes it is impossible to know the best path to take on the map as it can be covered by mist but it never hurts to check.
2 Know When To Dodge And When To Fight
The combat in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles is thankfully smooth. That’s what players tend to hope for in a fighting game. The controls can be a bit complex at first as there are a lot of button combinations. With practice, everything should fall into place though. The best part about the gameplay is that enemies have telltale signs when they are about to attack.
The villain characters will either glow red or red markers will appear on the ground wherever their attacks will land. It’s a good idea to switch into a defensive stance whenever it looks like enemies are about to pounce. This is especially true for the bigger bosses in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles. Dodging and jumping are the best ways to avoid contact but don’t rule out blocks for normal attacks. Every enemy is different so everything will take some practice just like the overall combat.
1 Get Some Good Headphones
Headphones are usually suggested when playing horror or stealth games. Sound can be important in order to become deadlier in combat. Demon Slayer has horror elements as an anime about killing demons but it’s not exactly terrifying. Headphones are still recommended for the game because battles can often key players into when enemies are going to attack.
This can come across with the enemies saying something themselves or Tanjiro muttering to himself. The music score is good too so getting headphones can help immerse players more into the experience. Using headphones, in general, can heighten most gaming experiences so this tip carries over to many.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles was released on October 13, 2021, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X.