Hands on with the Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess PC Version
Banish the darkness with the release of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, which is coming to PC on July 19th. Take a look at our first impressions from the game!
By Craig Bishop (Gamesplanet)
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Review copy was provided by Capcom for testing purposes, opinions are Gamesplanet's own and not representative of Capcom. Performance stated is in a pre-release build and may not reflect the final game.
Later this week Capcom are set to release a brand new IP with the launch of the Action & Strategy game, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess on July 19th. This Japanese-inspired Kagura game puts you in the role of Soh, a protector to Yoshiro, Maiden of the Mountains. Working together they must push back the Seethe and purge them from villages of Mt. Kafuku, bringing peace to all its inhabitants.
Wield your blade and slice foes apart
So how exactly do you fight the darkness? Stages consist of two main stages: Daytime in which you rescue villages and assign them roles for combat, and Nighttime where the enemy strikes and it's up to you to protect the Maiden so she can cleanse the evil.
Soh is able to pull off a couple simple combos to attack with his sword, as well as having the ability to command powerful attacks that can be charged by killing enemies. You have a block button and a dodge button, each of which will help Soh stay alive longer. Of course Soh isn't the only one you control in battle, you also have the help of villagers that you can assign one of several roles. In the early game you'll only have a handful of roles, but as you progress through the game you'll unlock more.
You'll need to strategically place your allies in order to combat the threat while defending the Maiden. For example you have the standard melee Woodcutter, which is useful against ground enemies and is the first specialization you have. While another is the Archer, useful for flying enemies and keeping enemies at range. Each unit will have their own "range" that is vital for keeping the battlefield in check.
Enemies will constantly make their way towards the Maiden and you need to keep her defended by strategically placing your villagers and keeping an eye on the routes of enemies to stop them. Once the Maiden has cleansed the area the mission is over, but if you feel like an extra challenge there are additional bonuses for completing tasks within the mission (for example making sure no one hits the Maiden).
Upgrades & Bases
Once you've cleared a location for the first time you'll be able to use it as base, upgrading it to unlock further resources that can be used in battle - including charms that help both Soh and the villagers. From here you can upgrade villager roles, Soh and Save the game at the nearby tent. Ask your villagers to take on the task of rebuilding the base by collecting wood and other materials. You'll need to allow time to repair though, so take on a mission and return to get your rewards. As you unlock more bases you'll be able to upgrade each one - with their own set of repair tasks and rewards.
What's next and final impressions?
I'm still quite early into the game, having seen only a small section of the mountain with plenty still uncharted and roles to unlock for my villages. The game itself is quite different from what I expected, as it relies on a mix of action and strategy as opposed to a straight up action game, but the art style and combat is satisfying without feeling too complicated for newcomers. Even if you're not usually a strategy fan, commanding a few units and placing them around the battlefield is straightforward enough that you won't be confused. I would like to see how the story progresses, even though it feels light on story compared to something like Okami (also from Capcom). Speaking of Okami, if you are interested in getting your hands on cosmetics inspired by the game they'll be available to all at launch thanks to a recent push by the community.
Missions so far aren't too long and most seem to be done in 5-10 minutes, with minimal planning needed. I imagine once the game opens up a bit more it'll ramp up the challenging encounters and provide a bit more depth. There are a couple boss encounters in levels, as well as new types of enemies being added per level. So the games does offer a variety to shake up the combat, plus you have village roles having their own skill trees that can be upgraded to make them even more powerful.
If you're still undecided on the game, you can try the Demo via Steam (link on our store page).
How about Steam Deck?
Yes, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is Steam Deck Verified, and for the most part can run well on the small handheld from Valve. With default settings you can expect around 50 FPS, not quite hitting the 60 FPS. However one small oddity is that using the default settings may look a bit pixelated to some, which can be fixed by using TAA instead of FXAA in the options - or by using FSR 3.1. Even if the Deck cannot manage a locked 60 FPS, 50 is more than enough for this type of game and you even even use the touch screen to attack with (should you want to). While you can lock it to 30 FPS, I do not feel that 30 is a reasonable framerate for this type of game.
Of course this is still a pre-release version, so it may change near launch.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Gallery
To round out let's have a look at some screenshots from the game. Screens were provided by Capcom showcasing various elements of the game.
