There’s something eerie, yet ethereal about The Spirit of the Samurai. I don’t know if it’s the stop motion-inspired animation or the dark and moody visuals. But, something about this game has a chokehold on me. I’m always ready to jump into something interesting, like Trek To Yomi before it. But The Spirit of the Samurai has gripped me like nothing else.
The Art of Stop Motion in Video Games is Incredible TO See, especially in ‘the spirit of the samurai’
There are a number of games that utilize the idea of stop motion in their graphics. Harold Halibut came out earlier this year, with stunning graphics done in the style of Claymation. The Spirit of the Samurai feels like the spiritual successor to some sort of canceled Ronin-themed Tim Burton film. I just can’t get enough of it.
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Dark, moody, atmospheric. The Spirit of the Samurai has some of the most incredible art direction I’ve ever seen in a video game. An indie team created this as their debut title. Color me beyond impressed! As visually stunning as this is, The Spirit of the Samurai also looks to have a great combat system and beautiful level design.
Kitty Quest, which is no longer available to download on the Google Play Store, was technically their first game. After seeing the Cat devoured by a centipede in the trailer, I may know why it’s no longer available. I’m going to have nightmares about that now.
Trek to Yomi was one of my favorite indies of 2022. And this looks to be an improvement over it in just about every way. As long as the combat matches the visuals, there’s a chance that my GOTY may have to make a last-minute switch. The Spirit of the Samurai has Trek to Yomi beat on the visual front already. But with its Metroidvania gameplay, will it have the same hold?
If you’re eager to dive in and see what The Spirit of the Samurai is all about, there is a free demo available on its Steam page. Just be prepared to lose countless hours once this one is finally available on December 12, 2024.
