‘Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade’ Is a Super Cute Roguelite, Putting Fun Above Difficulty, Perfect for Those Unfamiliar With the Genre (Review)

If you’re intimidated by the roguelike genre, Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is the perfect jumping-in point. With more roguelites and roguelikes coming now more than ever, finding a solid entry point that makes the genre accessible, while not feeling like a cakewalk, has been more difficult than ever. Thankfully, Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade could be the perfect entry point for newer players, while still ramping up in difficulty enough to make even the most dedicated players feel like their time has been well spent.

Three Stories, Three Ways To Play, and Plenty of Meat on Its Bones. ‘Yasha’ Has Plenty of Content for Everyone

The majority of my time playing was spent as Shigure, a black-haired ninja with a massive blade. Her power, her moveset, and her style meshed with me the most, providing plenty of power throughout my adventure. Each of the three available characters, Shigure, Sara, and Taketora, has an extremely unique play style and moveset.

Sara, tiny and quick, utilizes dual blades and impressive speed to take down foes. Taketora, slow and mighty, uses fists and bows to deliver justice. But Shigure, she was my girl. Her sword struck true with every hit I delivered, causing incredible damage alongside stylish finishers. Even though Shigure stole my heart, Sara and Taketora both play fantastically, and I can’t wait to do more runs with each of them.

But at the end of the day, I always landed back with Shigure. Her combos, her blades, and everything in between spoke to me. As I progressed through the story, I could unlock new blades, each with the potential to be even more deadly than the last. While discovering and experimenting with two different weapons on each run, I finally landed on a set that resonated, and I was ready to rumble.

Take a Load off at the Demon Festival, Your Haven Between Zones in ‘Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade’

Between levels, I would find myself at the Demon Festival, a lively little zone that gave me a moment to breathe. Here, I could buy some food to make my continued journey easier. Or, I could relax and refill a large chunk of my health. If I was feeling up to it? I could just hang around and chat with some of the fine vendors that set up shop here. It’s a nice little hub and offered me the opportunity to make my build even more horrifically strong.

Each time I would visit the Demon Festival, the number of vendors set up there would be completely random. For example, one time I arrived, it was completely full. Every available vendor for the Demon Festival was hanging out here, hawking their wares for me to examine. The next time I showed up? Only the Talisman vendor was here when I really could have used that extra boost from food. These random variables, combined with the numerous pickups and power-ups I could find during combat, made each run feel exciting. Even if sometimes, these levels did feature some bizarre difficulty spikes.

But that’s half of the fun of a roguelite, isn’t it? Dying, trying again, and dying some more. While Yasha may be easier than most other roguelites on the market, that doesn’t mean that difficulty spikes aren’t a thing here. I found myself getting overwhelmed or just completely obliterated at times, but thanks to the forgiving nature of the game and the ease of getting back into things, I never complained about my deaths. I was always eager to go for just “one more run”.

Fantastic Art, Visuals, and Soundtrack Make ‘Yasha’ a Treat for All the Senses

One thing that helps Yasha stand out is its visual style. Taking inspiration from the Edo period, Yasha is a visual feast for the eyes, ears, and every sense in between. Enemies are easy to decipher from the background and pickups are visually easy to identify, making this one easy for everybody to pick up and enjoy. But the character art, especially during cutscenes, is absolutely gorgeous. An incredible amount of detail goes into these characters, and you can tell that the development team loves each one.

A mixture of Hades-esque graphical design, mixed with a watercolor painting style, makes Yasha a joy to play. Plus, it plays fantastically on handheld devices. So, it’s another game that will make your next trip all the more enjoyable. But even more so, each character is voiced with passion and love, completely embodying their character to the highest degree. While there is no English dub available in Yasha, each character springs off the screen.

Regardless of your level of skill in the world of roguelites, Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is a game for every type of player. With three lengthy stories to play through, three specific combat styles, and plenty of variety throughout the runs, there’s always something new happening here. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been this engrossed in a roguelite like this, and I’m already itching to start my next playthrough.

Verdict: Recommended

---

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade will be available May 14, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.