The Spirit of the Samurai
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for The Spirit of the Samurai
And that’s the crux of The Spirit of the Samurai: it is a gorgeous game, with an excellent sense of atmosphere, and decidedly troubled gameplay.
The Spirit of the Samurai is a gorgeous game to look at, and while it can be enjoyable to play, some of the movement and combat is stiff.
Even if The Spirit of the Samurai does little to endear you to its story, the animation provides a decent jumping on point. Unfortunately, it's squandered by the terrible quality of everything else.
I want it to be known that I really wanted to like The Spirit of the Samurai. I am a massive fan of stop-motion animation, and any piece of media that utilises or seeks to evoke or pay homage to that style has earned my respect. That said, as well put-together as the cutscenes are, The Spirit of the Samurai is just not very fun as a game. From the clunky and unresponsive controls to the linear and murky levels filled with oddly placed traps and pitfalls, it can often feel like a slog to actually play. If you are a fan of stop-motion animation, then you may get something from the experience, but it is unlikely to be too satisfying for just about anyone else.
The Spirit of the Samurai has a great and evocative imagery and a delightful stop-motion style. The merits end there, because the game developed by Digital Mind Games has problematic hitboxes and lacks of precision in attacks and jumps, ending up frustrating the players.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The peculiar trio in historical Japan has an impressive appearance, but sometimes unbalanced gameplay.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The Spirit of the Samurai’s steep difficulty curve, clunky controls, and sparse, underwhelming puzzles may frustrate newcomers. While optimization is solid, the UI and limited customization options need improvement. Despite these shortcomings, the game’s visuals, atmosphere, and rewarding combat mechanics make it a promising title with room for polish.
The Spirit of the Samurai is a visually stunning game that blends Soulslike combat with Metroidvania exploration, featuring impressive stop-motion visuals and moments of gameplay brilliance, but its limited field of view, occasionally frustrating combat, and technical issues may deter those seeking a flawless, easy experience, while fans of stylish action-platformers willing to embrace some challenges will find it worthwhile.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
