The Spirit of the Samurai Reviews
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 is an ambitious game that opts for a different artistic style and a risky combat system for this type of game. With this combination, the guys at Digital Mind could have backfired, but in the end they have created a game that not only fulfills everything it promised in its trailer, but also shows exquisite taste and know-how for being the first game from this Murcian studio.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Spirit of the Samurai has more flaws than I could possibly list here and frustrated me for large parts of my time with it, but damn, does it have a vibe.
“Spirit of the Samurai” feels unfinished. A lot of gameplay elements feel half-baked – especially the annoying platformer passages. The story didn't grab me either, although the dark setting in feudal Japan would actually be right up my street. In the end, the stop-motion look is by far the best aspect of the game. And that alone is not enough for me to recommend it.
Review in German | 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.
As fresh as it is dark, and as fun as it is challenging. The Spirit of the Samurai transports the player to a feudal Japan full of mythological creatures from Japanese folklore, with a haunting and immersive atmosphere. The stop-motion animation makes this metroidvania with touches of soulslike a unique experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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
The Spirit of the Samurai is a game full of great ideas that, unfortunately, fail to shine due to poor execution. The game is held back by terribly unresponsive controls, poorly implemented enemy AI, and developer promises that fall far short of expectations. These shortcomings, among others, ultimately make it difficult for me to recommend this game.
The Spirit of the Samurai is the most incredible Metroidvania title I have ever played, featuring amazing stop-motion animation, fantastic storytelling with horror elements, and fun combat—all coming together to create a game you’ll easily love as much as I do.