Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess review – Capcom once again dances to its own tune, and puts on a gorgeous show

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a strange beast. A game that blends tower defense with squad-based strategy and third-person combat. When I first sat down with it, I was strapping in for the long haul. But any reservations I had were quickly cast aside – Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess captures your interest with a graceful pirouette and a flourish.

The game starts at the peak of Mt. Kafuku, decorated with shrines and worshipers. All's good until uh oh, the entire mountain is besieged and hastily corrupted by The Seethe. They defile the shrines and capture any unfortunate folks they get their hands on. You – a mysterious masked swordsman, of course – escape with the mountain's Kagura Dancer. This dancer (who empowers your own abilities and can purify the Seethe's corruption) is the key to taking Mt. Kafuku back. Protect her, rebuild the villages, and lead a revolt that reclaims the holy land. The stage is set.

Immidiately, the action undercuts the lofty stakes. Your main characters moves are a bit wet, a bit flaccid. They lack the punch I like to wrap my hands around in the thick of a big fight. That said, the game feel is made more palatable thanks to the units you summon. Units with specific roles, each of which can decked out with upgrades help kindle that fantasy of a general supported by a small squad of powerful allies, tactically choosing who to deploy where on the battlefield.

At its best, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess places you and your ragtag troupe in the way of a streaming river of Seethe, and it's satisfying to see yourself stalwartly standing against them.

What you do with these units is the meat of the game. Clearing a path for your Kagura Dancer so she can push forward to Torii gates requires a currency that drops from enemies you slay, as well as from limited nodes around the linear environment. It all boils down to a day/night cycle: prep your defenses while the sun is up, fending off The Seethe in the dark. It's enticing, moreish. It starts with basic options, but with increasing variety of enemy types and units, the complexity increases, and the strategic conceits start to reveal themselves.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has a sort-of relaxing quality when you're making your way around the mountain. Repairing villages for upgrade materials, going back every now and again to tick-off bonus objectives – it's got that wonderful gameplay cadence that Capcom perfect in sibling series, Monster Hunter. It's not exactly high-octane action, though, and during some of the longer missions, the game dips its toes into lethargic waters.

But if your attention starts to wane, just force yourself to focus on the smaller elements of that remarkable art direction. The effects of your heavy strikes; a the citrus orange that appears more a tear in reality than a slashing blow. How it trails your weapon as you cleave through waves of enemies. The designs of the overwhelming, endless Seethe, and how they emerge from gates vicious with a crimson flash. It's beautiful. And the artisinal drawings that pull you back to historic Japan, the excellent animation work exhibited by the Kagura Dancer herself... there's a bountiful visual feast here.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of Capcom's most visually striking games. And that's really saying something. It may not become the publisher's most popular experiment, but the development team went places with the visuals. If you're the sort of person who is comfortable buying a game on those grounds, or have a taste for tactical action in general, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a decent package.

I found myself enraptured by this game. Hooked on its combat-cum-strategy and constantly awed by the sights I saw, entertained by the steady flow of upgrades and the structure of the mission layouts. It broadened my horizons a little bit, if a game can do that. That can't be a bad thing, can it?

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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is available on July 19 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One for £39.99 / $49.99. Not too expensive either! Pick it up if you're hungry for something with some visual pizazz.