Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade [Review]

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade offers three distinct storylines, each with unique characters, backstories, and world themes, completely independent of one another. Players choose one character at the start and can replay with the others later, experiencing different stories, personalities, and combat styles. The Tiger uses bows and melee (fists), the Oni wields dual blades, and the samurai uses…… well katanas. Both the Oni and Tiger have varied weapon options. Players can craft visually distinct weapons that offer unique skills and perks while retaining their base weapon’s functionality. As a rogue-like, abilities, and stats are upgraded during sessions but are lost upon death, though permanent upgrades in the main town make playthroughs easier. The game is generally easy for beginners, but boss fights pose a significant challenge, showing uneven difficulty scaling between standard enemies and bosses.

Co-op multiplayer would greatly enhance the experience. The art, character designs, world-building, and story are all well-executed. Character personalities are engaging, though level layouts are repetitive, lacking variety in enemies, bosses, scenery, and even resting points. The combat is excellent, with responsive dashing, satisfying strikes, and a well-implemented parry/counter mechanic that provides a good challenge, especially against groups. It's a very fun game and recommended on PC, especially at its $14 price point. However, it's inexplicably $30 on consoles for the same digital version. This price discrepancy is unfair, as the quality is identical, and the releases are simultaneous. While physical versions may justify different prices, digital pricing should be consistent across platforms.