Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess review – Seethe you later

Capcom has been on an absolute tear over the last couple of years, revitalizing its Resident Evil franchise, dropping a new gold standard for fighting games in the form of Street Fighter 6, and giving Elden Ring a run for its money with Dragon’s Dogma 2. But its best game for 2024 might be its most surprising, as Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess recaptures the spirit of that company during its wild and more experimental days.

There’s nothing wrong with great games from legacy franchises, but Path of the Goddess feels like it came from the early-2000s Capcom that published cult-classic games like Okami and Viewtiful Joe. It is a gorgeous slice of tower-defence mixed with real-time strategy that keeps you on your toes without overwhelming you in the heat of battle. A slice of Japanese folklore mixed with tight tactics and somehow constructed to work flawlessly with a simple DualSense controller, Path of the Goddess is beautifully grotesque and enchanting with its design.

At its core, Path of the Goddess is all about shepherding the priestess Yoshiro down a path littered with demonic danger at night. As her stoic protector Soh, players must carve a path forward for her through corrupted villages and caverns, exorcising forests of the evil blight that has consumed the land. The only catch? Once the sun sets and the moon rises, demons known as the Seethe emerge and make a beeline for Yoshiro, leaving Soh to keep them at bay so that the purging process can be completed during the day.

Fortunately, Soh isn’t alone in his endeavors as he can recruit local villagers to form a bulwark against the encroaching darkness. This is where the game’s real charm kicks in, as while Soh is no armchair commander and can easily demolish a few demons, his human resources provide invaluable assistance when he faces overwhelming numbers. Maps might start with a linear path leading toward a haunted Tori gate endpoint that needs to be purified with a charming bit of song and dance, but it’s not long before things get more challenging.

More lanes are added to each zone, monsters come from multiple angles, and other modifiers test your ability to efficiently use your troops and resources to keep Yoshiro safe from harm. Soh only has a smattering of abilities in the first few hours of the game, but he’s backed up by wood-chopping warriors with an axe to grind, eagle-eyed archers, and meat-mountain lines of defence, much like sumo warriors, as more progress is made through his journey. Demon gates also emit a toxic mist that provides a brief cloak of invulnerability to the monsters pouring out of them, so it’s not like you can play whack-a-mole at this location.

The trick here is that you need to gauge just how much progress you want to make during the day. The closer to a Tori gate Yoshiro is, the closer she is to danger if you don’t keep track of the time. It’s a good idea to carefully plot how far you want to progress during daylight hours, shore up your defences, and prepare for a throwdown when the gates of hell open, as Path of the Goddess expertly balances cunning strategy with a sense of urgency as you run around creating chokepoints to funnel enemies into.

Villages that have been freed are ready for repairs, earning you rewards that can be used to upgrade villagers for the battles that lie ahead, give Soh a few extra abilities to use in combat, and even treat Yoshiro during the more tender instances of the game. Boss battles further test your skills, and this is where some of the game’s most memorable moments can be found as you assemble your troops for a titanic tussle. Rampaging giants, sword-collecting Oni, and creepy centipedes the size of a freight train are just some of the dangers you’ll encounter in these focused levels, pushing you to use every resource at your disposal to slay them.

Path of the Goddess nails its mix of real-time strategy and tactical exorcisms, and visually, the game looks heavenly. The Japanese folklore influences have permeated every single pixel, leading to ornate designs, monsters constructed from nightmare fuel, and elegant attacks as you weave the power of dance and music in this game. With around 20 hours of gameplay through the main campaign, no shortage of challenges to hone your calligraphic combat, and an infectious energy whenever you start the ritual to send monsters back to the underworld, Path of the Goddess is going to devour all of your spare time.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess releases on 19 July for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. It will also be playable day one with Game Pass.