Gaming Target - Xbox: Otogi: Myth of Demons

Written by Nick Doukas on September 23, 2003

Full Review: This is the way I prayЕBurn me alive insideЕ

Raikoh is the last member of a clan that was charged with delivering the final death-blow to end a person's life. His clan is thought to exist closest to death.

After spending some serious time with Otogi over the past few weeks, I've got to say it's a pretty amazing game. It's stylish, with lush and incredible visuals, has fantastic play mechanics, and manages to show some fair depth for an action game, mostly through the inclusion of some well-implemented RPG elements. Read on to find out why Raikoh (if push ever came to shove) would most likely kick Dante's assЕ.

Raikoh is tasked (by a mysterious princess with a strangely hypnotic voice) with УcleansingФ towns, villages and temples (as well as many other exotic locales) of some seriously evil demons by using magic and acrobatic swordplay. The means by which you'll accomplish these cleansings represents everything that makes gaming fun. The play mechanics featured in Otogi are smooth and free-flowing, and controlling Raikoh is a near perfect marriage of mind and machine.

You'll use the left thumbstick to move Raikoh around the beautifully rendered environments, and use the right to control the camera. The right trigger is used to lock-on to the nearest enemy, and the left performs Raikoh's dash, a move that propels him forward at incredible speed, allowing him to evade enemy attacks, as well as instantly reposition himself to counter strike. The X button will allow you to cast magic spells (more on that later), while the A button is used to jump. The Y button represents a Heavy Attack, and the B button a Light Attack. Pumping the jump button in combination with the attack and dash commands yields amazing aerial combos, as Raikoh floats and dances around his enemies in a savage ballet that's incredible in its intensity.

As you progress through the levels, you'll need to kill as many creatures as you can to refill Raikoh's magic gauge, and destroying buildings, great walls and houses will release spirits trapped within them. You'll also find power-ups scattered about the areas that restore life, as well as raise attack power and defense. To purchase weapon upgrades and to repair your current implement of destruction (your sword will lose vitality with repeated use and must be repaired to restore its full power) you'll use УgoldФ which is acquired as you kill demons. Experience is also gained in this manner, as balls of glowing energy must be gathered from the air after defeating an enemy. Depending on the foes Raikoh is to face in the next stage, several different types of elemental magic can be equipped. It'll be up to you to make sure you use the proper spell to counter the current attacker.

As you move through the stages, Raikoh will level up and gain more stamina and power in battle. Over 20 areas are available for you to conquer, and once you complete a locale, you'll permanently unlock it. You can go back to any concluded stage and try to finish it with a better time, or attempt to release more spirits for 100% completion (in which case you may be awarded a bonus item).

Otogi's play-style is unbridled insanity. All of the environments are fully destructible, and smashing enemies with brutal combos, sending them careening through walls and buildings, as well as simply slicing them to ribbons in mid-air, is incredibly fun. The feeling of an unbelievably powerful warrior at the other end of your controller makes tearing your way through Otogi's impressive worlds an endless blast, and while it does get somewhat repetitive after a while, the amazing aerial combat, combined with the awesome strength of Raikoh (not to mention an interesting variety of powerful weapons) keeps the adventure from growing stale.

Visually Otogi is among the best the Xbox has to offer. Witness gorgeous worlds made up of quasi-historical fantasy settings that teem with a soft diffused art-style and are imbued with saturated color that leaps off the screen. The enemies look great, and the bosses (who, it must be forewarned, can be frustrating and a bit on the difficult side) nonetheless display fluid motion and astonishing color and detail while they're whipping your ass (the centipede monster simply has to be experienced). Ditto for the sound, as the roar of your foes and the crashing of debris all combine to create an aural picture of battle that's just as exciting as the visual. The music is subdued but powerful, and relies heavily on more traditional classical fare, which isn't surprising, as the entire premise of the game is based on Japanese mythology.

Otogi: Myth of Demons

Full Review: This is the way I prayЕBurn me alive insideЕRaikoh is the last member of a clan that was charged with delivering the final death-blow to end a person's life. His clan is thought to exist closest to death.

Full Review: This is the way I prayЕBurn me alive insideЕ

Raikoh is the last member of a clan that was charged with delivering the final death-blow to end a person's life. His clan is thought to exist closest to death.