Features:

  • Redesigned for the PlayStation Vita, Muramasa takes this award winning game to new levels with HD graphics and more!
  • Two Stories - Follow Momohime, a princess possessed by the evil spirit and journey west, battle demons and much more! Kisuke, a ninja who has lost his memory, and travel east in search of the demon blades.
  • HD Graphics - Using hand-drawn graphics and Japanese artistic styling, Muramasa Rebirth creates a colorfully painted world on your PS Vita screen!
  • 108 Blades - Search and forge new deadly weapons and build an inventory of up to 108 blades. Each blade has a unique special ability. Equip yourself with these deadly blades and become more powerful as your foes close in on you!
  • Additional Characters - Play in four additional scenarios as different characters!
Much improved version of Muramasa

I had opportunity to play this game when it came out on Wii. I fell in love with design, background and music. Not so much with scatterbrained translation with heavy censorship. Loathed control scheme of Wiimote, did not help much by using pro controller. This edition mostly undo the wrong of first edition. Graphic is sharper, music is as wonderful as before. Controller scheme finally makes sense, and gives you an option to use Wiimote setting (but why?) Translation is much more faithful, giving more personality and saltiness of certain dialogues. It does not make use of Vita's touch screen. It is still hack and slash type game, but wonderful one at that.

Wow!

This game is so much fun. The action is amazing. You can tell how afford of the company who make this game. All the characters have their own voice and accent form region they came from that suit for the sets in their era. The game is so beautiful. It is one of the most pretty game I have seen on PS Vita. The art design is well done, the stories are good, and the game itself is so charm of Japanese culture and story tales.

Japanese Mythological Successor to Odin Sphere?

I'm a huge fan of Vanillaware (even their cutesy Kumatanchi DS game). Before Muramasa, I played through Grim Grimoire and Odin Sphere and drank in every minute of both. Muramasa is similar to Odin Sphere in that the character sprites and backgrounds are full of life--the characters breath fluidly, trees sway in the background, and when you make your character jump up, the scenery and lighting changes accordingly. It's a visual and colorful feast for the eyes. Story-wise, Muramasa has a great story told from two perspectives, though the story doesn't go as in depth or into the same melodramatics as Odin Sphere (after all, Odin Sphere had 4 main characters with their own storyline). There are multiple endings and some are more satisfying than others. Music is composed by Basiscape, and while all of the compositions were fitting to the Japanese scenery, there were some stand-out tracks (such as track that plays with the boss fight against T*****ime and Y****jo). For those who were used to Odin Sphere, the side-scrolling and attacks/special attacks are similar, but Muramasa is much more fast-paced--took me a bit of time to get used to. You can collect recipes and cook your own food, or go to restaurants throughout the different areas, almost like Pooka Village from Odin Sphere. The funnest parts for collect-a-holics like myself would be forging all of the swords. There is an entire tree of swords to be forged/obtained, and the last few can only be obtained after beating the game once with each character. Vita trophies also offer additional play value--try to get a 999 combo (and get a 9 hours, 9 persons, 9 doors reference if you do), or try to sample enough of the restaurant cuisine to get a trophy. Not sure how the localization was for the Wii version of Muramasa, but the Vita localization is great! Each of the characters have a personality that shines through, and none of the dialogue sounds bland or stilted (or overly forced). Finally, there is breathtaking DLC for this game. I mean, these DLCs are basically their own games unto themselves. There are two out so far, with an additional two on the way. The first DLC has you play the role of a cat-monster, in an entirely new scenario, complete with new tracks, bosses, endings, and play system. Only $5 on the PSN, and even I think that's a bargain for what you get. The 2nd DLC has you play a starving farmer. Again, entirely new scenario, gameplay system, etc. Only for $5. AND it even has an ending theme sung by the same person who contributed the voice samples for Hatsune Miku of Vocaloid fame. The story for both DLCs so far has been excellent. My only wish is to shove my money over to Vanillaware so that they can make more quality games like this.

100+ hours of hand drawn 2D action bliss

I’ve spent over 100 hours with very few games. Persona 3 and 4 (and most likely 5), probably over 100 hours with multiple playthroughs of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Suikoden 2 and Super Mario World. Muramasa ReBirth is the latest addition to my short list. Like Symphony of the Night, Muramasa is an amazing marriage of fluid 2D gameplay, beautiful graphics, wonderful music, and effective storytelling. The 4 DLC chapters (not included on the physical game card, but available digitally for $5 each via the PlayStation Store), add an incredible amount to the world and charm of the game. I originally bought Muramasa ReBirth as a download, but I ended up loving it so much that I felt the need to add a physical copy to my collection.

A profoundly beautiful, awesome action-packed classic from Vanillaware, made better on the Vita

Yes indeed, Vanillaware is one of the most talented developers working in the video game industry today. I really cannot think of a single VW game that wasn't filled to the brim with inspiration and refinement. Muramasa: The Demon Blade was originally released as a game for the Nintendo Wii. However, it had originally been built for HD in mind, with work done to lower the resolution to release it onto the SD Wii. It was an incredible game on the Wii, one of its most memorable third-party games, in fact. Now though, it gets to truly shine on Sony's lovely handheld Vita. This game is just as spectacular as it was when it first released a few years ago, and in several important ways, it's better than ever. Before discussing any of the main aspects of the game, it's worth noting that this game is one of the most Japanese games you will ever play. What I mean by that is everything -the visuals, the music, the story and characters, the gameplay, etc.- is deeply influenced by Japanese history, culture, and folklore. For my money, this is beautiful thing. I love Japanese culture, and this game is a treasure trove that delves deeply into that. It delivers a deeply original, unique game and stands out among the increasingly homogenized gaming market we've become accustomed to here in the West. As is the case with prior VW games, the story in Muramasa is a very character-driven affair. You get to play as one of two characters. There's Momohime (literally meaning "Peach Princess" in Japanese. That's brilliant.), a beautiful princess whose body has been taken over by a vengeful master swordsman named Jinkuro. The other character is Kisuke, an amnesiac master ninja who is being hunted by his previous ninja clan allies for crimes he does not recall committing. His quest is one to regain his memories... at first. Both tales are quite complex stories that are wonderfully told. They also contain some very surprising tonal shifts and focuses. I don't want to spoil anything, but the stories in this game feature motivations, goals, character personalities, and events that I guarantee you will not have seen in a game before, and then mixes them up in a way that makes them even more unusual. Despite some strong themes of honor, love, and redemption in the mix, this is most definitely the darkest, most sinister game from VW I've ever seen (and I've played them all). Hell, in one story you'll find yourself essentially playing a character you'd ordinarily regard as a dastardly villain in any other context. In the other, you play an anti-hero. It's also filled with refreshingly new elements and ideas because it's so heavily inspired by Japanese folklore. It's all VERY interesting, compelling stuff. Even better, there are three *very* different endings for each of the two main character story modes, all of which are fascinating. The writing is generally fantastic, and thanks to the all-new, VASTLY improved localization in this Rebirth version, it's better than ever. All of the characters are developed fairly well and they're all very compelling, and that's true for those filling main or supporting roles. As far as I'm concerned, the story in Muramasa is a winner. As is expected from a VW title, this game is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and undeniably captivating. Much like everything else, there is so much Japanese influence to the characters, enemies, (incredible) bosses, locales, etc. Seriously, from a glowing, enchanted cherry blossom garden under a breathtaking canopy of stars, to a plateau overlooking a valley of mountains and hills shrouded in fog, all lit afire by a vibrant sunrise, to a mythological battlefield where the combatants are locked in eternal battle... it's just all so incredible looking. Every locale is notable. Some are beautiful, others are unnerving and mystical, and others are serene with an almost film noire sensibility. This is a gorgeous game to play through. Something I really loved too was that as you run across the various screens/locales, the time will elapse, going from day to night, rain to shine, giving a real sense of time to the story even though the transitions are so quick in real-time. Loved it. The characters, both major and minor, as well as the enemies, are all lovingly rendered and superbly animated. Each of the main characters, Jinkuro-Momohime and Kisuke, as well as all their supporting characters, all have distinctly unique personalities and movement styles that just scream attention to detail. All of this is no surprise to anyone who knows VW, as this is all their calling card. Great stuff here. Even better, Muramasa shines and sparkles on the Vita. The OLED screen really does a lot to take what was already a good-looking game into a gorgeous one. I cannot applaud the visual upgrade enough for this game. It really makes me wish for an HD Vita version of Odin Sphere . That would make my day, but sadly, I don't think it's going to happen (when Muramasa Rebirth was originally announced, they also announced that Odin Sphere would get the same treatment. That was years ago... *sadface*). The music and sound design is also superb as well. Once again, Hitoshi Sakimoto, as well as the rest of Basiscape, did a wonderful job on the soundtrack. There's a beautiful Japanese musical sensibility in the entire OST, and that applies to both the instrumentation AND the musical tones and focus of the compositions themselves. There's also two versions of each song, one for normal level traversing, and another, more intense version for battles. Great stuff. Since the game is so heavily Japanese in its themes and focus, it is not surprising that all voice-acting is exclusively done in Japanese. Thankfully, the voice actors did a stupendous job giving life and authenticity to both the characters and the story itself. Bravo to the sound director of the game, as he did a fantastic job in this area. While VW is mostly recognized for their achievements in art and sound design, they're often not given enough credit for their aptitude in game design. Muramasa is, at its core, a highly fluid 2-D action game. As you traverse the world, fights will break out and you won't be able to travel until you beat all enemies on that screen. Your performance is graded after each fight, and rewards/XP levels depend largely on how you do. The combat in this game is incredibly fluid and viscerally satisfying. I can't think of many games that have made me feel like I'm a badass Samurai from an iconic anime the way that Muramasa does. The combat is simple and easy to grasp, but deep enough to engage you as you grow in skill. Boss fights are spectacular as well, with a need for strategy and skill alike. As is the case with VW games, there is lots of RPG spice underneath the action that deepens the experience nicely. As you play, you'll level up and grow stronger. There's a forging system in which you can craft better swords using "souls" (aka XP and little glowing flames you can pick up while running around) and "spirit," which is acquired by eating food. Each sword has its own unique ability to use and perhaps even provide passive boosts. Lots of strategy involved with this game. Mechanically, Muramasa is a excellently designed game with lots of variety, excitement, and refinement. Even better, the Vita version has made some really nice control improvements that anyone who has played the original will immediately notice and appreciate. Outside of fights, the world is arranged in a series of screens for each region you visit, creating a huge network of levels to traverse that feels very reminiscent of Metroidvania games. There's LOTS of backtracking to do. Unfortunately, the game was in major need of refining in this area. There is a fast-travel system you unlock to alleviate some of this, but it's woefully inadequate and only available after getting the first ending. This is the only major flaw I can think of regarding the gameplay, and it's made all the more disappointing because they could have fixed this when they brought it over to Vita for this release. Ah well... at least the game is so beautiful. It helps alleviate boredom from backtracking, but not all the way. One more nit-pick: I'm not a fan of the trophies they added to the game. They're remarkably obtuse, requiring at least four different playthroughs (one of which is genuinely cruel and unfair) and dozens of arduous hours to get a platinum. Needless to say, I won't be going for every trophy in view of that. It's a letdown, because I DID platinum Dragon's Crown, so I know VW can do a better job of this. Ah well, bad trophies/achievements are ultimately a VERY minor, throwaway aspect that should not ruin a game's score. Still, it's worth noting. Muramasa Rebirth is the best version of a deeply satisfying game that is as compelling thematically as it is in its presentation. VW delivered a wonderful game in Muramasa back on the Wii, and they've done it again with this shiny new version on the Vita. Really, I can't think of a better platform for the game. I so hope they'll give Odin Sphere, arguably VW's Magnum Opus, the same treatment (fingers crossed eternally for that). There were so many reasons to enjoy this game in its original state, and this version just makes it better. The Vita is a wonderful little system, and it really delivers the potential the game has always had. If you own a Vita, you owe it to yourself to get this game. It is one of the most beautiful, artistically inspired games on the system, featuring superb stories, characters, music, and gameplay. This is a must-own for Vita owners. So buy it, prepare yourself for yet-another VW masterpiece, and immerse yourself in the beauty and magic of Japanese-inspired mythology. * Ah, you thought the review was over eh? Not exactly. See, one of the best parts of this version of Muramasa is that it comes with four very meaningful DLC episodes from Marvelous AQL and Vanillaware. Each one features brand new characters with totally unique gameplay mechanics, new stories, new levels, new music, etc. Each DLC is $5 upon release. Right now, only two have been published. Each lasts about 2-3 hours. So really, that's $20 for what will amount to the original game growing by 50%, as Kisuke/Momohime's stories each take roughly 10-15 hours to finish if you take your time. That's a pretty great deal, if you ask me. So that's my opinion on the game having DLC. I will be updating this review by adding a very small review recapping my opinion of each episode as I play them. I think it's really cool they're supporting the game like this post-launch. * Reviews for each episode of "Genkoku Legends" *

A solid RPG hack and slash game

A direct re-release on the PlayStation Vita of Oboro: Muramasa (also known as Muramasa the Demon Blade), originally released on the Nintendo Wii. Muramasa: Rebirth is an RPG arcade style side scrolling hack and slash game. It is decently comperable to Dragon's Crown and Odin Sphere in both art team and gameplay. I found that having two different story arcs and multiple endings for both made it a much longer game in the long run, despite its short, 4 or so hour game length. There are tons of optional challenges scattered throughout the game, great mythological bosses, and tons of swords to forge and collect (over a hundred), each with their own unique special attacks attached to them. To fully complete the game it would honestly take around 15 hours or so, but tge game is decently replayable, and had 4 or so Downloadable Content chapters and playable characters within their own story modes. It adds quite a good amount of play time because of the extra chapters, I'd say clocking in at around 30-35 hours. It's got visually captivating art and a pretty good soundtrack, and even a bit of humor, some dry humor and even some more provocative and mature humor, and just enough of it so that the game can be taken seriously but not way too seriously to the point of being dull. Personally, I really liked Muramasa Rebirth, but I found Dragon's Crown had more to it (plus Dragon's Crown has decent multiplayer and slightly better controls). This game can seem repetitive on occasion, but isn't overly drug out or long to the point where it becomes inherently noticeable, or proves a constant reminder. It's Japanese lore and atmosphere feel pretty fresh in its own right regardless of there being a large number of games in this tried and true style. It's worth a buy, a good deal of value for its price, and the DLC is pretty reasonable too (like $14 USD for all of the DLC chapters). Certainly try it out if you liked Dragon's Crown or Odin Sphere.

A rare game in this day and age

In an time of the gaming generations where everyone ooh and ahh over the FPS (COD:G, BF4, Titanfall), pseudo-RPG FPS (Destiny), 3D sandbox (Watch Dogs, GTA V, Assassin's Creed 4), a true 2D side scrolling action game is truly appreciated by yours truly. To this day, my favorite game is still Castlevania: SOTN, and this game come quite close to beating it as my favorite game. Like others have said, the art is gorgeous, the character design is pretty but somewhat common. Some of the background stage is simply amazing just to have your character stand there and appreciate it. Unfortunately, the combat is relatively simple and repetitive. Outside of blades creation, there's no other character optimization methods. There are only 2 types of weapons to speak off: sword & long sword. Other than attack power & Secret Arts, there's little difference between them all. Still, this game deserve your time and money. Only if I can get more game of this genre from now on.

Oboro Muramasa HD & More

Muramasa The Demon Blade came out on the Wii back in 2009 and was a masterpiece of 2D hand-drawn graphics come to life. Muramasa Rebirth is essentially the same game with a lot more to do including 2 new storys to play through and more challenges for our warriors Kisuke and Momohime. I was happy to find out none of the original voice actors were replaced because Miyuki Sawashiro aka Momohime wouldn't sound the same as anyone else. Miyuki Sawashiro is an extremely talented voice actress who has also voiced the amazing Milla Maxwell in the Tales of Xillia games. This game's gameplay is very fast paced and requires plenty of strategy to stay alive during a fight. Just because of how much sharper the graphics are, the sound being remastered, and the new gameplay features I give this a solid 5 star rating. I always have liked games like this and I hope developers make more like it, but I will warn you the game is incredibly hard although not to the point of raging over. Anyone looking for some solid action and awesome anime style graphics needs a game like this!

Gorgeous art and amazing gameplay

Never played this game on the Nintendo platform but heard great things about it. Seeing great artwork and action in the trailer, I purchased this game and here is what I think about it. *********************************************************************PROS********************************************************************* -Most gorgeous art/graphics and music: Just as you see in the trailers, this game has one of the best artworks I have ever seen. In this game your two characters will travel to many different places and these places are very well designed. The graphics are pretty amazing and they go very well the incredible music of this game. While fighting if your sword breaks, it will produce this amazing visual and sound effect making it very believable. -Great action gameplay: In this 2D side scroller, there are tons and tons of moves you can pull using your sword combos. Using them to defeat different enemies and bosses is quite fun. But again you can't just swing recklessly as your swords will break unless you sheath and heal them time to time. -Tons and tons of swords: Each sword comes with different moves and special moves. Again great to use against bosses and enemies. The swords you get towards the end are the most awesome ones. -The bosses: This was one of the main factors that kept me pushing forward. The boss fights are simply amazing. They were all incredible but my favorite one was the mountain demon fight. -Interesting story: Both of the characters have unique background and story. The curiosity to investigate more about what has happened and what will happen will drive you to go forward. -Length: Between two characters and multiple endings, this game took me 80+ hours. Definitely worth the money. -Multiple story endings: As mentioned before, both characters have multiple endings. Definitely worth unlocking. *********************************************************************CONS********************************************************************* -Backtracking: While there is not a lot of it, it definitely can get annoying to go back to a few places to finish some side missions. *********************************************************************CONCLUSION*************************************************************** All and all it was fun playing this game due to its action gameplay, amazing boss fights and incredible graphics. Very happy played it.

Best 25 dollars I've ever spent

What a GEM this game is. For any action, hack n slash, spectacle fighter JUNKIE like myself - this is a MUST HAVE. I've put about 20 hours into the game, well worth the price tag. There are a good amount of moves for a game as small as this and you can perform a slew of combos. The combat system has some unique depth to it. There are also plenty of swords with their own unique specials that add variety to said combat system. Controls are air tight and slicing through enemies is satisfying. There is a significant amount of backtracking that some may find tedious but if you enjoy the combat like me you won't even notice a thing. Playing on Chaos mode is a must for seasoned vets of this genre.

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