Update [Tue 8th Feb, 2022 01:35 GMT]: Good news, demon slayers - the Switch version of Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles has now been confirmed for the west, and will launch the day after the Japanese release on 10th June. Online play is where most of the action is unless you have folks willing to make the trek to your living room, and I’m happy to say that it works well based on my time with it. There can be pretty noticeable delay if you experience a connection slowdown, but for the most part it felt good, even when I was playing someone in California while in New York. There is still some delay even at the best of times, which can cause combos that should work offline to drop online, but a good connection should see you through most matches, whether you choose to throw down casually or go into ranked mode. Telling a compelling story with those characters through a fighting game, on the other hand, is a pretty complex endeavor. A Journey of a Thousand Cuts Hazell, Ted (June 11, 2022). "Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report . Retrieved June 22, 2022.

The game was announced in March 2020. It was to be published by Aniplex for the PlayStation 4; the company previously produced the 2019 anime adaptation. [4] Later that month, first footage was shown, along with the announcement that the game, titled Kimetsu no Yaiba Hinokami Keppūtan, will be developed by CyberConnect2, the company known for developing the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series. [5] Following months of development, the game was re-announced via the issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump to be a multiplatform arena fighting game for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. [6] Ufotable, the animation studio behind the anime series, has produced several key illustrations for the game. Kimetsu Academy Summer Uniform Costumes for Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, and Giyu Tomioka. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Keppuutan officially confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC". Gematsu. February 7, 2021 . Retrieved June 24, 2021.

Boards and Swords and other Rewards

Relive memorable moments from the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime through the eyes of its protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado! Ramsey, Robert (October 13, 2021). "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles Review (PS5)". Push Square . Retrieved October 31, 2021. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba games announced for PS4, iOS and Android [Update 2]". Gematsu. March 12, 2020 . Retrieved June 24, 2021. Romano, Sal (October 14, 2021). "Famitsu Sales: 10/4/21 – 10/10/21 [Update]". Gematsu . Retrieved October 19, 2021. Hashimoto, Kazuma (October 7, 2021). "Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles Free Update to Add Akaza and Rui". Siliconera . Retrieved October 17, 2021.

Exploration, the other half of the actual gameplay, however, is time-consuming at best, and agonizingly slow at worst. You’ll mainly be controlling Tanjiro while exploring, though “exploring” is a bit of an overstatement. You’re free to explore the environment, though there isn’t much to do other than complete optional, repetitive exploration missions, or find Kimetsu Points hidden around the map that you can spend on rewards. Other than that you’re going to be very slowly walking (there’s no option to run or dash) towards the next objective, and frankly it seems like the only reason these exploration segments exist is to make the story mode last longer. Face off against demons from the anime series with stunning graphical effects faithfully recreating iconic battle techniques in full 3D!Borger, Will (October 13, 2021). "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles Review". IGN . Retrieved October 31, 2021. Understandably, the areas where The Hinokami Chronicles really shines are the combat and the cast of characters, which are usually the main draw of any fighting game. Combat is fast and flashy and feels very faithful to what I’d expected a Demon Slayer fighting game would feel like, without being too overwhelming. The Hinokami Chronicles does do a great job of actually telling the story of Demon Slayer, with several key character moments and every important battle intact, but actually playing through the story mode is, for the most part, a drag. Abhilash (October 20, 2021). "Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba The Hinokami Chronicles Unreal Engine (UE) 4 Crashing, Fatal Error & Freezing issues: How to fix it?ers take center stage at The Game Awards 2021". Digi Statement . Retrieved January 3, 2022.

Sheehan, Gavin (November 7, 2021). "Rui & Akaza Join Versus Mode In Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba-". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved February 4, 2022. Romano, Sal (January 2, 2022). "CyberConnect2 to announce new game in February". Gematsu . Retrieved January 3, 2022.

Demon Slayers, Slaying Demons

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Keppuutan developed by CyberConnect2; debut trailer, screenshots". Gematsu. March 22, 2020 . Retrieved June 24, 2021. The announcement of this title coincidentally follows the popular Demon Slayer fighting tournament. Considering this, it's possible that the franchise's fandom might have been anticipating the announcement of The Hinokami Chronicles 2, instead of a Mario Party-style board game. Demon Slayer is one of the hottest franchises in the world right now, and a fighting game featuring its memorable cast seemed only natural, and I’ve found that the actual fighting in The Hinokami Chronicles does indeed feel incredibly natural. It’s just that Demon Slayer also has a pretty memorable story, though unlike the fighting and cast of characters, the story aspects of The Hinokami Chronicles, while well-told, really bog it down. The story fights, especially boss battles, are still incredibly enjoyable, but the lengthy cutscenes and snail-paced exploration phases used to deliver the rest of story content feel like an attempt to lengthen the story mode just for the sake of padding out the game. Romano, Sal (March 29, 2023). "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles shipments and digital sales top three million". Gematsu . Retrieved March 31, 2023.