Pulling off a last minute parry not only feels satisfying but also opens the enemy up to a golden Kiwanis parry that can be chained one after another if you kill an enemy with the previous one. Blocking and sidestepping attacks is still of great importance to your livelihood but it’s the parrying that really shines in Katanakami. Katanakami still plays with the back-and-forth swordplay of previous Way of the Samurai titles and perhaps the only real shift is the moving of the camera into an isometric perspective. Instead, it’s the action and swordplay that fill the majority of this randomized adventure. If you’re looking for a deeper choose-your-own-adventure that the mainline Way of the Samurai titles offer, you may find yourself to be rather disappointed. You’ll get the daily goings on between the various factions, a daily horoscope and other small bits of flavor that keeps the world interesting. Instead, the daily newspaper that Dojima’s daughter helps pen is what fleshes out the world.
Beyond the goal of freeing Dojima of his debt, there is little story to keep the player engaged in the worldbuilding of Rokkotsu. Mystery Dungeon games are usually light on story and Katanakami: A Way of the Samurai Story is no exception. These swords can then be sold at Dojima’s smithery, either to the various factions by way of job board requests or the rare shopping frenzy where samurai of all backgrounds open their hearts and their wallets to helping Dojima’s daughter return home safely. It’s the player’s job to head into the dungeons within and explore them to their very end in pursuit of swords and loot. The locals know not why this cavernous environment has so many floors or why it’s constantly shifting but true treasures lie within. Far below the lone pine tree named Ipponmatsu is a cave of mysterious dungeons deep within. In order to pay off Dojima’s debts, it’s going to take some odd jobs that you can’t find on the surface of Rokkotsu Pass. As a wandering ronin with some selfless kindness in your heart, the player character opts to shoulder that burden and help Dojima pay off the massive debt in order to return his daughter back safely to the forge. Katanakami opens with Dojima’s daughter being taken as collateral for the massive debt that Dojima has been burdened with. The deeper politics of the three warring factions are still at play but the real story revolves around the town blacksmith Dojima and his crippling debt. Now, Katanakami won’t require in-depth knowledge of the previous Way of the Samurai titles to enjoy but there is plenty of fan service to keep longtime fans of the first couple of titles engaged.
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