Now Playing: Otogi

Otogi: Myth of Demons is a third person action game released on the original X-Box in 2003. I didn’t realise it until the logo appeared on the screen, but Otogi was developed by From Software – the studio behind the ‘Souls’ series and the recently released Bloodborne. And there are certainly shades of the Souls games present in Otogi.

Set in a bleak, yet beautiful world, Otogi features an undead (sort of) hero on a quest to unite four ‘essences’ and restore the ‘Seal’ – a mystical barrier that separates the world of man from the realm of demons. The Seal has been broken and the world has fallen into darkness and ruin, overrun by demons of various shapes and sizes.

Otogi has a ‘Japanese myth’ type style to its world and it’s a shame the limitations of the original X-Box can’t quite capture its intended glory. The maps are nicely sized but some, particularly those set in exterior environments, are rather bland, empty and dull to look at.

Although Otogi shares certain themes with the Souls games in terms of story and tone, when it comes to combat, it actually feels far more like a Platinum game. Otogi is a fast paced action game based around a system of magic and various weapon types. Wielding a bladed weapon – you’ll unlock a selection as you progress – you have light and heavy attacks which can be strung together into powerful combos – including smashing foes into the ground or even through scenery.

In terms of movement, you can perform a teleportation style dash which can be combined with both heavy and light attacks for fast moving strikes. You also have a double jump, which you’ll be using a lot. Because many of the demons you’ll be fighting in Otogi can fly, so the majority of the combat is actually aerial in nature.

And it’s certainly fun, leaping majestically into the air and zipping from one foe to the next, stringing together your combo and destroying several demons before you even hit the ground. I was instantly reminded of Metal Gear Rising in terms of its combat, especially when you take the destructible scenery into account as you slice trees, pillars and even small buildings to pieces with your sword. It’s an interesting mix, this bleak world with fluid, fast paced combat.

There are nearly 30 levels to play through, which sounds like a lot, but there’s quite a bit of cut and paste between them and quality wise, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I would have preferred fewer levels but more unique/diverse ones because, whilst some are excellent, others just feel like filler and are a bit tedious to grind through. At the end of each level you’re scored on a graded scale by the usual things – enemies killed, time taken, scenery destroyed etc. You’ll earn money which you can use to buy different upgrade items (for say, attack or defence) plus new weapons or magic attacks.

Oh right, magic. Magic is the other component to Otogi’s combat. Initially it feels rather useless, but you soon realise it depends heavily upon what type of magic you’re wielding and which enemy types you face. Both magic and demons belong to one of four types, and if you use the correct magic type against its opposite demon type you can double your damage against them.

Each level is fairly similar in terms of structure – enter the environment, kill X number of demons or a particularly large demon. As a result, if you play for a long period things can get a bit repetitive, but thankfully, the levels don’t overstay their welcome – you can clear each of them in anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. You can also replay them at any time to try to improve upon your score or earn extra gold.

The combat system, ultimately, isn’t that in depth and mostly relies on two or three repetitive patterns of attack. You’ll soon figure out a simple yet effective light and heavy combo which you’ll use to take down one foe after another – rinse and repeat. It’s pretty basic and surprisingly easy. But though the combat isn’t all that fantastic, the variety of enemies is pretty good, offering a neat selection of demon types both large and small – at least visually. It’s just a shame that they don’t require any varied tactics or strategy to kill.

One major issue with the combat, however, is the camera and the rather wonky lock-on system (although you won’t really need to use the lock-on that often unless you need to target a magic attack). But yeah, the camera can be a nightmare at times, especially when so much of the combat takes place in mid-air. It can be rather tricky to orient yourself and dash between enemies to continue your combo because of the camera, which gets a little frustrating. It’s very easy to lose your bearings as the camera swings wildly in the wrong direction and you’re no longer sure which way you’re facing.

Graphically, Otogi holds up okay, aside from the rather poor looking exteriors. But it has an aesthetic style to it that’s still quite pleasant, matched with a nice, appropriately haunting soundtrack. In terms of challenge, Otogi feels rather inconsistent. Some levels can be a real breeze but the next suddenly spikes. That said, it often felt I was more challenged by the wonky camera and targeting system than by the demons I was fighting.

If you’ve ever wondered what a combination of From Software style and Platinum Games combat might look like, Otogi is a pretty neat example. It remains an interesting and quite unique little title and one fans of either of those developers might want to check out.

6/10