Back in Summer Game Fest, I got to play 30 minutes of Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2, which is the direct follow-up to the first game that covers the Entertainment District Arc, Swordsmith Village Arc, and Hashira Training Arc from the anime.

I got to spend time going through a fight against Daki and a story level that put me in control of Inosuke, culminating in a boss fight against Daki’s Sash Demon. While mostly following the main framework of the first game, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 aims to deliver a unique, game-exclusive action style combined with anime-style visuals that fans of the series would enjoy.

Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles 2 Preview

In the Single Player: Story Mode Hinokami Chronicles of Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2, it continues where the first game left off, putting players in control of the cast right after the events of Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, and Mugen Train Arc. As with many anime games, CyberConnect2 has done a fantastic job with the visuals, transporting us into the world of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. While the demo I played featured serviceable English voiceovers, I’m sure others may opt to play with Japanese voiceovers, which I’m sure would sound awesome.

One thing for sure is that Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2　did a tremendous job with the effects and animations. While battling it out with Daki, the breathing techniques I used against her Obi made sparks fly and filled up the screen with flashes of light. The colors are vibrant, and the overall experience of fighting the upper rank demon is elevated because of them.

While flashy, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 keeps the game accessible to gamers of all types. Attacks and combos are performed with simple button presses through its responsive control scheme, and it would only take a couple of minutes to get acquainted with the controls from scratch.

That’s not to say that the game is easy, because being careless against Daki’s attacks will still hand you defeat. Her attacks are telegraphed quite clearly, and taking her down seemed like a matter of time.

Apart from the visuals, the cinematic scenes are equally compelling, brought to life by the expressive animation style. Players being in complete control of their favorite character’s actions is also something to look forward to.

The next part of the Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 demo put me in control of Inosuke, who uses beast breathing as his primary form of offense and wears a boar mask. This section took me through a level that required me to find clues around a building that would lead me to where Daki kidnapped the missing people. It was pretty straightforward, and with help from Inosuke’s senses, I easily tracked the clues around the area as they were highlighted for me.

The section culminated in an intense boss fight against Daki’s Sash Demon that attacked me with various area effect skills.

These gameplay sections aren’t quite the most exciting, but provide a break from all the action. Whether these sections will be varied enough to provide an entertaining break remains a mystery, but it’s safe to assume they will be similar to the first game. Story mode in Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 would most likely revolve around a good mix of combat and exploration, so watch for that!

It’s interesting to see what else Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 offers. Though the demo was limited in scope, the three story arcs the game encompasses are incredibly action-packed, and it would be great if that could be clearly conveyed. 

With over 40 playable characters this time, including the likes of the Hashira and even Tengen Uzui’s wives, there’s much to look forward to when the game launches in just over a month.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is coming on August 1 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Switch.