The first video game based on Koyoharu Gotouge's beloved manga of the same name, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles allows players to choose from some of their favorite fighters and take on both demons and each other. However, there's definitely a learning curve to the fighting game, especially for those who haven't played developed CyberConnect2's other titles.
Whether you're new to the anime or just thought the game looked cool, all hope isn't lost. There's plenty of room for you to learn the mechanics of the game. Before you know it, you'll be a Demon Slaying master. With that in mind, these four tips are sure to help new players succeed at the Demon Slayer video game.
Be Aggressive at the Start of the Game
Towards the start of the Hinokami Chronicles campaign, enemies are really not that tough. For the most part, they're not very aggressive, which means the player can easily take them down by sheer force. Spamming light attack and then following up with a few Waterfall Basins will make short work of a lot of foes. However, players should figure out what combos and playstyles work best for them.
Focus on Defense When Things Get Tough
As Hinokami Chronicles progresses, some of the fights can get tough, so it's important to focus more on defense and dodging. A well-timed block or dodge can keep the player from taking damage and open the enemy up to a deadly counter. A good strategy is to try and get behind enemies and then to start hitting them with combos.
Stronger enemies use area-of-effect attacks that are denoted in red. When one of those red areas appears, move outside of it and wait. This will charge up the player's skill gauge, enabling them to do some major damage when their opponent is once again available. Additionally, when enemies use their boost, focus more on dodging them and blocking than trying to deal damage.
Boost & Surge Are Often Better Than Ultimate Arts
Although Ultimate Arts do a lot of damage, they're a lot more situational than boost and surge, which make the player a lot more powerful. If an opponent is leaving themselves open, it never hurts to try and pull off an Ultimate Art. However, Ultimate Arts can be pretty easily blocked, so always be certain before trying to pull one-off. Otherwise, just stuck to using boosts and surges, as they're often more than enough to do a lot of huge damage to an opponent.
Explore Every Nook and Cranny
The Hinokami Chronicles campaign has a fair number of collectibles spread throughout its levels. Make a habit of going and picking up everything, especially the Memory Fragments. Those collectibles give the player more insight into the game's story, making them absolutely worth the time they take to get. Otherwise, there are a fair number of people to talk to in select chapters, and engaging with them is a good way to learn more about the world of Demon Slayer.
Developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Sega, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Hinokami Chronicles is available now on Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S