Otogi - Myth of Demons Review

By Kristan Reed Published 7 October, 2003

Kristan takes a slash with Sega's latest sword wielding Xbox exclusive.

Version tested: Xbox

Hack and slash. Hackandslash. On several occasions this year we've been pressed into action to wave a mighty sword at an Army of Evil, jump like a flea on a hotplate and dispense the kind of magic that would have had dear old Freddie Mercury howling like Montserrat Caballe.

Most notably Capcom's PS2 drinking buddies Devil May Cry 2 and Chaos Legion had us slicing and dicing various nefarious types earlier this year, and From Software's Otogi continues in a largely similar vein - albeit exclusively on the Xbox and with supremely impressive visuals that lay the smack down on either effort.

Perpetual darkness. A bit like Tom's living room.

'Otogi - Myth of Demons' Screenshot 1'Otogi - Myth of Demons' Screenshot 1

As with all RSI inspiring button mashers, Otogi is a maximum action/minimum storyline opus with alleged RPG elements that'll push your aching digits to the limit across 29 evil strewn levels. Typically, there's a thoroughly superfluous storyline to try and justify proceedings; some kind of seal has been (clubbed?) broken leaving the land in perpetual darkness for over 1,000 years and a haven for evil types (of which there are over 40) to stand around waiting for an undead warrior to come along and send them back to hell, presumably.

Just as well that Raikoh, the aforementioned undead warrior, is a bit handy with a bloody great sword, and despite his recent falling out with David Blaine is pretty sorted for magic tricks too - always useful when it's your job to slay an Army of Evil intent on snuffing out life itself.

As an audio/visual experience, you'll be seduced immediately. It's yet another fantastic example of Sega's ability to sign games that really show off the capabilities of the Xbox. After the astonishing visual feast that was Panzer Dragoon Orta, Otogi yet again gives Xbox owners the bragging rights over the competition. On a decent widescreen TV, From's latest delights with some truly exceptional artistry that makes the most of the fantasy setting of ancient Japan. The backdrop to each level is never less than stunning, with great use of lighting, exquisitely detailed buildings, with a marauding horde of evil that leaps straight out of the pages of fractured graphic novel minds, and some excellent animation bringing these troubled beings to life superbly.

Simple

'Otogi - Myth of Demons' Screenshot 2'Otogi - Myth of Demons' Screenshot 2

Complementing all this visual mastery is a superb soundtrack that twangs away in the background in full surround sound, adding delicious depth to an already compelling visual experience. Just a shame, then, that the English translation and voiceovers don't quite make the translation, although are certainly a cut above those normally associated with Japanese sofcos.

Throughout the game, and whichever of the 33 weapons you're in possession of, the controls remain utterly simple. Hit B for a light attack, Y for a heavy attack, A for jump/double jump, left trigger for dash, right for lock-on, and X to cast a spell (hold for a greater charge). A few combos spice things up a tad, such as the Boost or Dash attacks, while hitting B or Y at the right time can deflect enemy spells.

But all this frantic combat isn't confined to the enemy, as From offers a bonus for destroying every inanimate object in each stage, with human spirits (cough) confined in every one of them. Tenuous yes, but it means it can show off how impressively destructible each level is.

Meanwhile the same principle applies to the enemies contained within each stage, with Gold awarded to you for each demon you slay, and the more currency you accumulate, the better weapons/magic/items you can buy and so on. In a nod to various Capcom titles, each slain enemy expels a collection of coloured blobs (purple, green, red, blue) which augment your experience ratings (HP, Magic, Attack, Defend) RPG-style and eventually turn you into an even harder bastard.

Random tat alert

'Otogi - Myth of Demons' Screenshot 3

Taken to its bare bones, there's usually one key objective per level (destroy the boss, smash the lamps, etc), and it is possible to almost completely ignore everything else if you want to just whizz through the game quickly. In fact, some levels will reward you with special items/weapons should you complete them within a time limit, so you'll doubtlessly have to replay each level multiple times to unearth all the random tat that's stored within.

But one thing that stands in your way of clearing each level is the fact that you die if your continually draining magic ticks down to nought. Killing enemies and the occasional recharge vial tops it up, but it still forces you to strike a balance between getting on with the task in hand and collecting more gold/experience, adding a layer of tension to what would otherwise be a fairly straightforward game.

The combat itself is a curious experience thanks to Raikoh's ability to basically jump into thin air (magic permitting). Holding down the left trigger and performing a light or heavy attack on an enemy has the effect of swiping upwards into the sky. Effective, but an odd experience that never really feels particularly convincing, especially as some heinous camera work makes it largely guesswork as to whether your slashes will make contact. Why the combat couldn't have taken place on the ground, we're not sure, because all this aerial ballet just confuses matters.

Meanwhile, despite the main objectives changing slightly between missions, it quickly becomes an utterly repetitive experience, and even more so thanks to the fact that the game recycles the levels after the halfway point, albeit with slightly different graphics. Once you've got a feel for the game and upgraded Raikoh sufficiently, most levels can be licked in a matter of minutes on perhaps your third attempt, with the difficulty level remaining fairly consistent throughout. Add to that the lack of incentive to explore, and no puzzle elements to keep things varied you're unlikely to get much more than 12 hours entertainment out of Otogi unless you're obsessed with clearing every level perfectly.

Bored

The net result is that Otogi's underlying simplicity bored us pretty quickly. Of course, there's a ton to collect, a decent number of levels and the package is dripping with audio/visual quality to keep you interested, but it wasn't enough. This button mashing hackandslash lark needs an injection of new ideas - RPG pretensions don't hide the core fact that Otogi feels a pretty vacuous beast: gorgeous or not.

6 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ssuellid #1 8 years ago

    I was quite tempted but it does sound a bit short and repetitive.

  • gravity0 #2 8 years ago

    I have a love/hate relationship with OTOGI. The camera and lock-on system in the game is absolutely dreadful, swinging all over the fucking place when you find yourself surrounded by enemies and proves to be more nauseating than helpful.

    On the other hand, it's probably the most downright beautiful game I've played this generation - it's absolutely *gorgeous*. The game itself may not be up to scratch, but the presentation and overall aesthetic vibe in this game is second to none, IMO.

    So yeah, I occassionally load it up in order to soak up the brilliant visuals, but quickly get frustrated by the ridiculously slow camera and vomit-inducing lock-on system. Love/Hate.

  • Blerk #3 8 years ago

    Sounds a bit like the complaints that were levelled at Chaos Legion on the PS2 - looks nice, plays good for a while, but ultimately it's button-mashing-same-old-same-old, level after level. A shame, 'cos it looks really nice.

  • Xensor #4 8 years ago

    What's with all this fair and balanced reporting eh? Where's all the hyperbole, the invective, the 'bestest game eva' reviews that proper print magazines are filled with? You lot obviously haven't learned the fine art of sucking up to PR scum yet. And long may it stay that way :)

  • brutal #5 8 years ago

    Kristan in 6/10 shocker!!!

    Is that 3 in a row now - do you win a prize?

    :)

  • Dizzy #6 8 years ago

    6/10?? For Otogi? Blasphemy!

    I file this with the "occasional-Halo-like-Eurogamer-hickup" I guess :)

  • Rizo #7 8 years ago

    thanks for the info I was actually going to buy this not now

  • glo #8 8 years ago

    I like this game though agree with most of your criticisms. The camera is incredibly frustrating at first but I found I got used to it quite quickly. I tend not to use the lock-on too much and use the left thumbstick click to centre the camera.

    It is beautiful though and has a lot of style. Would certainly recommend it. Definitely worth getting once the price drops.

  • CyberClaw #9 8 years ago

    Bah, I hated this review. We are European right? Mentioning stuff like, no Japanese voices in the PAL version (the American version lets you select betwen American or Japanese voices). I'd also like to go into some detail about the 4 upgradeable magical attacks. They rock :) The giant dragon is amazing. Overall I'd give it a 7, the confusing camera+lock on system are indeed confusing, specially when overwelmed... But nothing beats jumping 10 meters into the air, doing 3 attacks with 2 swords, and doing a downward final strike to some hulking beast, sending it right through the nearest house creating a big ass crater in the ground (Dragon Ball style I guess)

  • bungalooBunny #10 8 years ago

    I've had this game for a while now and it's definitely the camera that ruins the whole experience. Since it's way to close to the character it jitters around hopelessly while you try to bash enemies.

    What made me reach the last level was the pure joy of destroying almost everything on each level - it beats Red Faction any day. Striking enemies against bridges or pillars only to see everything falling apart is a unique experience.

  • Singularity #11 8 years ago

    Fine, delete my post then :p. Only trying to help.

    :)

    Krudster: We weren't being touchy, the general rule is once someone spots an obvious typo, we go back and correct it and delete the post. We all appreciate your subbing efforts!

    You don't really, do you? Ohmygod - you wish I was dead!

    :)
    Edited by 4 at 07/10/03 @ 13:01

  • Nemesis #12 8 years ago

    Otogi. Looks great, sounds great, just feels a little............empty. Good as a reference game for when you upgrade bits and bobs.

  • zk #13 8 years ago

    I simply cant play OToGi from start to finish, its just too repetetive. Also a little confusing at times.

    That said, its great for a blast with your mates. It really looks pretty and the sound is 10/10. Also the levels are short and the gameplay is easy to get into. Great game to pass the pad with.

  • malloc #14 8 years ago

    A game that looks good and doesn't play well on the xbox! On the xbox! Whatever next ;) Sorry couldn't help myself.

    Shame really, mainly because it being a Sega effort. Is it just me or have they gone down hill somewhat, apart from AV possibly with SMB and f-0.

  • Cyhwuhx #15 8 years ago

    .::: Who cares, it's my most treasured and loved Xbox game yet.

  • CyberClaw #16 8 years ago

    This is a From Software game! SEGA is the publisher ONLY, not the developer. Once again, the developer, who is the ones who MADE the game, is From Software.

  • malloc #17 8 years ago

    "This is a From Software game! SEGA is the publisher ONLY, not the developer. Once again, the developer, who is the ones who MADE the game, is From Software."

    ooops.

  • savant #18 8 years ago

    This is a fine game to show off your Xbox with. I've been playing the US version for a while, but haven't completed it yet. It's certainly one you wouldn't want to complete in one go, but it's great for short sessions. The replayability afforded by the different level rewards is great, as is the purchasing of new items and magic spells between levels. I believe these points elevate the game above a simple hack and slash title.

  • CyberClaw #19 8 years ago

    As a sidenote, I'm a From Software lover. Armored Core anyone? 100 islands? They certainly know how to create cool inovative games, even if they allways screw up the camera/controls or both :) They have a deal about style though. Very very stylish stuff.

  • CyberClaw #20 8 years ago

    Slightly on subject, how is the Halo PC review coming? Have you received your copies yet? (or are you going to receive any) ;p

  • Cyhwuhx #21 8 years ago

    .::: Whatever happend to Thousand Land anyway? It was supposed to be launched alongside XBL in Japan, after which I heard entirely NOTHING about it...

  • bluebird #22 8 years ago

    Everyone says the game is gorgeous, but the screenshots in the article are really so so? (heavy aliasing, little detail, smudgy textures). How come?

  • mal #23 8 years ago

    It's a game about atmosphere, not sharp polygons and glorious technicolour. You gotta admit that last screenshot is darned pretty, don't you boy?

    Certainly when you play it there's a hell of a lot of mist and motion blur and it sometimes can be quite hard to figure out what's going on when there's masonry falling about around your ears.

    Still, the main reason I bought it is because it's a game I never expected to see over here, and if noone buys this the next time there's a really good Japanese style game it won't get published over here at all.

  • krudster #24 8 years ago

    McFly, hello?
    Can we get one thing straight here? It's the usual score related shit, but hey ho, I can't just let it pass unchallenged yet again. A 6/10 on EG is a good score. Above average. Remember what 'average' means? And what is the mean of 10? Errr 5. So 6 is somewhere a better experience than most games we've played that are similar to this, but nevertheless flawed. Maybe it's something you'll enjoy if it's your favoured type of game.

    So in conclusion 6. Good but not great, therefore probably quite similiar to a 7.5 or 8 elsewhere.

    The difference here is that we believe in using the full range of scores unlike most other review sources. Many (especially print mags) are usually heavily under pressure by PR companies and are also often obliged byadvertising related issues to upweight their scores.

    Stop freaking out because it's a point or two lower than you expected. Just read the text and decide if it sounds like it's for you.
    Edited by 1 at 07/10/03 @ 16:07

  • Singularity #25 8 years ago

    A good point which is always worth making, Krudster.

    And without any spelling mistakes too.

    ;)
    Edited by 1 at 07/10/03 @ 16:11

  • CyberClaw #26 8 years ago

    100 Islands is one of those XBox success in Japan (Otogi too, and DOAXV).
    About Otogi, if you people are wondering if you should get the US or PAL version, the US is better, giving you the option to select either Japanese or English voices (like I said before).

  • Blerk #27 8 years ago

    Kristan - drop the scores. Lose them. Forget them. Make people read the text. Go on. Do it. Be brave. None of the regulars like scores anyway.

    We dare ya. :-)

  • Blerk #28 8 years ago

    See? You wouldn't get that sort of thing for a start. Because they wouldn't read the text, so they'd just move on to IGN or something. :-)

  • eviltobz #29 8 years ago

    CyberClaw: and doing a downward final strike to some hulking beast, sending it right through the nearest house creating a big ass crater in the ground (Dragon Ball style I guess)

    dragonball style, nice :) thats the first thing that anyone has said that has evoked any interest for me. might have to check this out now.

  • Singularity #30 8 years ago

    That was suspiciously well timed, Blerk...

    :)
    Edited by 1 at 07/10/03 @ 16:38

  • Yoda99 #31 8 years ago

    I think its a fair score. You only get half a game since they mirror the levels and have you chase unknown objectives for new weapons... Graphics wise and soundwise its very nice and the art direction is something to remember but as a game... BAH

  • Blerk #32 8 years ago

    That was suspiciously well timed, Blerk...

    I've no idea what you mean! *cough*

  • Singularity #33 8 years ago

    lol! :)
    Edited by 1 at 07/10/03 @ 16:52

  • Blerk #34 8 years ago

    You had to edit that post too? How do you mis-spell 'lol'? ;-)

  • Singularity #35 8 years ago

    I edit every post I make.

  • Singularity #36 8 years ago

    It's kind of my thing. Damn.
    Edited by 1 at 07/10/03 @ 17:16

  • Singularity #37 8 years ago

    I thought it was funny. Guess it's not...
    Edited by 1 at 07/10/03 @ 17:22

  • bluebird #38 8 years ago

    Mal, true, that last effect is nice. I never played nor saw the game, just wondering when I was gazing at the shots.

  • mrharvest #39 8 years ago

    The scores are fine. It really gives a rough idea of how you should read the text (maybe it should be the other way around).
    Though even if you say 5 is average, I don't think you'd give any game 0 and hence the average would be 5.5 really. But there does seem to be some sort of a bias in what type of games get good scores, for instance RPGs usually rate much higher than the hackn'slash genre and thus it appears to be that where 5 would be an average for most games 7 is average for RPGs. Any comments?
    (I'm not complaining, I like RPGs so I'm okay with it. And I'd never base my buying decision on the score, if you give Cutesy-Cutesy Neko-chan a 2 I'll still buy it because it's my kind of fun.)

  • CyberClaw #40 8 years ago

    Devils May Cry got a 9 out of 10. Sure, the reviewer isn't a EG full time writter, but never the less, it's a EG review. (not a fan review)
    Kristan gave Onimusha 2 7 out of 10
    Genma Onimusha 6 out of 10 (Mug - XB)
    Onimusha Warlords 8 out of 10 (Mug - PS2)

    Maybe it's just me, but I rate Otogi higher than, lets say, Onimusha 2. 6 sounds really low to me. Yes, the score is allways arguable, but you seem to take the stand that you never get a score wrong ;)

  • CyberClaw #41 8 years ago

    Oh, and one last comment:
    Kristan gives Chaos Legion for PS2 a 7 out of 10.
    Sure, this wouldn't be anything special (like I said, scores can be argumented) but here is a comment in the comment section
    -------------------------------
    Dizzy
    10-Sep-03 10:04:36 Forget about this game... get Otogi.
    ignore poster


    krudster
    10-Sep-03 11:00:07 That's good advice, but only if you have an Xbox...
    ignore poster
    -------------------------------
    http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=53178
    So, forgetting a 7 out of 10 game over a 6 out of 10 game is a good advice? Maybe I'm missing something here, but the way you say it, it sounds like Krudster there agrees Otogi is way better than Chaos Legion.

  • krudster #42 8 years ago

    When I first saw Otogi I thought it would pretty much blow Chaos Legion away...turns out I was wrong. Chaos Legion is the better game. More moves, more variety, better experience system, the need for tactics, lasts longer.....but obviously not anywhere near as good visually.

  • krudster #43 8 years ago

    The chances of us giving something 0 are pretty slim, as we simply wouldn't waste our time playing a game that bad (unless it was expected to be good). That doesn't mean we would never use that score in theory.

    By the way, Devil May Cry 2 got 4/10, and *at the time* I would've probably given DMC about 8.

    And as for RPGs....well, that's a tricky one to answer, as I never review them. I'm sure Rob or whoever has played plenty of crap RPGs, but the tendency is that we only get time to review the really good ones. As you can imagine, they take a *lot* longer to play through properly.

  • CyberClaw #44 8 years ago

    I'll get you for this... You... you... Personally, Otogi spawns more style than Chaos Region, and I'd still recomend it over, and I get more satisfied playing Otogi. There is something special. The setting, the graphics, the music. Simple stuff like the loading screen get me in the mood. And crazy stuff like sending enemies flying through houses gets my blood pumping. Ever since Dragon Ball Legends (which I liked alot back then... don't look at me like that :p) for the Saturn that I've wished for a good game with vast scenario destruction.

  • krudster #45 8 years ago

    Sure, Otogi pretty much floors any game ever made for visuals and appeal, (the destructibility is especially satisfying) but it's style over substance; too simplistic, a little repetitive. Still good, just not as good as some others.

  • bungalooBunny #46 8 years ago

    Having played Chaos Legion demo on the PC I thought it was complete rubbish. Sure it's just a demo, but should give you the taste of the game, right?

    I actually think Chaos Legion graphics are really good but there's no gameplay - you can't even destroy the scenario as in Otogi.

    In Game Rankings Otogi has 82% average while Chaos has 68%. I think Otogi deserves the 6 but Chaos 7? Hmmm....

  • krudster #47 8 years ago

    Ah well, tis the nature of opinions I'm afraid. I prefered CL...