2D action-RPG by Vanillaware, sublime hand-painted art direction. Two protagonists traverse Edo-era feudal Japan, wielding one hundred and eight forged blades with mastery. Fluid sword combat with sublime animations, side-scrolling exploration with villages and dungeons, signature Vanillaware zen cooking. Rich Japanese mythology, generous runtime. Studio's visual pinnacle on Wii, memorable artistic experience.
Your verdict
Category
Action RPG1 player12+
Description
Action RPG by Vanillaware and Marvelous, Japan April 2009. Two protagonists - ninja princess Momohime and bandit Kisuke - traverse fantastical medieval Japan teeming with demons and samurai. Fluid and spectacular 2D katana combat, instant switching between dozens of mythic blades with distinct powers, rare Japanese watercolor graphics. Japanese version known in the West as Muramasa: The Demon Blade.
Oboro Muramasa review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Hand-painted in the tradition of the woodblock print, feudal Japan unfolds settings of stunning pictorial richness, from moonlight over the rice paddies to crimson forests. The sumptuous, fluid sprites elevate every stroke of the katana. This 2D beauty, signed Vanillaware, remains a constant dazzlement.
Signed by the Basiscape studio, the music weaves traditional Japanese sonorities, flutes, kotos and percussion, into a score of spellbinding beauty. Each region of feudal Japan pulses with an evocative theme, between serenity and the fury of the fights. This refined sonic richness wonderfully matches the game's visual splendour.
The Japanese version of Vanillaware's lavish 2D action RPG, where two heroes slash with cursed blades through a hand-painted feudal Japan, a visual peak of the Wii. Its appeal lies in this native-version status of a gem with a measured local run, prized by fans of the studio's touch wanting the original edition. An import target for fans of Japanese auteur games.
Memorable bosses
A two-dimensional splendor from Vanillaware, this blade-in-hand action game raises creatures from Japanese folklore in sumptuous colors: giant spirits, wrathful deities and legendary beasts. Juggling your blades, parrying at the right instant and managing their wear paces duels of great demand. The painterly beauty and fluidity of these clashes make it a feast for the eyes and the hands alike.
A cult cover
A living woodblock print by Vanillaware: under a rain of petals, Momohime and Kisuke pose with bared blades in a hand-painted Edo Japan, lacquer colors and teeming backgrounds. The richness of the line and the ukiyo-e influence convey the sword ballet and the legend of the hundred-and-one Muramasa. Sumptuous and transporting, it is a manifesto of 2D craftsmanship.
Is Oboro Muramasa still worth playing in 2026?
Muramasa The Demon Blade is a breathtakingly beautiful Vanillaware action RPG that transposes the studio's inimitable touch into a mythological feudal Japan. Its art direction, made of hand-drawn settings and characters of rare pictorial finesse, unfolds tableaux of striking visual richness that have lost none of their radiance. The sword combat, brisk, fluid and choreographed, and the management of forged blades make for a gameplay as elegant as it is demanding. The two intertwined stories invite replayability. For the fan of sumptuous 2D and refined action, this visual masterpiece remains an unforgettable experience.
