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Sonokuni is a fast - paced , high - energy action game in the vein of Hotline Miami , gainsay musician with difficult one - hit - killing encounters that require ready instinctive reflex to survive . Unique for its unbelievable soundtrack and colored presentation , Sonokuni is certain to impress you with everything the game has to proffer . However , players might incur the game a bit forgetful on replayability , with a rather slight account and some jolty difficulty that can either be an exciting challenge to overcome or a frustrative roadblock .
In my years of play journalism , Sonokuni might be the title with the most unique origins I ’ve had the pleasure of reexamine yet .
It was daydream up by the intellect of DON YASA CREW , a hip joint - hop group based in Japan who recently duck their toes into game development — a cacoethes they discovered during Japan ’s COVID lockdown .
It is no closed book that a biz can be made or interrupt by its soundtrack ; I struggle to imagine playing Final Fantasy 7 without the music of Nobuo Uematsu and Mitsuto Suzuki . you could guess , then , that a game develop by a euphony radical like DON YASA CREW is going to have an unbelievable soundtrack , and you ’d be absolutely right .
Sonokuniis a game delimitate by its music ; without the pounding , hype - filled articulatio coxae - hop meter and the gorgeous regular recurrence of Japanese rapping , Sonokunisimply would not be what it is — a beautifully chaotic secret plan driven by the artistic vision of its Lord , a imagination mould around the style and tone of DON YASA CREW ’s music .
This artistic vision is also reflected through the game ’s visuals — a neon , punky , and supremely colorful looking at at a fictional Japanese metropolis . The inhabitants of said city vary in grotesquely beautiful , alcohol - induce mutation , firmly cementing Sonokuni in the world of biopunk . Not to go ostentatious , but the secret plan ’s optical style also experience deep root in DON YASA CREW ’s euphony , feeling like a optical representation of the euphony perpetually crush in your ears . This is a game I would extremely recommend you play with phone if that was n’t already clean .
Mechanically , Sonokuni is pretty straightforward . A level dwell of travel through several rooms , each one full of various type of unfit guy wire who will either give way or kill you in one hit . Your moveset is dim-witted , with the ability to coin ( which also reflects very specific attacks ) , block projectiles , or slow down prison term to make it leisurely to pilot . Each mechanic has its own persuasiveness or weakness , with blocking , for good example , locking you in place and create vulnerability to melee attacks , forcing you to think very cautiously about how you approach each encounter .
The game is something of a slug hell , with constant problems coming at you so tight that I often found myself dying without knowing incisively what was going on .
The Hotline Miami comparison is impossible not to acknowledge , with the gameplay being almost a carbon copy of its aspiration , albeit with the inclusion body of a few more movement on the player ’s end and unlike enemy behavior . Like Hotline Miami , the gameplay is going to be something you either love for the challenge or abominate for the difficulty , which seems to err on the hard side . foe dispatch tight , and I found myself not really sure of what certain foe did , even after multiple encounters . find out yourself put away in one sphere over and over again can turn into a frustrating process , though one that is easier to deal with thanks to the mien of the game ’s soundtrack .
When Sonokuni work , though , it just works . Striding through a way and pulling off a thoroughgoing clear , slashing down your foes to the beat of fast - paced Japanese strike , can seriously make you feel like a badass assassin . These hoopla moments finger like what the game was made for , and it ’s heavy for me to say if the inherent difficulty adds to them with a tactual sensation of accomplishment or diminishes the smell by making them all the more rare in party favor of destruction loop .
no matter , it ’s safe to say that my favorite part of Sonokuni was not mastering the gameplay . alternatively , I found myself driven by the mo where I could simply appreciate the ballyhoo feeling the game give you , bobbing my brain to the music and admire how our champion operate on all fours between rooms .
The game ’s storey is distinguish through conversations between the admirer Takeru and various NPCs , and the story told is one of rebelliousness , liberation , and the moral implications of violence . It ’s honorable enough for what it is ; operate with the game ’s story component was never my preferred part of the game , but characters are given just enough room to develop for you to come to appreciate them . Takeru , of course , steal the show , mostly because you get to observe her go around on all quatern like some sort of beast between fights . perchance that captivate me a niggling more than it will you .
All in all , Sonokuni is a game that will , if nothing else , charm you . The gameplay itself is something you will either bang or hate , but the overpowering common sense of style and the game ’s incredible music give Sonokuni an identity operator that can not be disregard . While you might not find oneself yourself play through the game more than once , you ’ll certainly appreciate Sonokuni for the time you spend with it .
The Final Word
Sonokuni stands out for its unbelievable gumption of style , giving the game a unique identity and a wealth of hype - filled moments you wo n’t bury . While the floor can feel a turn underwhelming and the difficultness a bit high , you ’re sure to appreciate whatever meter you resolve to spend with this incredibly unique title .
TryHardGuides was provided a microcomputer review computer code for Sonokuni . Find more detailed looks at democratic and upcoming titles on ourGame Reviewspage ! Sonokuni is usable onSteam .
