Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Overview

Toukiden: The Age of Demons is a "hunting action" (Monster Hunter-style) game developed by Omega Force for the PlayStation Vita and PSP. Originally published by Tecmo Koei in Japan in June of 2013, the Vita version was in North America and Europe on February 11, 2014 and February 14, 2014, respectively.

Story

Toukiden is set in the Midlands, a region of feudal Japan that human warriors known as Slayers fight to protect from the encroaching Oni. Eight years prior, an event known as the Awakening occurred, causing the land to flood with Oni, who in the time since have warped the land and killed countless humans, consuming their souls. In the process, time and space have become distorted, and the world has become a mishmash of Japan's historical eras.

As a new Slayer recruit, the player is tasked with taking on missions to stop the encroaching Oni. The Slayer will also find mitama; the souls of fallen historical figures that have been consumed by the Oni, and once liberated can be equipped in order to infuse the Slayer with powers and abilities. The majority of the souls come from Japan's Warring States period, though some come from other eras of history, dating back to Himiko from the Yayoi period.

Gameplay

The basic gameplay of Toukiden is highly reminiscent of Capcom's Monster Hunter series. The player controls a created character, the Slayer, and embarks on a series of quests to hunt specific Oni in regions of the segmented map of the wilderness, with each segment identified by a number. There are multiple maps, each referred to as a specific age that reflects certain aspects of the eras of Japanese history that they represent.

The player's fighting style is determined by the type of weapon equipped. Weapons include but are not limited to types such as two-handed swords, dual daggers, spears, and bows. During missions, the player may also harvest resources from defeated enemies, which can be used for fulfilling villager requests, creating and upgrading weapons and armor, or be sold off for money.

Once the player has equipped a mitama, the mitama's abilities can be called upon by pressing and holding R and a corresponding face button. Powers granted by mitama include but are not limited to healing powers and damage boosts. Mitama gain experience over time and can have their powers boosted by visiting the village shrine.

Up to four players may join each other in co-op missions. The game's co-op functions can be used through local wireless or online, and is cross-play compatible between the PSP and Vita versions of the game. In single-player, the player is often joined by AI controlled Slayer NPCs.