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Capcom has been on a roll lately with many critically acclaimed releases and Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess looks to be the publisher’s exciting next title, blending the action gameplay the studio is known for with tower defense elements.
As we inch closer to the game’s launch date, we had the honor to interview director Shuichi Kawata and producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi as they discussed the inspiration and design of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.
Shuichi Kawata, the director of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, is a veteran at Capcom who has worked on multiple Resident Evil projects. He also directed the Apple Arcade side-scrolling title Shinsekai: Into the Depths.
Meanwhile, producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi may be a familiar face for Resident Evil fans as he has a long history with the franchise, working as a lead designer for the original Resident Evil 4 and later serving as producer for Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil 2 Remake, and Resident Evil 4 Remake. During our time at the Tokyo Game Show 2022, we also had the opportunity to interview Hirabayashi regarding the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4 Remake before its launch.
Transforming Japanese Mythology into a Fresh New Title
What makes Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess such a standout among so many major titles that are being released this year is how it blends action, strategy, and Ancient Japanese mythology into a fresh new unique take on the tower defense genre. There are a lot of cultural elements integrated into the setting, story, and even gameplay.
One notable aspect is the theme of “Kagura”, a traditional ceremonial dance derived from the Shinto religion in Japan that has been passed down from generation to generation to purify the defiled. This plays heavily into the game where both protagonists Soh and Yoshiro perform Kagura in their own notable ways.
“I personally enjoy old Japanese folklore and mysterious tales, and the idea came to me from envisioning a scenario where messengers from another world appear every night in the mountains of Japan, and the task is to protect the gods while dealing with these messengers,” Director Kawata explained his inspirations.
“I also have a fondness for tower defense and strategy games, finding them to be deeply engaging and interesting. I thought this concept would be a good fit for a tower defense game. Furthermore, I believe that adding user actions to the decision-making process would introduce new strategic elements.”
Kawata explained the story and worldview of the game further, “The story itself is inspired by various sources, including mythology and folklore. It is not solely built upon mythology; I have also traveled to different parts of Japan and read books, using interesting stories as motifs. In particular, for ‘Ikoku,’ I interpreted the folklore in my own way.”
Stages and Villagers
Having the chance to play in a hands-on session, the gameplay of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has been fascinatingly fun. Not only is the entire game a fresh take on a genre, but the stages were also creatively designed.
One of the notable stages that we experienced during the preview is one set on a boat, where apart from protecting the Maiden Yoshiro, you also have to avoid the watercraft sinking. In terms of the amount of stages we can expect, producer Hirabayashi said that he prefers not to disclose any specific numbers.
He then added “However, completing a single run through the game will likely take over 20 hours. If you aim to complete all the missions and fully delve into the game, you will be able to enjoy it for a considerable amount of time.”
Unlike traditional tower defense, you do not exactly deploy towers to defend your base in Kunitsu-Gami but rather you employ villagers to help protect Yoshiro the maiden as she goes about purging the defilement that plagued Mt. Kafuku.
Villagers would take on various roles during the defense against the sieging evil spirits known as Seethe. When it comes to the inspirations for the villagers’ roles, director Kawata said, “The basic idea is to make it role-based in a way that is easy to understand as a common concept worldwide. This is because we believe that users need to quickly grasp the roles of these professions in the game. With that ease of understanding in mind, we have incorporated motifs that are closely related to Japanese-specific visuals.”
As for the number of roles we could expect in the full game, producer Hirabayashi noted, “I cannot provide specific numbers, but there are many more unique professions available.”
“Each profession does not have a clear superiority or inferiority; instead, they have strengths and weaknesses depending on the situation. I hope players will find the right composition that fits each scenario.”
Fresh Take on Tower Defense
Further talking about gameplay, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess split its gameplay into two segments – daytime when you explore and prepare your defenses by sundown, and during the night, when the Seethe begin their rampage through the defiled Torii gates.
Regarding what the development team aims to achieve with the game, director Kawata elaborated, “The combination of managing the villagers and the player’s actions (Soh) is a key element for successful strategy. While preparation before nightfall is crucial, it is also important to stay aware of the constantly changing battle conditions and your surroundings. Players need to decide whether to focus on attacking and let their allies protect the shrine maidens, or take on a defensive role themselves.”
“This continuous cycle of strategic thinking allows players to feel a sense of accomplishment when they survive the night together. Additionally, as you clear each stage, you will find the teamwork with the villagers increasingly engaging.”
Unlike typical tower defense titles where players have a top-down view of the entire field, Kunitsu-Gami instead forces the camera to have the player follow Soh around to place villagers, which may restrict placement options.
When talking about plans to address the limitations, Hirabayashi said, “In the case of a wider MAP, pressing the right arrow key to change the camera allows you to see a broader range, making it easier to grasp the overall situation. Additionally, even if you want to see a wider area, camera adjustments can be made with OPTION.”
Post-Game
As with any major game release, many players were concerned if this game would launch with any form of post-game or New Game+ content to extend replayability.
While producer Hirabayashi refused to reveal much, he did say that the team has “included features to enhance replayability.”
On another topic, Capcom is known to have its franchises collaborate, such as Devil May Cry or Resident Evil characters showing up in Monster Hunter as costumes or the latter having a crossover with Street Fighter or EXOPRIMAL.
In regards to whether Capcom has a plan to do the same for Kunitsu-Gami, producer Hirabayashi said, “At the moment, I can’t provide an answer. However, we are considering measures that everyone will be happy with.”
That concludes the interview. We would like to thank director Shuichi Kawata and producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi for taking the time to answer our questions about Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is set to launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, as well as Xbox Game Pass, on July 19, 2024.
