is a 2009 action role-playing game developed by Vanillaware and published for the Wii by Marvelous Entertainment (Japan), Ignition Entertainment (North America), and Rising Star Games (Europe). Set in the Edo period during the reign of shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, conflicts have arisen over ownership of the Demon Blades, samurai swords forged by Muramasa Sengo that bring tragedy and madness upon their wielders. The story follows two protagonists related to this conflict: Momohime, a woman who is possessed by the spirit of vengeful rōnin Jinkuro Izuna; and Kisuke, an amnesiac ninja on the run for a forgotten crime who is tied up with the tragedy that destroyed Momohime's family. Using a 2D side-scrolling perspective, the gameplay revolves around a beat 'em up fighting system, while incorporating role-playing elements such as leveling and questing.
The concept work for Muramasa began during the middle of development on Odin Sphere. Along with improving on the action gameplay over Odin Sphere, a great deal of effort was put into making the game's setting authentic to the period. Director and writer George Kamitani created the story based on kabuki theatre, incorporating Japanese folklore and Buddhist theology. When the game was released in the West, it retained its Japanese voicetrack to preserve its atmosphere. It was released to moderate sales and positive reviews. Praise focused on its art design and music, with the gameplay often described as fun but shallow, and its story was faulted for its structure
A PlayStation Vita version, titled Muramasa Rebirth in the West, was published in 2013 by Marvelous AQL in Japan and Aksys Games in English territories. Rebirth was supported by downloadable content in the form of Genroku Legends, four self-contained stories based on Japanese folklore. The game featured new music, and a redone localization. Rebirth met with strong sales, and a similar reception to its original version. Another version, Muramasa: Revenant Blades, is set for release worldwide in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and Windows. Published by Marvelous, it includes all the content of Muramasa Rebirth, upgraded graphics and added gameplay options, and another new localization with an English dub.
Gameplay
Muramasa is a two-dimensional (2D) side-scrolling action role-playing game set on the main Japanese island of Honshu during the Edo period. Players take control of two characters with similar gameplay abilities. Navigation takes place through hand-drawn 2D side-scrolling environments reminiscent of Japanese artwork of the period, and can enter towns to talk with non-playable characters (NPCs) and buy items such as health restoratives and accept quests. An additional cooking element allows the characters to cook meals using materials gathered during exploration: meals grant temporary character boosts, and fill a "fullness" meter that limits how much food a character can eat.
Combat comes in the form of both avoidable random encounters and scripted fights where the camera is fixed within the fighting area: enemies and bosses are primarily drawn from Japanese folklore and mythology. Battles are triggered only when enemies are near, with the player character otherwise keeping their weapons sheathed. In combat, characters attack and guard using a single-button prompt, while another button accesses items such as healing potions. Continuously attacking triggers combos. Different moves include sword slashes combined with directional buttons, which have different effects such as throwing an enemy into the air with an upward slash. Additional offensive items such as smoke bombs are acquired during the course of the game. At the end of each battle, experience points are awarded to the player character depending on how fast the battle was finished: leveling up increases a character's health, stats, and the amount of damage inflicted upon enemies.
Weapons are distinguished into two categories, Blade (katana) and Long Blade (nōdachi): Blades are fast, while Long Blades are slower and deal higher damage. Three blades can be equipped at any one time: each blade has its own stats, determining the amount of damage that can be inflicted. When blocking or using a blade's Secret Art special move, its Soul Power gauge depletes: if emptied, the sword breaks and its offensive abilities are drastically reduced. When sheathed, the Soul Power regenerates. Soul Power can be gathered in various locations to restore Soul Power and the character's health. There are 108 blades that can be collected and forged in-game: forging blades requires Soul Power and "spirit", and each blade has a level cap determining when it can be forged. Weapon forging is governed by a weapon-based skill tree.
Synopsis Setting and characters Muramasa takes place on Honshu, the main island of the Japanese archipelago, with its overall style and setting drawing heavily upon Japanese folklore and mythology. It is set in the Genroku period, itself within the larger Edo period, during the reign of the shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. Tsunayoshi's thirst for power has created conflict around ownership of the Demon Blades, samurai swords forged by the legendary swordsmith Muramasa Sengo that crave blood when drawn and bring madness and death to those foolish enough to draw them. Due to the chaos generated by this, the Demon Blades' powers begin summoning demons from Hell (Yomi), along with causing ancient gods to stir from long slumber.
The two lead characters are , a princess of the Narukami clan from the province of Mino; and , a runaway ninja with no memories but a burning desire for vengeance. For the course of the game, Momohime is inadvertently possessed by the spirit of , an unscrupulous rōnin who was trying to possess the body of Momohime's betrothed , a high-status samurai. Momohime and Kisuke are each accompanied and watched over by a kitsune in human form. They are , who holds affection for Jinkuro, and , who aids Kisuke in his quest against the Demon Blades' corruption. A key character in Kisuke's storyline is , Momohime's sister.
Plot Momohime's Story
Momohime wakes up in Kyo with memories of being killed by the dying Jinkuro when he attacked Yukinojo. Jinkuro spirit, forcefully possesses her, but before the process of soul transference is finished, they are attacked. Momohime's soul is kidnapped by the vengeful monk Rankai, forcing Jinkuro to follow Kongiku as Momohime's body will die if her soul is harmed. With her soul safe, Jinkuro sets out to regain the Dark Resurrection Demon Blade so he can properly utilize his Soul Transference Technique and gain influence through a new host. Encountering Yukinojo, who is searching for Momohime, the two battle. Momohime forces Jinkuro to spare Yukinojo, even when she learns that Yukinojo's intentions in marrying her were part of a scheme to ruin her family as punishment for defying the shōgun. Jinkuro goes to Yukinojo's compound to retrieve the Dark Resurrection, but the storehouse where it is said to be is absorbed into Hell by demons. Descending into Hell, Jinkuro's soul is briefly captured by a demon, and it is only with Momohime's help that he escapes and learns that the Dark Resurrection was never in the storehouse. With Momohime's body beginning to fail due to the strain Soul Transference put on it, Jinkuro attempts to ascent to Heaven so he can become an immortal demon, but is stopped by Raijin and Fujin.
While willing to accept his death and allow Momohime her remaining time in her body, Kongiku shows them another way to Heaven on Mount Kongō, where Rankai's temple is located. There, Yukinojo reveals that he had the Dark Resurrection all along. They are then attacked by Fudo-Myoou, who is there to deliver divine justice upon Jinkuro. In the first ending, Jinkuro allows himself to be sent to Hell while Momohime lives; she forgoes her marriage to Yukinojo and becomes a Buddhist nun to save Jinkuro's soul. In the second ending, Momohime and Jinkuro are intercepted by Kisuke and Yuzuruha, who turns Kongiku back into a normal fox as punishment for her actions. Though defeated, the dying Kisuke delivers a fatal wound to Momohime, forcing Jinkuro to merge his soul with Momohime's to save her: this act leaves her an amnesiac but grants her Jinkuro's sword fighting abilities, which become legendary as she travels Japan with Kongiku. In the third ending, after the battle with Fudo-Myoou, Jinkuro is transported to the night he attacked Yukinojo by the Oboro Muramasa Demon Blade, which can defy the passage of fate. He chooses not to attack then, later successfully possessing Yukinojo and safeguarding Momohime's family. Momohime lives to be one hundred years old and bears three children, while Kongiku remains close to Jinkuro in the guise of a servant.
Kisuke's Story
Kisuke, suffering from amnesia and on the run from his ninja clan, travels to Edo in the company of Yuzuruha, accidentally breaking a seal imprisoning damned souls in the process. Defeating the souls after they manifest as Ōmukade, he learns from the ninja's employer Yukinojo that he was part of a mission to steal the Kuzuryu Demon Blade from Momohime's Nakurami Clan as punishment for defying the shōguns order to surrender it, tying into Yukinojo's intentions in marrying Momohime. Yukinojo sends Kisuke against Torahime, Momohime's sister and the shrine maiden who kept the Kuzuryu's power in check. Pursuing her, Kisuke fights both Torahime and undead soldiers loyal to her family, and agents who are preserving the flow of magic energy to Mount Fuji. His battles awaken his memories: he was originally disguised as a servant in Torahime's household as part of Yukinojo's scheme, but fell in love with Torahime and attempted to betray his clan when stealing the Kuzuryu. Dying from his wounds, the spirit of Senju Oboroya, the creator of the Oboro Style that controls the Demon Blades, fused with Kisuke to save his life and pass on the Oboro Style to someone who would use it for good. The fusion triggered Kisuke's amnesia, but left him with the ability to wield Demon Blades without succumbing to their evil.
Rescuing Torahime from the spider demon Tsuchigumo, Kisuke learns that she died while fleeing from Tsunayoshi's forces, and that her present life is a temporary gift from Amitābha. The two travel to Mount Fuji, where its native dragon god has gone berserk with rage after the energy of Japan's dragon veins are diverted to Edo, forcing a route into Heaven. The true culprit is Inugami, a mad god imprisoned in the Kuzuryu. In the first ending, the possessed Tsunayoshi is defeated by Kisuke after fatally wounding Torahime, who dies in Kisuke's arms. After the battle, Kisuke asks Amitābha to return the now-enlightened Torahime to life, then commits suicide as an act of defiance when his demand is refused. At Torahime's request, she and Kisuke are reincarnated, with Yuzuruha trying to help them reunite. In the second ending, Tsunayoshi is killed by the Jinkuro-possessed Momohime, but Kisuke exorcises Jinkuro, and following Torahime's final request becomes Momohime's servant. The two set out on a personal quest to locate all the Demon Blades causing conflict in Japan. In the third ending, after defeating Inugami, Kisuke is sent back to the day he betrayed his employers by the Oboro Muramasa. His warning allows Torahime to foil the plot against her family, then Kisuke steals the Kuzuryu and sets off on a journey around the world to exhaust its power by striking down evil, promising to marry Torahime upon his return.
Genroku Legends