The test
Do you know Getsu Fūma Den? Unless you are a crumbling old man or a retrogaming enthusiast, there is little chance … This action-adventure game was indeed released in 1987 (yes, almost 35 years ago) and only in Japan. Suffice to say that it is not the most “bankable” license from Konami. And yet, the Japanese publisher has chosen to resuscitate the beast! But in 2021, this spiritual successor completely renews the mechanics of yesteryear and adopts rogue-like codes, like Dead Cells.
Like its model (we are talking about Dead Cells here and not Getsu Fūma Den), GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is initially available in early access. So you can get it now, but the developers say the final version won’t be out for about a year. For once, this uncertainty typical of games accessible in “early access” is more likely to reassure us than to worry us. Indeed, we will see that the game’s flaws are precisely the most likely to be corrected in the coming months, while its current qualities will necessarily be retained. So there is every reason to be optimistic, even if the game is not intended for everyone. But before tackling the thorniest subjects, let’s not sulk our pleasure and immediately evoke the sublime artistic direction of this rogue-like. Inspired by the ukiyo-e art movement, the graphics take the form of genuine Japanese prints. Whether it is the characters (in 3D but which only move sideways) or the sets, all the visual elements give us the impression of evolving in paintings and engravings of the time. As long as you are sensitive to this very particular aesthetic, you are guaranteed to be in your eyes all the time.
The success of this atypical artistic direction also concerns the bestiary, drawn from the folklore of medieval and fantastic Japan. Evil stone spirits, skeleton soldiers, wanyūdō (terrifying flying head inserted into an oxcart wheel), oni (horned demon with sharp claws and sharp teeth), nurarihyon (ghostly old man) and other evil creatures form an army of vicious adversaries, whom we take great pleasure in meeting because of their very particular physical aspect, which is as much about beauty as ugliness. To top it off, the bosses turned out to be up to our expectations. They are beautiful, big, impressive and endowed with interesting attack patterns, which can be deciphered without too much difficulty but which still offer a sufficient challenge.
THERE IS THE RIGHT DIFFICULTY AND THE BAD DIFFICULTY …
Players looking for a challenge will also appreciate the overall high level of difficulty. For both good and bad reasons. The positive aspect comes from the intransigence of the fighting, which obliges us to remain permanently on the alert. Receiving two or three hits may be enough to instantly switch us from life to death. It is therefore important to master the different mechanics as well as possible, whether it is the jump, the double jump, the trampling (an impact fall) or the dodge roll. Do not neglect either the special attacks of the main weapons (katanas, combat umbrellas, double blades, mana bracelets, spears, clubs …) as well as the use of secondary weapons (bows, guns, kunais, spheres explosives, pitfalls, etc.), extremely powerful but with limited reloads or ammunition. A demonic transformation mechanic is also present. If we chain enough attacks without taking any damage, our hero changes appearance and becomes more powerful. To maintain this state, you must continue to defeat enemies regularly and not suffer any damage.
Players looking for a challenge will also appreciate the overall high level of difficulty. For both good and bad reasons. The positive aspect comes from the intransigence of the fighting, which obliges us to remain permanently on the alert.
Finally, the soul absorption mechanic allows you to boost the main weapon, the secondary weapon, our health or the number of healing potions that it is possible to carry. All of these things work pretty well, and the overall game is tough but fair. Even the slightest second of inattention leads to death, but that’s the kind of punishment rogue-like enthusiasts seek. Alas, the game also suffers from another kind of difficulty, which makes it quite tedious at times. Thus, we keep very few elements with each death, which is all the more embarrassing as the resources allowing to improve our character and the weapons fall far too rarely. More precisely, it is in reality the number of materials requested which turns out to be far too high. It would be enough to review this simple numerical parameter so that the game gains strongly and immediately in capital sympathy. We are also almost certain that the developers will go in this direction in the months to come. But in the meantime, you have to farm the first levels for many, many, many hours before you can afford any improvement.
Additionally, tutorial posts explain some concepts really poorly, which can significantly, unnecessarily, and artificially increase the overall difficulty level. Again, it’s a safe bet that this issue will be resolved during Early Access. The only flaw that is likely to persist is the random generation of levels, which tends to be repeated and to be a little too predictable. These various shortcomings do not prevent the game from being already interesting and enjoyable, even if it is currently regularly frustrating and annoying. We are all the more confident about its future as GetsuFumaDen already enjoys a very good finish from a purely technical point of view. We did not encounter any bugs despite the early access status. Konami’s game therefore has great potential, and a purchase today does not seem too risky.
