Better Translation
Similar to the first game on the Nintendo Wii, Muramasa Rebirth will not offer some sort of a dubbed translation. The cutscenes and conversations within the game will be in Japanese language. While it’s in Japanese, there will be subtitles and this time exclusively on the PS Vita, the translation has been improved over its predecessor. Those who spotted some minor translation issue on the original game will find it fixed on this one, or rephrased the entire conversation. The weak translation found on the original game were somewhat annoying but luckily, thanks to the work of Aksys, the game will have a much better translation overall.
NOT
Second Timers Beware
If you happen to play the original game on the Nintendo Wii, there is little to no reason to purchase this game and replay it. With the minimal content that is next to none, there’s nothing new enough that will warrant a purchase. The same core gameplay and no new expanded content will be found in Rebirth, although newcomers will surely enjoy the game. As for trophy hunters, there will be a plethora of them waiting for them to be unlocked. Sure, the graphics might be nice and all but those who are looking for something new in this PS Vita version will be disappointed big time.
Too Much Backtracking
The way the game flows might annoy some of the newcomers in the game. Since this is a side scrolling game, many will find the backtracking tedious. If you have played the Castlevania 2D games in the past, you will find the side scrolling style to be similar. The area that you will get into Muramasa is a big one. The progression is linear where you go from one area to the next and once you finished what you’re supposed to do, you will be expected to go back a very long path as new area at the beginning gets unlocked.
Linear Path
One thing that disappoints a lot of fans on the Wii version was its linearity. As mentioned above, the areas that you will go to is just one path from left to right. Unlike other side scrolling games like Castlevania, there are multiple paths that you can take but unfortunately in Rebirth, you will be limited its very strict linear gameplay. The linearity might disappoint some gamers but the added caves where tough challenges await will be there to compensate.
VERDICT
Gamers who want to play good quality PS Vita game this month should definitely pick up Muramasa Rebirth. By looking at the visuals alone, expect to be enticed by its crystal clear presentation. Content wise may be the same as the original, but those who are newcomers will enjoy its artistic approach and addictive hack and slash gameplay. For $39.99, you are getting a pretty good deal and you won’t be disappointed with the purchase. Muramasa Rebirth offers everything you would want from a quality handheld title.
[Editor’s Note: Muramasa Rebirth was reviewed on the PS Vita platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]
