Capcom is on a tear lately, but honestly, nobody expected them to drop a neon-soaked, folk-horror strategy game about cleaning up mountain defilement. It's called Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. If you haven't touched it yet, you're missing out on what might be the most creative swing the studio has taken since the Okami days. It’s weird. It’s colorful. It is deeply Japanese in a way that feels refreshing compared to the gritty realism of modern Resident Evil.
Basically, you play as Soh. You’re a guardian. Your whole job is to protect a divine maiden named Yoshiro as she dances her way down a corrupted mountain. Sounds simple? It isn't. The game blends real-time strategy with hack-and-slash action, forcing you to manage a village of tiny AI workers while you personally slice through demons called Seethe.
What is Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Actually About?
At its core, this is a "tower defense" game, but that label feels a bit reductive. Most tower defense games involve sitting back and watching your turrets do the work. Here, you are the turret. And the commander. And the janitor. During the day, you run around the map like a frantic interior decorator, purifying corrupted cocoons and assigning roles to villagers you’ve rescued. You might turn one guy into a Woodcutter (your basic melee tank) and another into an Archer.
Then the sun goes down.
Nighttime in Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a total shift in vibes. The sky turns a bruised purple, and the Torii gates start vomiting out Seethe. These aren't just generic monsters; they are inspired by traditional Japanese folklore, looking like twisted umbrellas, bloated lanterns, or skittering many-limbed nightmares. Your goal is to keep them away from Yoshiro while she performs her Kagura dance. If she stops dancing because a demon poked her, you lose. It's high stakes, but the rhythm of the combat is strangely meditative once you get the hang of the parry system.
The game doesn't hold your hand. It expects you to learn the layout of every stage. Some levels are cramped, forcing you to stack your villagers in narrow corridors. Others are wide open, meaning you have to constantly move your units around as the "Path" progresses. You aren't just fighting; you're managing a moving frontline.
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The Strategy Most People Get Wrong
New players usually make the same mistake: they try to do everything themselves. Soh is powerful, sure. You’ve got combos and special "Tsuba" abilities that can clear a screen in seconds. But you cannot be everywhere at once.
The secret sauce is the villager roles.
Early on, you'll rely on Woodcutters and Archers. They’re cheap on "Soh" (the resource used to assign roles). But as you get deeper into the mountain, you unlock things like the Sumo Wrestler, who can draw aggro, or the Shaman, who heals your units. If you aren't constantly pausing the game to reassign roles based on the enemy types spawning, you’re going to get overwhelmed. It's about synergy. A Sumo Wrestler holding a chokepoint while a few Sorcerers rain down AOE (Area of Effect) spells is a beautiful thing to witness.
Also, don't sleep on the environment. Many stages have traps or gimmicks. There are lanterns you can light to stun enemies or scaffolds that give your archers a range boost. If you ignore these, you’re basically playing on hard mode for no reason.
Understanding the Kagura Dance
The "Path" in the title isn't metaphorical. You literally draw a line on the ground for Yoshiro to follow. Every inch she moves costs "Soh" crystals. If you spend all your crystals on villagers, she stays still, and you have to survive another night in the same spot. This creates a brilliant "push your luck" mechanic. Do you move her as far as possible and risk having no defenders? Or do you play it safe, bunker down, and face more waves of enemies?
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Honestly, the tension is what makes it work. Watching the sunset bar at the top of the screen slowly tick down while you’re three feet away from the goal line is genuine stress.
Why the Art Style Matters
We have to talk about how this game looks. It uses the RE Engine—the same tech behind Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil Village—but it looks like a moving woodblock print. The colors are loud. Saturated.
Capcom took heavy inspiration from Japanese "Kagura" theater. The costumes are intricate, featuring heavy masks and layered silks. Even the UI is stylized to look like traditional paper charms. This isn't just window dressing; it builds a specific atmosphere of "sacred vs. profane." When you purify a section of the forest, the transition from muddy, rotting purple to vibrant, blooming cherry blossoms is incredibly satisfying. It’s visual feedback done right.
The Boss Fights are a Different Beast
Every few levels, you hit a boss. These are the "Furofuki"—massive, screen-filling entities that require specific tactics. One might require you to knock it off a wall using your villagers' combined strength, while another might be a bullet-hell situation where you're dodging projectiles while trying to find a tiny weak point.
These fights test your ability to command. You can't just set your villagers and forget them. You have to tell them to "Attack" or "Defend" in real-time. If a boss is about to do a massive ground slam, and you don't command your archers to retreat, you're going to watch your entire army get wiped in one hit. It's punishing but fair.
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Tips for Surviving the Mountain
If you're just starting out, keep these things in mind. The game is deeper than it looks at first glance.
- Upgrade your villagers first. You can spend "Musubi" (the meta-progression currency) to beef up Soh or your units. While it’s tempting to make Soh a god, a team of Master Woodcutters will carry you much further.
- Repair the bases. Between missions, you can visit the villages you’ve saved. You can assign villagers to repair structures. Do this. It rewards you with permanent upgrades and items that make the next mission easier.
- Don't forget to parry. Soh has a parry mechanic that is extremely generous. Successful parries fill your gauge for special attacks. If you just mash the attack button, you’ll get staggered and die.
- The Thief is a goat. Use the Thief role during the day to dig up hidden caches of crystals. It feels like a waste of a unit, but the extra resources allow you to move Yoshiro much faster.
- Replay stages. If you're stuck, go back to an earlier level and complete the "Challenges." These give you extra Musubi to power up your skills.
Is It Worth It?
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of those rare games that feels like it shouldn't exist in the modern AAA landscape. It’s too weird. Too niche. Yet, it’s polished to a mirror shine. It doesn't have microtransactions or an unnecessary open world. It’s just a tight, 20-hour experience about a guy, a maiden, and a whole lot of demons.
The game represents a return to "Experimental Capcom." It reminds me of the PS2 era when developers would just try stuff to see if it stuck. This stuck. Whether you’re a fan of strategy games or you just want to see some of the best art direction in years, it’s worth the price of entry.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check Game Pass: If you’re on Xbox or PC, the game is often available on Game Pass. Try it there before buying.
- Focus on the Shinto aesthetic: Take a moment to read the in-game encyclopedia. The lore behind the Seethe is based on real Japanese mythology, which makes the designs even cooler.
- Master the Command Menu: Practice switching between "Attack" and "Defend" commands quickly. In later levels, the half-second it takes to switch can be the difference between victory and a game over.
- Prioritize the "Marksman" role: Once you unlock higher-tier ranged units, use them to snip flying enemies, which are the biggest threat to Yoshiro.
Go cleanse that mountain. Just remember: the night is long, and the Seethe don't play fair.