Game Review: Musashi vs. Cthulhu

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Eldritch horror and samurai seem like a match made in heaven. Right? Well, maybe not heaven, but it really does seem like an interesting, somehow unexplored, concept. Enter Musashi vs. Cthulhu, a fast-paced action game that comes to us by way of developer Cyber Rhino Studios, and publisher QUByte Interactive. It's out today on just about every major platform, and we're going to be taking a closer look at the Nintendo Switch release. The action in this one doesn't let up for one second, so let's get right into it!

As the name implies, Musashi vs. Cthulhu​ places you into the tabi of legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi. Apparently a terrible curse has made him the target for all sorts of eldritch horrors from out of the depths, but thankfully he has the skills to keep them at bay. Actually, it's safe to say that he's fighting a losing battle no matter how you look at it. Why is that? Well, this game has no "ending" so to speak, and the fighting only stops when Musashi goes down. Besides not having anything close to a concluding story scene, it also doesn't have any other plot than what I just mentioned. Most of what I just said, scant as it is, can only be found in the game's compendium and eShop description. You'd be forgiven if you just assumed that this game didn't have any story at all. I usually don't bother even mentioning a game's plot in a review when it clearly doesn't have one, but I felt that the premise here was unique enough to at least mention. It also is a big missed opportunity, as the whole "throwing monsters into a historic setting" genre could've been played up for a lot of added hijinks. I guess it's pointless to dwell on what could've been, so let's move on and talk about gameplay.

Playing Musashi vs. Cthulhu will take a bit of getting used to as it has a rather unique control scheme. Musashi can't move on his own, and the only way to pull him in either direction is by having him unleash an attack while facing whichever way you want to move. The game uses all four face buttons, and the D-pad, in order to execute said attacks. Up, Down, and Left on the D-pad attack enemies on the left hand side of the screen, and X, B, and A attack those on the right. These controls refer to the Switch version, but the idea of "top", "middle", and "bottom" buttons applies to all other versions too. The remaining face button that doesn't have an attack, Y in the case of the Switch, is used for a taunt. Enemies constantly flood in from either side, and you have to hit them with the appropriate attack button to damage or kill them. Bugs and slugs are self-explanatory as they occupy a specific area of the screen, but other enemies have to be hit with an attack that corresponds to the location of their weak spot. These weak spots are marked by red pustules, and can be on their shoulder (up), their midsection (middle), or their leg (down). Some enemies later in the game may need more than one hit to kill, or they can have multiple weak spots that have to all be hit. Attacking too early, or striking an enemy anywhere other than their weak spot, leaves you open for a counterattack. If you have your lantern meter filled up (Which fills by killing several enemies in a row or by taunting.) you are saved from being stunned, otherwise you'll most likely take a hit as the recoil of a miss will leave a second or so for enemies to close in. Damage taken or not, a missed attack will eventually cause Musashi to hurl all enemies away from him. That move gives you a moment to breathe and recover from your mistake, but you better use that time wisely since the enemies will now be backed up on both sides. And that's pretty much is the entire game. Your goal is to survive for as long as you can, and three hits mean it's Game Over.

It's been a while since I've played a game as simple as Musashi vs. Cthulhu, but its simplicity also makes it very addicting. It plays like a classic arcade game, as even has a puzzle game sort of vibe to it. I say the latter as I often found myself "getting in the zone" so to speak, similar to how I play a game like Tetris. The only way to get far in the game is to learn how to quickly spot weak points, and to always be on your toes regarding the wave of enemies currently coming at you. It's not just simple button mashing though. Actually, each button press triggers an action, so button mashing is probably the quickest way to leave yourself open to attack. It's worth remembering that attacking also moves you in the direction of the enemy you're striking, so you can use this to sort of "dodge" enemies that are coming in a bit too close. If you need a second to figure out what to do about the enemies on your left, you might want to go after those on the right first to pull you away from them. Some enemies also move a bit faster than others, or can even jump from left to right across the screen, so you'll have to make quick decisions whenever they pop up. I'll admit that I didn't think I'd like the game very much going into it, but I put in about twenty runs before I even realized what I was doing. There isn't a whole lot to this game, and I struggle to find more words to discuss its gameplay, but it does offer a fun experience that's quick, challenging, and easy to jump in and out of. There's also leaderboards that are updated after each game, and who doesn't like having a recognized high score?

Graphics in Musashi vs. Cthulhu have a Japanese ink painting style to them, a style that also applies to the animation of both Musashi and the various monsters. I don't want to make it sound like the graphics are going to blow anyone away with how amazing they are, but they're a lot better than you'd probably expect to find in a game of this size and scope. It is a bit disappointing that the game features only about a half dozen enemies, and one single level to play on over and over again. More variety in locations and monsters would've been nice, but the designs we do get are very well done. Oh, and from what I can tell, you never actually get the titular showdown with Cthulhu himself. Music is good too, but I don't have as many positives to say about it as I did the graphics. It's not bad by any means, but it mostly just exists in the background. There's nothing that stands out about the sound design at all actually, though the sound effects are arguably better than the music itself. Overall the game is very light on the presentation, but there really isn't a lot to complain about since there isn't a lot to see or hear in the first place. At least the menus are quick and easy to navigate through, and the game runs perfectly even on the Nintendo Switch. Sometimes that's all you can ask for.

While I did spend several hours playing the game, and even was briefly #2 on the worldwide leaderboards, I have to say that the novelty of Musashi vs. Cthulhu wears off after a while. I still plan on going back it, and probably will here and there just for fun for months to come, but it's not a game that can hold your attention for very long. There aren't levels in the game, there's no ending, no bosses, and nothing really to work towards besides a high score and some in-game achievements. The latter are admittedly fun to acquire, but they probably won't be enough to bring me back once I feel I've had enough. You can unlock a "Fast Start" mode early on, which essentially skips the first 50 or so slower enemies to get you into the action quicker on subsequent playthroughs, but I preferred turning this off so I could fully ramp up the "normal" way. I mention it mainly as it can also be seen as something of a "Hard Mode". While this isn't a game that's going to fill up tons of gameplay sessions, it does come in at a very reasonable $4.99. I feel that's more than the perfect point for what is essentially an arcade-style action game with fun, yet repetitive, gameplay. It may not stay in your gameplay rotation for very long, but it won't cost you a lot to put it there in the first place.

Though there are probably some people out there who won't appreciate the simplicity Musashi vs. Cthulhu provides, I found it to be entertaining enough to give it a full recommendation. I had a lot of fun during my time with it, and I plan on getting in a few more runs later today. That's on account of the game being fully launched, and I want to see how the current leaderboards reflect that. Anyhow, grab it on whatever console you can, and get to thinning out that never-ending horde of monsters! Also, keep an eye out for "alavic_222" on the leaderboards! See you there!

Check Out Musashi Vs. Cthulhu on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/musashi-vs-cthulhu-switch/

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Story: N/A
Gameplay: A
Graphics: A-
Music/Sound: B
Value: A

Overall: A-

Pros:
+ A fast-paced, arcade-style action game that's perfect for repeat playthroughs.
+ Though it does have a slight learning curve at the start, players will be taking out hordes of monsters in no time.
+ The graphics and animations feature a style reminiscent of Japanese ink paintings.
+ Getting a high place on the leaderboards can be very rewarding for those who care about such things.
+ Very reasonably priced at just $4.99.

Cons:
- There really isn't a whole lot to this game in terms of gameplay.
- The simplicity extends to the visuals, and you really only have one character, a half dozen enemies, and one location to work with.
- While the graphics seem to be punching above their weight in a game of this scope, the sound design doesn't fare as well.
- The lack of levels, bosses, or anything beyond a high score can make it hard for some players to get invested.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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Proof I was a top player of Musashi vs. Cthulhu at one point!