Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles 2 Has Turned Me On To The Series - Summer Game Fest 2025

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There are a couple of anime that are on my list to watch, and towards the top of that list is Demon Slayer. The story is intriguing, and I love the art style, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to start watching it. However, my first appointment at Summer Game Fest was to check out Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2, and I am convinced that I have to check out the series asap.

Admittedly, I haven’t played the first game in the series either, which covers the beginning of the actual anime, but I was convinced to go back and play the first game from this one.

I got to play through two chapters in the story, showcasing parts of the Entertainment Arc of the anime. The first showed off Tanjiro Kamado and Inosuke Hashibira fighting off against Daki, giving a sense of how both combat and non-combat gameplay feels, as well as a look at how they’ll be telling their story.

The combat in Demon Slayer feels fantastic, and it feels quite similar to the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series. You run around an area fighting enemies in 3D combat, switching between multiple different attacks to drain their health and kill them. It’s flashy, feels great, and the aesthetic fits perfectly within an anime game. It’s familiar, yet engaging and enjoyable combat to watch and take part in, and I ended up wanting to keep playing just to take part in more battles.

However, what hooked me in was the story. While the first battle between Tanjiro and Daki was interesting, watching Inosuke dawn his boar mask and bust through doors, ceilings, and ultimately the ground as he was looking for traces of Daki. Like a snake, he ended up traveling through a skinny tunnel and fighting against a sentient ribbon with a crazy face on it. It was hilarious, and it was enough to convince me to start looking into the first game to see if I had it so I can experience from the beginning of the series.

If you’ve already played the previous entry, there’s going to be just as enjoyable, if not more. Gameplay and visuals are relatively the same, with some differences and enhancements, but we get to play through the Entertainment District, Swordsmith Village, and Hashira Training Arcs of the anime. We also have more fighters to choose from, which is always wonderful to see.

It may not be the perfect entry point for new players, but it was great enough to convince me that I need to go back and play the first game and get my butt in gear and start watching this series.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 can be pre-ordered for $59.99 ahead of its August 5th release. It is already Steam Deck Verified, and I see no reasons why this won't be great to play on the go.

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