Kunitsu-Gami’s Switch 2 Launch Will Make The Unique Strategy Game Better For Everyone
A 2024 sleeper hit gets a second act.
When the Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, it will arrive with a library of far more ports than new games. Among those is a sleeper hit from 2024, which is about to get a boost from one of the console’s biggest new features. And on Switch 2 release day, that idiosyncratic strategy game is also getting an update on all platforms that looks worth checking out.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has been an oddity since its announcement. A combination of tower defense, real-time strategy, and action, it’s hard to understand exactly what makes it so great without getting your hands on it first, when its blend of careful unit placement and skillful combat can really shine. The campaign focuses on a priestess traveling from village to village to cleanse torii gates and staunch the flow of demons emanating from them, under the protection of her guardian (that’s you). On June 5, a new mode will add a roguelike twist to keep the game going long after its story ends.
Otherworldly Venture could make Kunitsu-Gami worth returning to even for players who’ve already finished the campaign.
Capcom announced Otherworldly Venture mode with a video that lays out how it differs from what’s already in Kunitsu-Gami. The core of the game remains the same, split between a building phase where you place soldiers around a map to fend off demons, and an action phase where you fight alongside them as the priestess advances slowly toward the torii gate where they’re spawned. Some elements of the story mode will be pruned to make rounds go faster and keep the focus on combat rather than recruiting new warriors and collecting currency to upgrade them, but its mix of strategy and real-time combat remains intact.
The real difference is in how character progression works in Otherworldly Venture. In this mode, after surviving the onslaught of demons in each wave, players can choose from one of several random upgrades, slowly building power night by night. In other words, it’s a roguelike mode that offers never-ending waves of demons rather than the prescribed set of levels in the campaign. You’ll also receive a score for how well you do in Otherworldly Venture and how long you last, so you can continue challenging yourself to climb the ranks.
Kunitsu-Gami’s new mode keeps the game’s mix of strategy and action intact.
A roguelike mode feels like a particularly good fit for Kunitsu-Gami. The wave-based levels of the original game are well suited to tackling again and again, trying different formations and sets of upgrades to see if you can fare better against the otherworldly invaders. Rescuing villagers, manually guiding the priestess, and repairing traps are a big part of the main game’s strategy, but they can also become repetitive when you’re doing the same things between each round when you just want to get to the action. Otherworldly Venture looks like it will answer the call for both a faster, streamlined experience and more of what players already want.
Otherworldly Venture hits all platforms on June 5, but the Switch 2 release of the game will also benefit from the console’s unique mouse mode. When you’re placing units between rounds on the Switch 2, you’ll be able to do so with mouse controls rather than using the joystick like you do on other consoles. Strategy games are a particularly good fit for mouse mode, and seeing Kunitsu-Gami benefit from it seems like a good sign that somewhat more niche games could get a boost from Switch 2 ports. The fact that Otherworldly Venture arrives for everyone alongside the game’s Switch 2 improvements means the port’s launch could give the game the second life it deserves no matter where you’re playing.
