Demon Slayer is already one of the most popular anime of all time, recently smashing box office records in Japan with its first film. With that kind of popularity, a video game adaptation was basically an inevitability. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles has already been released in Japan, but developer SEGA just announced that American and European audiences will also receive the game later this year.
Demon Slayer (or Kimetsu no Yaiba in Japanese) is a force to be reckoned with in its home country, with appeal that's even lead to spikes in blood drive donations. It follows the story of a kind-hearted young boy named Tanjiro who has a gifted sense of smell. Tanjiro lives with his family in idyllic rural Japan until a demon attack upends his life. Only one of Tanjiro's sisters, Nezuko, survives - except she has been transformed into a demon herself. Demon Slayer chronicles Tanjiro's transformation into a ruthless hunter of demonic creatures as the two siblings journey across early 1900s Japan, hoping to turn Nezuko human again.
The story mode of The Hinokami Chronicles is a re-telling of the anime so far, including the Mugen Train arc depicted in the R-rated Demon Slayer film of the same name. Demon Slayer has captivated audiences for its memorable characters, atypical setting (the Taisho Period of Japan), and dark tone. That darkness is partially thanks to horror-adjacent themes and graphic violence in its fight scenes, which stand in stark contrast to other popular shōnen properties that have been adapted for the gaming world, like My Hero Academia. No wonder, then, that the Hinokami Chronicles is rated T for Teen in the US and PEGI 16 in Europe.
When Western Audiences Can Play Demon Slayer's Hinokami Chronicles
Watch the Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Honokami Chronicles story trailer above.
According to SEGA, The Hinokami Chronicles will be released on October 15, 2021 on PS4, PS5, XBox One, XBox Series X/S, and Steam. Nintendo Switch players are, sadly, out of luck for now. Spending an extra $20 for the deluxe edition will gain players early access to the game on October 13th. The deluxe preorder also includes three additional Demon Slayer character unlock keys, avatars, three in-game costumes, and 8000 Slayer Points.
The story appears closely shadows the anime, adding interesting gameplay elements such as following scent threads through Tokyo. The story mode offers plenty of combat opportunities, but players looking for a full-on anime brawler can also turn to the game's versus mode. While story mode will focus on Tanjiro and occasionally Nezuko, versus mode will enable players to fight as many fan-favorite characters, including Inosuke, Zenitsu, Tomioka, and Shinobu.
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles officially launches in the west on October 15th, complete with the anime's English and Japanese voice casts. In the meantime, fans can catch up with the series on Netflix or Crunchyroll, watch the film Mugen Train on Funimation, and ponder when someone will also announce a Jujutsu Kaisen console game.
Source: SEGA