Game review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Before I talk about the game itself, I will refer to this game as Demon Slayer 2 for the rest of this review. As you can see above, the real name of this game is a mouthful, so it’s better to just shorten it. 

Anyway, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a relatively new manga created in 2016. Due to its popularity, the franchise has an anime as well as two video games. The first game was released in 2021, with the follow-up we’re reviewing now released in 2025 and is available on all modern video game platforms. 

Despite being a new franchise, Demon Slayer has quickly become one of the biggest and most popular manga series of all time. The game in 2021 covered the franchise’s introduction, while Demon Slayer 2 is the middle chapter. For any newcomers out there, I suggest playing the first game before diving into this one. 

If you’re new to the franchise, Demon Slayer follows the character of a young demon hunter boy named Tanjiro Kamado. He is part of a group called the Demon Slayer Corps, and they pretty much hunt and kill demons who invade the human world. 

Unlike Inuyasha and other manga series, the demons in this franchise are evil because their goal is to feed on humans, and they kill them in large numbers. The only non-evil demon in the franchise is Tanjiro’s little sister, Nezuko. Despite not knowing how, Tanjiro wishes there was a way for Nezuko to turn back into a normal human being eventually. 

As for the game itself, Demon Slayer 2 is a fighting game at heart, featuring fast combat and unique skills and abilities for each character. The coolest part about the game is the fact that players have the choice to play as either the human hunters or the demons. That being said, only the human hunters are playable in the Story mode, though. 

Speaking of gameplay, Demon Hunter 2 has a very satisfying combat system that’s fast and fluid. All fighters have the usual kicks and punches that they can string into cool-looking combos. There is also a dedicated button you can press to initiate any special techniques for both the human and demon fighters. 

Another cool thing about the game is that each fighter can sidestep and dodge with ninja-like reflexes. To make fights easier for beginners, a red marker is shown on the floor to indicate that the opponent is executing an unblockable attack. 

Each fighter also has access to their own special attack called the ‘Ultimate Art’. You can only execute an Ultimate Art when a special meter is filled, but when you do one, it looks awesome. Not only do they do lots of damage, but a small cinematic moment plays to replicate the famous anime.

The game also has tag-team action where you can call in a friend to help you out. The only downside to tag-team fights is that both fighters share only one life bar. Still, it’s fun to swap out a character if the first fighter isn’t effective at fighting. 

The game is also generous with the number of playable characters that are available at launch. Demon Slayer 2 offers 46 fighters out of the box, with some characters inaccessible until you unlock them. 

Speaking of generosity, Demon Slayers 2 offers a lot of game modes for fans to dive into. The game includes Story, VS mode, Online Match, The Path of a Demon Slayer, and Training Paths. 

The Story mode is arguably the best mode in the entire game because it retells the plot of the anime/manga perfectly. It features proper cutscenes with voiceovers, and there are tons of epic fights to partake in as well. 

The Story mode isn’t just all about fights, too, which I appreciate. There are some levels where you can roam around the village and talk to citizens as well. Some citizens offer side quests you can complete that aren’t necessary to complete the story, but you can get rewards. 

Probably my favourite part of the story is when Tanjiro and his two friends need to infiltrate a gentlemen’s club to investigate a suspected kidnapping. 

Much like Cloud in Final Fantasy VII, Tanjiro and his male friends have to dress up as pretty women to get inside. It’s a funny introduction to the story before the sad and dramatic scenes appear. 

The other big mode in Demon Slayer 2 is The Path of a Demon Slayer. This is a mode that features an abridged version of the story. Much like the Story mode, there are lots of epic fights to take part in, featuring multiple different characters. 

Graphically, Demon Slayer 2 looks as good as any other anime game out there. It’s not as detailed as Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, but the graphics are much better than those of Bleach Rebirth of Souls. Sadly, though, the Switch 2 version is only capped at 30fps, even though the Switch 2 should be able to handle 60fps. 

Another small flaw is that Demon Slayer 2 is clearly just the middle chapter when it comes to the Story mode. The Story mode does not have a satisfying conclusion because it appears the plot will be resolved whenever the third game gets released in the future. 

Overall, Demon Slayer 2 is a great game with satisfying combat and an awesome story mode. Even if you are unfamiliar with Demon Slayer, playing this game will make you a fan of the franchise. 

Verdict: 8.5/10