The missing link between the brawler and the modern character action game, Kaze Kiri is nearly ruined by its extremely repetitive gameplay loop.

Every level plays out the same way, with each area giving you a set number of enemies to beat before pushing you onto a boss. There is no platforming, each level is just a long hallway. It's good then that the core control is super solid, with a surprisingly deep combat system. It appears clunky at first but once you get the hang of it you'll be surprised at what you can pull off. The bosses are also really fun, the combat system excels in one on one encounters. The sprite work (especially in cutscenes) is top-notch and is reminiscent of Naxat Soft's other PC Engine games like Fausetté Amour.

It honestly feels like a proof of concept, the small team that worked on this clearly did their best with the time they had and I think with more varied levels this probably could have been one of the best games on the platform. As it is now though, its worth a go just to try out the combat systems.