Well, it managed to be an experience to say at least. I feel like I could've appreciated this game more had I played it when it first came out, but I never did and now over 20 years later it's showing it's age pretty badly.
Mushashi starts out really solid, the first chapter is truly a blast to play through. There's some basic high-action platforming, easing into the game's unique assimilation-mechanic, cool robot boss and a kickass soundtrack. However, after the tutorial ends you find yourself in a somewhat open world with day/night - cycle, exhaustion bar and a goal to save the world.
Now, the RPG elements didn't bother me that much. They were hindrances at times, but it was easy to play around them and the game didn't really punish you for taking some prolonged tlc breaks. It kinda left them feel pointless if I'm completely honest, but at least it was nice to have an option to skip the time until the village's fishmonger does his midday butt-scratching and progresses story.
What really annoyed me was the platforming. Musashi really suffers from the early 3D-platforming with stupid camera angles and confusing hitboxes. On top of that, every time you jump in this game, the character does this little slide upon landing, which can sometimes throw you off the platform completely. Then, just as you're ready to pass on the game, it gives you double jumping, which makes platforming so easy you wonder if the devs realized how janky it was and decided to give you a break.
Musashi also really drags during the middle parts, especially in chapter 4 and 5. The story introduces new characters for the sake of introducing new characters to the plot and the fetch quests are really starting to grind at that point. Fortunately the last level brings it all around with the same type of action you saw in the first chapter and manages to make the game end on a high note. Musashi also has a banger of a soundtrack worth checking out.
Mushashi starts out really solid, the first chapter is truly a blast to play through. There's some basic high-action platforming, easing into the game's unique assimilation-mechanic, cool robot boss and a kickass soundtrack. However, after the tutorial ends you find yourself in a somewhat open world with day/night - cycle, exhaustion bar and a goal to save the world.
Now, the RPG elements didn't bother me that much. They were hindrances at times, but it was easy to play around them and the game didn't really punish you for taking some prolonged tlc breaks. It kinda left them feel pointless if I'm completely honest, but at least it was nice to have an option to skip the time until the village's fishmonger does his midday butt-scratching and progresses story.
What really annoyed me was the platforming. Musashi really suffers from the early 3D-platforming with stupid camera angles and confusing hitboxes. On top of that, every time you jump in this game, the character does this little slide upon landing, which can sometimes throw you off the platform completely. Then, just as you're ready to pass on the game, it gives you double jumping, which makes platforming so easy you wonder if the devs realized how janky it was and decided to give you a break.
Musashi also really drags during the middle parts, especially in chapter 4 and 5. The story introduces new characters for the sake of introducing new characters to the plot and the fetch quests are really starting to grind at that point. Fortunately the last level brings it all around with the same type of action you saw in the first chapter and manages to make the game end on a high note. Musashi also has a banger of a soundtrack worth checking out.