As you can tell by my username, I like this game a perfectly normal amount, I swear. It's deeply steeped in esoteric Buddhist lore, which is probably the most interesting thing about the game for me. One of my favorite things about Vanillaware’s body of work as a whole is the care with which it interprets myth and classical art, and the work on this game balances deep reverence and cheeky excess on an edge sharp enough to rival a real Muramasa. It's a game that comes from the intimate knowledge of a spiritual tradition that is alive and well, and there's something very remarkable about that.

The visuals are perfect as you’d expect; you cannot ask for more. But even by atrociously high Vanillaware standards, these are standout. Be prepared for some of the most beautiful backgrounds you'll see in a video game - and dare I mention the food? This is not a game to be played on an empty stomach.

Sadly, I just can't give it a perfect score because the enemies and gameplay get repetitive after a while, the teleportation system is inefficient and makes the game a bit more circuitous than it needs to be, and the translation on the Wii version is lacking (but is much improved in the Vita version). For me, that doesn't stop it from being a work of art and an absolute must-play.

And consider me next in line for a statue of the big-titty foxgirl, but when is that Torahime figure coming out?!