Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Interview – Bringing Strategy to Everyone

It is never easy trying out something new, and in Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Capcom is definitely taking a risk with an interesting take on the already-niche strategy genre. But you wouldn’t know it hearing from director Shuichi Kawata and producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, two of the main drivers behind the scenes for this unique Kagura action strategy adventure.

That’s because the team has a clear idea of what it wants to achieve with the game, which can be described as a tower defence meets action hybrid, casting players as both a primary character in Soh, but also a strategist involved in managing villagers to help out against the menacing, demonic Seethe.

“It is what we had in mind that it would take a little bit of time to get used to [the strategy elements] in earlier stages. We didn’t intend to make it very complex,” the pair explained previously. And in our interview, they dove a little deeper into what they meant by achieving the right balance to keep players wanting more.

“The combination of managing the villagers and the player’s actions (Soh) is a key element for successful strategy. While preparation before nightfall is crucial, it is also important to stay aware of the constantly changing battle conditions and your surroundings,” Kawata said.

“Players need to decide whether to focus on attacking and let their allies protect the shrine maidens, or take on a defensive role themselves. This continuous cycle of strategic thinking allows players to feel a sense of accomplishment when they survive the night together. Additionally, as you clear each stage, you will find the teamwork with the villagers increasingly engaging.”

That is exactly how we felt after clearing several levels in our preview. This is a strategy game that has layers, combining action with its tactical requirements, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel that obtuse to alienate those who have less experience in the genre. That’s the magical balance that Capcom wants for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and we argue that it is well on its way.

This is also because of the important roles that the villagers can play. Rather than being passive NPCs that can only be rescued, those cleared of defilement can join in the fight after being assigned roles by the player. They can be on the frontlines, supporting from range, acting as tanks, and even dishing out debuffs to the Seethe. Such variety doesn’t necessarily complicate things, as once again, a nice balance is being struck.

“Each profession does not have a clear superiority or inferiority; instead, they have strengths and weaknesses depending on the situation,” Hirabayashi shared. “The basic idea is to make it role-based in a way that is easy to understand as a common concept worldwide. This is because we believe that users need to quickly grasp the roles of these professions in the game,” Kawata chimed in.

Knowing their roles is one thing, but being able to leverage them is how the game continues to surprise. Not everything is straightforward in this world, and players can expect more than just the Seethe when it comes to obstacles standing in your way of helping the divine maiden, Yoshiro, purge and cleanse Mt. Kafuku.

Interesting level design and mechanics require different approaches, having players embrace verticality, the usefulness of the villagers’ roles, and sometimes, even the base ability to control Soh in a fight. While Hirabayashi reveals that ” a single run through the game will likely take over 20 hours,” true mastery and appreciation of the hard work put into everything will require more of your time.

It is clear that Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess comes from a place of love, something Kawata alluded to when he shared that he enjoys “old Japanese folklore and mysterious tales,” with the idea of the game coming “from envisioning a scenario where messengers from another world appear every night in the mountains of Japan, and the task is to protect the gods while dealing with these messengers.”

His apparent “fondness for tower defence and strategy games” meant it was important to integrate these elements in ways that are “deeply engaging and interesting.” The cherry on top is “adding user actions to the decision-making process” to infuse even more strategic elements.

Whether that moves the needle for the majority of players who have traditionally steered clear of the genre remains to be seen, but from what we have experienced and heard, Capcom has more than done its job with Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. A seemingly perfect balance has been found, and all it lacks is you, the player, to prove that the risks taken for this game is well worth it.

Jake Su Editor-in-Chief

Jake is a full-time trophy hunter and achievement gatherer on consoles, and a part-time Steam Sale victim. He has been writing about games for more than 15 years, covering news, previews, reviews, and guides, and can be found across continents and time zones to provide the key info gamers need to enjoy their games even more.

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