God of the Country: Path of the Goddess is a strange game. It’s a game that combines tower defense with squad strategy and third-person combat. When I first sat down to play this game, I was ready to play it for the long haul. But all my reservations were quickly cast aside – God of the Realm: Path of the Goddess holds your interest with graceful twists and flashy action.
The game starts at the top of Mount Jiafu, where many shrines and worshippers line the mountain. Everything is going well until… oh ohthe entire mountain is under siege and quickly corrupted by the Boiling Ones. They defile the shrine and capture anyone unfortunate enough to find them. You – a mysterious masked swordsman, of course – have escaped with the mountain’s Kagura dancer. This dancer (who can enhance your own abilities and cleanse the Boiling Ones of corruption) is the key to retaking Mount Gafuku. Protect her, rebuild the village, and lead an uprising to reclaim the sacred site. The stage is set.
Manage Cookie Settings
Soon enough, the action weakens the high stakes. The protagonists’ movements are a little sluggish and a little squishy. They lack the kind of power I like to grab in the heat of battle. That being said, the game feels more palatable thanks to the units you summon. Units with specific roles, each of which can be upgraded, help fuel the fantasy of a general, supported by a small army of powerful allies who tactically choose who to deploy on the battlefield.
In this pinnacle of Kingdom Gods: Path of the Goddess, you and your ragtag troupe are thrust into the middle of a raging tide that’s so satisfying to watch as you stand firm against them.
Using these units is the core of the game. Clearing a path for the Kagura Dancer so she can advance to the Torii gate requires currency dropped from enemies you kill and from limited nodes around the linear environment. It all comes down to a day-night cycle: prepare your defense when the sun rises, and fend off The Seethe in the dark. It’s tempting and addictive. It starts with basic options, but as the enemy types and unit variety increase, so does the complexity, and strategic ideas begin to reveal themselves.
There’s a relaxing feel to Kokushin: Path of the Goddess as you make your way through the mountains, repairing villages for upgrade materials, and going back every now and then to complete bonus objectives – it has the same great gameplay rhythm that Capcom has perfected in sister series Monster Hunter. It’s not exactly intense action, though, and the game’s pacing falls a little flat during some of the longer missions.
But if your concentration starts to wane, force yourself to focus on the smaller elements of that extraordinary art direction. The effect of a heavy blow; the citrus orange that looks more like a tear than a violent blow in reality. How it drags your weapon as you hack through wave after wave of enemies. The design of the unstoppable, endless Seethe, and how they emerge from the fierce gates with a flash of crimson. It’s beautiful. And the hand-painted paintings that transport you back to historic Japan, the excellent animation work displayed by the Kagura dancers themselves… there’s a rich visual feast here.
Path of the Goddess is one of Capcom’s most visually stunning games. And that’s really saying something. It may not become the publisher’s most popular experiment, but the development team did a great job with the visuals. If you’re the type of person who’s willing to buy a game for those reasons, or have a moderate interest in tactical action games, Path of the Goddess is a solid choice.
I found myself enthralled by this game. Addicted to its combat and strategy, constantly blown away by the sights, intrigued by the structure of the upgrades and mission layouts. It broadened my horizons a little, if a game can do that. That can’t be a bad thing, can it?
Kokushin: Path of the Goddess will be available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on July 19th for £39.99/$49.99. Not too bad for the price! If you’re craving some visually striking gaming, this is the game to get.