~upon getting my copy of x-box live today, i also picked up Otogi - Myth of Demons.. to all x-box owners that are SEGA fans ~ this game is a must; if you don't get this one, i'll take you by the nose & shake you.. ;p

SEGA picked a winner this time for publishing...lol, the game is fascinating ~ based upon ancient japanese folk-lore, the main character is a fierce spectral warrior (summoned from the beyond) to help restore the harmony of an ancient land, torn apart by the fading of a great seal.. the seal was forged long ago, in hopes of preserving peace throughout the land for years to come.. all went rather well; however, with the passing of many years, so had the strength of the seal.. =. now, those banished long ago have trickled back into the land to strengthen chaos by further weakening of the seal..

this is where the main character (Raikoh) comes in.. ^^ the play mechanics are decent, the combo system is well executed, me thinks; in truth, the ambience is filled with an ancient drama, of which i find truly refreshing ~ truly alien.. another time, another place of ancients, mysticism & martial lore.. this game is a gem ~ more to come as i play further.. =)

until then, here is a link of reference..
Otogi - Myth of Demons

I was curious about this game. It looks like it plays very similarly to Shinobi for the PS2. If the game is intense then I will look more into it. How does the combo system work?

~i've come to the realization that i like this one far more than Shinobi - this game is rich in detail & freedom.. =.

~well, the combo system is based on several factors.. =. primarily based on weaponry, each weapon has unique properties & combo sequence(s).. Raikoh utilizes both sword & magic in the form of seals, his combat-style permits him to fight on land &/or in the air.. ^^ for weapons, there is the standard sword-strike button & the power-strike button.. pushing these in set order(s) determine the combo; the beauty of this comes when they connect to whatever it is that you are striking at.. =D especially the power-strike, when connected ~ you launch opponents away at great distances; if the opponent is by a structure or wall, then the force of the power-strike pommels them right through the wall in a swirl of dust & crumbling stone (aka ~ Fist of the North Star-style.. ;p) the feeling is ~ very satisfying.. ^^

~a lot can be destroyed within each level, sometimes it's necessary in order to release trapped spirits which (in turn) aid Raikoh in different ways ~ very useful when confronting the bosses later on.. Oo

~another key element to point out is that there is a lock-on button that help to zone-in on any opponent ~ useful to circle around them, & also for magic abilities.. though i must say that lvling is greatly rewarded, the levels get increasingly difficult if one goes unprepared, & the bosses are unforgiving to boot..

I played the demo a few months ago. It seemed pretty fun. I liked the sense of hang time the main character has when he jumps and fights. Not that it's the games fault or anything, but I had a bit of trouble finding where to go after I had destroyed everything on the ground. The ledges on the cliffwall were a bit hard to see. Plus, after that, I died fairly quickly. The baddies ganged up on me quickly. I remember seeing lots and lots of blue flame coming at me and then... dead.

side note - DivA, about that xbox Live kit. $50 gets us a full year subscription right? Then, after the year, $10-$20 a month or something like that? You preping early for TFLO?

side note - hey scu, how'd you guess? =) yah, i have to sit & read the agreement before installing x-box live; i've heard paying could be done monthly, quarterly or annually ~ i gots to read to make sure, i would choose annually if given a choice.. ^^

~in regards to Otogi ~ indeed, projectiles aimed at Raikoh can be lethal, but they can be deflected right back at the opponents through the power-strike button, also depends on one's choice of weapon too; also, certain items can protect Raikoh from various types of magic fire later in the game...i noticed this about the demo, it's a shadow of the real deal...but then, which demos aren't these days.. ;)

QUOTE (unitself @ Oct 13 2003, 03:40 PM)

side note - DivA, about that xbox Live kit. $50 gets us a full year subscription right?

You might want to hit your local Target's discount bins, Bryn and I managed to find an X-Box Live kit for $25.

Thanks for the deal tip, Dive....Maybe I'll be on XBL sooner than later