Toukiden: Kiwami

Toukiden: Kiwami is an expanded version of the hunting action game from Omega Force, which on PlayStation Vita builds on Japanese mythology and demons called Oni. The world is fractured by rifts through which the Oni pour into human lands, and you play as a Slayer, a warrior from the village of Utakata, who must stand against what an ordinary army cannot defeat. The Kiwami version added a new story thread to the original game, additional weapon types, new hunting grounds, and extra content for players who had already finished the main campaign.

Battles combine fast action with tactics. Every monster has body parts that can be severed individually, and only once they've been cleared away is the demon unable to regenerate. This is supported by the Mitama mechanic — souls of ancient heroes that you place into your weapons to gain active abilities ranging from healing to slowing down time. There's a wide range of weapon types with their own rhythm, from sword and spear to chain sickles or bow, and missions can be accompanied by up to three AI-controlled companions, or by live players in co-op. Body parts looted from demons are then used to forge and upgrade gear, turning repeated hunts of the same opponent into targeted preparation for the next, stronger foe.

On Vita the game runs smoothly, and missions have a short, well-paced length, making it an ideal title for travel. Visually it leans on Japanese historical stylization with temples, snow-covered mountains, and jagged cliffs, and the music is suitably bombastic with prominent drums. Reviews highlighted its accessibility compared to tougher genre rivals and the clever Mitama system, which allows a lot of customization of playstyle, while complaints pointed to recycled environments. Toukiden helped establish an entire wave of hunting games on handheld consoles and remains one of the most pleasant ways for a newcomer to enter the genre without being scared off in the first few hours.