I enjoy KEMCO’s RPGs, I think I have made that very clear with my reviews. I feel that even though many follow the same pattern, they have been trying new things with their recent games that actually add something new to the experience. When I heard about their new game Y?danji, I was curious and wanted to see more. It ended up being something quite different than I expected, but this was not a bad thing in the end.
Y?danji is a throwback to the classic rougelike games of the 1980’s computer scene. It definitely is different than KEMCO’s usual fare and I must admit I was disappointed with the game at first. The more I played the game, however, the more I began to appreciate what it was. That being said, I feel this game is not for everyone as it doesn’t explain how things work and players will be confused the first time they play. A throwback game like this is really targeting a niche audience and they do that well, as Y?danji truly is a great throwback. However, a lot of what was done then has simply not aged well in terms of game design. A throwback is not necessarily a bad thing, but I feel that in this case the game takes too much from the past.
A good throwback game will adapt what worked and abandon what doesn’t. I feel Y?danji tried to do that but ended up retaining too much of what did not work and that holds it back. This may sound surprising therefore, when I say that I would like to see KEMCO try this type of game again, as I feel they can do this right even if Y?danji did not hit the mark. I do appreciate that this is a budget title, probably due to its niche appeal, and there is good to say about the gameplay, but I feel so much more could have been done and should have been done. If KEMCO does try this again, I would encourage them to take risks, they can do their own take on the genre well.
As it stands, if you like that genre of gaming, then you might want to check it out. Despite my complaints, there is a great deal to enjoy and the throwbacks done well, were done very well. KEMCO does not get the credit they deserve for how much they try and do new things with their games. I have a big piece of praise to give Y?danji as well, and that is that the game has made me interested in playing some of the classic games to learn more. That is the sign of a game that has done its job well. KEMCO should receive credit for looking to diversify their games and I urge them to continue, because after playing for a while I did like what Y?danji had to offer. The unique Japanese myth inspired design to the gameplay really did offer something new and I liked it. Kudos!
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Disclaimer: A review code was provided