The roguelike genre has evolved quite a lot since it was first popularized in the 80s and 90s. In spite of the prevalence of AAA games that continually push the boundaries of graphical quality, many of the most popular modern roguelike games feature a more stylistic approach to their visuals and focus instead on the quality and uniqueness of their gameplay. One such title that is taking this same approach is Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade from Taiwanese indie studio 7QUARK. I got to try out the game’s recently released demo and here are my thoughts on this new modern roguelite.
Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is largely inspired by Japanese folklore and history. It’s set in a fantasy version of Japan’s Edo period where demons and humans are able to coexist. However, this peace is disturbed when the Nine-tailed Fox, depicted as the ruler of all demons in this story, suddenly rallied the rest of the demons to sow chaos in the realm. Given its inspiration, it isn’t surprising that the game features anime-like visuals. The demo features only a small portion of the game’s first chapter, including a couple of mini bosses and one main boss.
You will get to choose between three characters to play as. Each of the characters feature a different weapon and distinct playstyle. Shigure is a ninja that can wield two katanas she can switch between to combine their abilities, Sara is a demon emissary that wields dual blades and features a faster playstyle, and Taketora uses a bow but can also utilize hand-to-hand melee combat. Each of the characters also feature their own storylines that intertwine in interesting ways, which already adds to the game’s replayability.
Combat and gameplay is pretty standard fare, involving clearing consecutive small areas of enemies. Successfully clearing an area will reward you with a soul orb they can use to upgrade their abilities for that run. Some areas will also have a shrine that offers extra rewards like coins or an onigiri to restore a small amount of health.
Each character will have access to a light and heavy attack as well as a parry attack move, which can be used when an orange glowing circle appears on an enemy right before they strike. You can also hold the parry button to execute a more powerful charged parry attack that can also be used when an enemy is stunned. The parry timing is pretty close so it helps to learn the enemy’s attack animation and pattern to know when the orange circle is about to appear.
After boss fights, you will be able to visit the demon festival where they can purchase items, buffs, or power ups from different merchants. One merchant also offers special combat trials that reward amulets that give extra buffs
Like other roguelites, dying in the game is not the end. When you die, they can purchase upgrades to their soul flame for succeeding runs. There are general upgrades, such as increasing your number of revives or maximum health, and character specific upgrades where you can really lean further into your preferred playstyle for that character. Returning to the starting town before you start your next run will give you access to the blacksmith, where you can forge new Demon Blades using materials you obtain from your previous runs.
Each of the Demon Blades feature unique traits that you can synergize since each character can carry two at a time. This makes for a sizable number of potential combinations depending on your preference and playstyle.
Between the in-run upgrades and buffs, permanent character upgrades, and weapon upgrades, there’s a whole lot of ways you can build your character.
Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is shaping up to be a pretty good game. It features a great visual style, interesting story and characters, fun and challenging combat, and executes on its roguelite elements very well. The demo is definitely worth checking out, especially for fans of the genre, as it gives a good enough glimpse of the game’s elements that it’ll likely make you want to experience more of it. It’ll be great to see the rest of what the game has to offer when it launches.
Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is scheduled for release on April 24, 2025, on PC, Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.