Digital Mind Games’ The Spirit of the Samurai feels like it started as a cool idea unique from everything else. A side-scrolling action title from the perspective of a samurai, but in 2D stop-motion? It sounds cool, and to the developer’s credit, this unorthodox art style can make for some beautiful shots and moments. Additional ideas were then seemingly tossed in to stand out from the crowd. Playing as a kitten who has to platform and sneak past horrifying monsters? Check. Playing as a kodama and fighting at a smaller scale with a sword? Also, check, for some reason.
As bizarre as the overall mixture seems, The Spirit of the Samurai fails to execute the fundamentals of its combat and exploration. Even the premise, which…