Full Metal Daemon Muramasa

The visual novel genre is one with a fierce fanbase and while there are lots of different sub segments within the genre, Full Metal Daemon Muramasa satisfies nearly all aspects of what makes a great VN. The story takes place in a fictional history setting where intelligent, metallic armor called Tsurugi reigns supreme as the most powerful weapon. These mechanical warriors are called the musha and roam the lands of Japan causing destruction and death wherever they go, for better and for worse.

The story revolves around Minato Kageaki who has one purpose in life: to fight and destroy Ginseigo. The story highlights greed and power, strength and weakness, while showing you through wonderfully designed graphics and violent, at times ruthless scenes. This story is definitely not meant for the eyes of children, but for the adult fans this journey is one you won’t want to miss.

Storyline

As mentioned above, this is a story about a fictional alternative history entrenched deep within Japan which has a rich history of honorable warriors and vicious warring clans. The story takes place post war in Japan which is currently being ruled by an army called Rokuhara.

Although instead of ruling the country as one might typically do, the Rokuhara have sold off the country to the western powers known as GHQ. While the main story follows Minato Kageaki whose purpose is to battle Ginseigo, there are tons of other forms of evil sweeping across the land causing havoc and death as well. The story itself deals with major themes such as good vs. evil, right and wrong, and accepting reality no matter how harsh, in a highly interesting way which lures fans in for the entire ride. While there are some highly upsetting aspects of the story such as sexual assault and ruthless violence, its done in a way that doesn’t go over the top by exploiting these aspects. Fans of similar titles such as Song of Saya will find this story highly entertaining.

In Story Features

The story weaves different mechanics throughout to ensure the reader/player a fully immersed experience which leaves you feeling as if you were really in the fictional world, experiencing the conflicts and joys firsthand. While the audio does a masterful job of aiding to this feeling, its traditional Japanese roots really put the bow on top of an already excellent story. The graphics are both bright and vibrant, while also dark and dreadful where necessary.

This combines two sides of good and evil to draw players in and keep them curious throughout the entire story. The writing overall is well done, and the English translation is done in such a way that it is quite clear the developers took their time to ensure a truly authentic experience for English speaking players.

Pros:

• Superb writing and storytelling, showing not all heroes are perfect but are flawed like most humans.
• Graphics, animation and audio all done exceptionally to aid the story and bring it to the next level.

Cons:

• Graphic scenes of sexual assault and brutal violence may dismay younger viewers and parents looking to buy them their next Visual Novel, at least until they’re older of course.