Defeat and slay the demonic uprising of the Nine-Tailed Fox and his army in Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade! Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Review Overview

What is Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade?

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is an action-adventure roguelite developed by 7QUARK and published by 7QUARK and Game Source Entertainment. Launching on April 24, 2025, the game will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and PS5.

Set in Edo-period Japan, players will battle malevolent forces in a beautifully crafted, Japanese-inspired world. Wielding the legendary Demon Blades, you'll take control of three unique warriors—Shigure, Sara, and Taketora—as you uncover the mysteries behind the fractured balance between humans and demons. Face off against relentless enemies and the powerful Nine-Tailed Fox, forging your path toward peace and restoration in a world consumed by chaos.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade features:
　⚫︎　Action Roguelite
　⚫︎　Exploration
　⚫︎　Anime
　⚫︎　Multiple Stories
　⚫︎　Hidden Stages
　⚫︎　Multiple Playable Characters
　⚫︎　Japanese Fantasy

For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade's gameplay and story.

Digital Storefronts
Steam		PlayStation		Xbox		Switch
Price		$29.99

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
3 Unique Storylines Unique Playable Characters with Distinct Combat and Weapons Gorgeous Art Style	Hardly any Voice-Acting Unresponsive and Clunky Combat Controls at Times

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Overall Score - 76/100

Though Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade doesn’t quite live up to the mythic weight of its name, it conjures a vibrant, haunting vision of Edo-era Japan. Battling through legions of yokai with three distinct heroes, the game’s beauty and chaos dance together in mesmerizing harmony.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Story - 8/10

As chaos consumes the land of Japan, players step into the shoes of one of three distinct heroes—an undying Ninja, a half-human Oni Emissary, or a fearsome Monstrous Samurai—each offering a unique perspective and personal story. The journey is nothing short of epic, enriched by memorable characters and a surprisingly satisfying finale that truly shines once all three paths have been explored.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Gameplay - 7/10

What holds Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade back from reaching its full potential is its occasionally clunky gameplay. The parry system can feel inconsistent and unresponsive, and movement sometimes lacks the fluidity expected from a fast-paced action game. Still, these flaws never fully overshadow the game's strengths—a fun roguelite experience with three distinct combat styles, a variety of engaging stages, and memorable boss encounters.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Visuals - 8/10

The game’s aesthetic is undeniably striking, breathing life into the Edo period with a distinctive art style that blends ink outlines and watercolor-inspired visuals. Its vibrant, creatively designed characters, stages, and especially its memorable bosses make each moment visually captivating.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Audio - 6/10

Unfortunately, the game features little to no voice acting—a surprising omission given how heavily it was marketed. As a result, many cutscenes feel noticeably flat and lacking in emotional impact. The soundtrack, while serviceable, doesn’t leave a lasting impression and struggles to elevate key moments.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Value for Money - 9/10

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade offers impressive replay value, thanks to its three distinct storylines and combat styles. Each run feels fresh, especially as you unlock new weapons and gear that significantly change how you play. With additional stages and a wealth of content to explore, the $30 price tag feels more than justified.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Review: Slicing Yokai with Style

Having played the demo, I was genuinely excited for the full release of Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade. The demo left a strong impression—even with a few criticisms, it was clear the game was built with a lot of heart and passion. Set in a fantastical version of Edo-period Japan, this action RPG blends stylish combat, roguelite mechanics, and rich fantasy elements. It’s a game bursting with potential. But did it live up to the expectations? Let’s start with what it gets right.

3 Captivating Storylines

The game lets you play as three distinct characters—Shigure, the Immortal Ninja; Sara, the ambitious Oni Emissary; and Taketora, the fierce Demon Samurai—each with their own storyline and motivations for hunting the mysterious Nine-Tailed Fox. Their personal journeys are engaging and unique, adding depth to the overall narrative.

What really stands out is how well-defined their personalities are. Sara, for instance, is bold and determined to earn fame across the land, while Shigure initially comes across as stoic, only to reveal a more lighthearted side—especially with her obsession for food.

Her story is the most personal, driven by a deep vendetta, and it unfolds in a way that feels especially impactful. The way these characters’ paths intertwine adds an exciting layer to the experience.

Each storyline feels satisfying on its own, yet when played together, they form a richer, interconnected narrative that’s surprisingly rewarding. It makes for a compelling reason to replay the game, as seeing how everything comes together adds a real sense of payoff.

A Vibrant World Despite Being Overrun by Demons

From the moment you step into Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade, you’re enveloped in a world painted with brushstrokes of myth and memory. Its art style is nothing short of stunning—each frame infused with the elegance of ink-wash painting, where every shadow bleeds into light like a living scroll. The Edo-period aesthetic isn’t just a backdrop; it breathes through the vibrant colors, the intricate character designs, and the haunting beauty of its stages.

Each hero stands out in striking fashion, from Shigure’s shinobi look to Sara’s fiery presence, but it’s Taketora, the towering feline samurai, who steals the show with his majestic and imposing design. He looks like he walked straight out of a legend.

The stages themselves feel like living canvases—whether it’s the ethereal shimmer of moonlight on water, the crashing of ink-drenched waves during boss fights, or the glow of lanterns in the game’s festival-like hub. There’s a particular magic to the beachside cliffs and the eerie arenas where you face off against yokai—like the early battle with a towering crab spirit, where the ocean swells and the screen explodes in fluid artistry.

Visually, Yasha draws comparisons to anime like Demon Slayer, not just in its stylistic flair, but in the way it marries action with beauty. It’s a game you don’t just play—you witness it, frame by frame, like watching an ancient legend unfold in motion.

Protagonists Have Distinct and Engaging Combat Styles

What truly anchors Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade beyond its breathtaking visuals and atmospheric storytelling is the depth of its gameplay loop—an elegant dance of blade, strategy, and rebirth. While you’ll traverse familiar stages and face the same bestiary across multiple playthroughs, the game’s soul lies in its three distinct protagonists, each offering a dramatically different combat experience and narrative thread. It’s this trinity of styles that makes Yasha endlessly replayable.

Structured with roguelite foundations, the game adopts a slightly top-down perspective where players battle through procedurally segmented stages. Combat encounters demand the full defeat of all enemies before progressing. Fall in battle, and you're sent back to the beginning—only now, wiser and hungrier for vengeance.

You cannot switch between characters mid-run; instead, you commit to a full journey with one warrior at a time. Each offers a distinct combat identity and learning curve. Shigure, the Immortal Ninja, is perhaps the most technically demanding. Wielding a single katana, she excels in precise close-quarters combat and relies heavily on the parry mechanic. Mastery of her playstyle demands perfect timing, calculated risk, and yields high rewards—she moves like a blade through silence.

Sara, the Oni Emissary, brings a relentless storm of aggression with her dual blades. Her style is built on speed and momentum, overwhelming enemies in flurries of motion. She’s fluid, fierce, and thrillingly fast-paced, making her the most kinetic of the trio.

Taketora, the Monstrous Samurai, contrasts the others with his massive bow and commanding presence. He specializes in devastating ranged attacks and is undeniably the most approachable of the three, often capable of clearing out waves from a distance. However, his slow movement and sluggish melee attacks leave him vulnerable in tight arenas, demanding more careful positioning. He’s a powerhouse—brutal, elegant, and best kept at a distance until the moment strikes.

The enemy design smartly supports this variety. Each foe has unique attack patterns, rewarding pattern recognition and strategic engagement. The bosses, in particular, are highlights—grand, mythic confrontations with yokai that are as challenging as they are visually spectacular. The opening encounter with the ink-drenched tidal crab sets a high bar, showing just how much personality and artistry the developers infused into each battle.

Roguelite progression is driven by Soul Orbs, the primary currency used to enhance your character with a staggering array of upgrades. From passive buffs to flashy new skills, your options expand with each run. The game also introduces clever, thematic mechanics like cooking—scavenging rare ingredients to create dishes that grant boosts, such as a bowl of celestial ramen that supercharges your damage output.

As if that weren’t enough, ethereal festivals hosted by friendly yokai punctuate your journey. These surreal pitstops offer much-needed reprieve and powerful boons, adding whimsy and wonder to your dark pilgrimage. With hundreds of skills, dozens of weapons, and a layered upgrade system, each run becomes a uniquely tailored experience, begging you to return again and again to master all three warriors and unravel the full scope of their stories.

Voice-Acting is Sparse

I mentioned this in my demo review, and I was really hoping it would be addressed in the full release—but sadly, Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade still features very little voice acting. Despite the game's marketing spotlighting a talented cast—including Yoko Hikasa, Ayana Taketatsu, and Rikiya Koyama—voice work is surprisingly sparse, even during major cutscenes.

Outside of a few attack grunts and brief bits of dialogue, much of the game remains oddly silent.
This absence is particularly noticeable given how dialogue-heavy the game can be. Cutscenes often feel awkward and emotionally flat, as though something vital is missing. It's a real missed opportunity to elevate key moments and make the story more engaging—especially considering the caliber of voice actors involved.

While I understand that budget constraints might have played a role, even limited voice work during pivotal scenes—such as the game's opening—could have made a significant difference. If you were drawn in by the advertised voice cast, it's best to temper your expectations, as their presence is unfortunately underutilized. Each of the main characters begins their journey in a unique and compelling way, and it would have been great to hear those moments fully voice-acted—it could’ve added an extra layer of impact and made for a truly memorable introduction.

Combat can Sometimes Suffer from Clunky Controls

The combat in Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is fast, flashy, and incredibly fun—but it’s held back by some clunky controls that I had hoped would be smoothed out in the full release. The parry system, in particular, is a fantastic mechanic in theory. It allows players to deflect incoming attacks and respond with a powerful counterstrike that deals bonus damage. When it works, it feels amazing—but unfortunately, the execution is inconsistent.

There were multiple times across all three characters where I pressed the parry button, only for the input to either be delayed or not register at all, leading to unnecessary hits. This lack of responsiveness makes the system feel unreliable, and while it doesn’t ruin the experience entirely, it did make me hesitant to rely on parries—despite how cool and varied the animations are.

Movement can also feel awkward at times. Character positioning lacks precision, and the absence of a proper lock-on feature makes it hard to line up attacks, especially when using ranged weapons like Taketora’s bow. His slower movement speed further highlights the issue. A lock-on system or improved targeting mechanics would go a long way in making combat feel smoother and more intuitive.

To the game’s credit, these issues become less disruptive as you unlock upgrades and grow more familiar with each character’s playstyle. Still, the rough edges are noticeable early on and can be frustrating during critical moments. With a few patches, these mechanics could really shine.

Is Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Worth It?

A Demonic Good Time

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is absolutely worth purchasing. While it's not without its flaws—particularly in combat—these issues could easily be addressed in future updates. If you're still on the fence, there's a free demo available that offers a solid taste of what the game has to offer. With its rich replay value and engaging gameplay, it’s a hidden gem that’s well worth your time.

Digital Storefronts
Steam		PlayStation		Xbox		Switch
Price		$29.99

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade FAQ

Who are the Main Characters and Voice-Actors of Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade?

　⚫︎　Shigure (voiced by Yoko Hikasa), an immortal ninja with unmatched agility.
　⚫︎　Sara (voiced by Ayana Taketatsu), an enigmatic Oni Emissary wielding mysterious powers.
　⚫︎　Taketora (voiced by Rikiya Koyama), a formidable Demon Samurai and master archer.

What Languages are Supported in Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade?

　⚫︎　English
　⚫︎　French
　⚫︎　German
　⚫︎　Italian
　⚫︎　Japanese
　⚫︎　Korean
　⚫︎　Portuguese
　⚫︎　Spanish

Right now, the game only features Japanese voice-over.

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Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade Product Information

Title	Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade
Release Date	May 14, 2025
Developer	7QUARK
Publisher	7QUARK, Game Source Entertainment
Supported Platforms	PC (Steam) PlayStation 5 PlayStation 4 Xbox Series X|S Nintendo Switch
Genre	RPG, Roguelite
Number of Players	1
ESRB Rating	RP
Official Website	Yasha Legends of the Demon Blade Website

Uriel Rodriguez

Writer | Gamer | Self-Proclaimed Digimon/Sujimon/Persona/Palworld/Pokémon Master