SHIMAZU

I went in expecting either a tight sidescroller or a weighty combat game. SHIMAZU is neither cleanly. The sword mechanics feel responsive enough for light crowd control, but the level design doesn't seem built to showcase them. Instead you're navigating small platforms and dealing with knockback that either trivializes platforming sections or punishes them arbitrarily depending on enemy placement. The art is clean and the premise hooks you, but after a couple hours the novelty wears thin when you realize it's spinning its wheels between two genres without committing to either. This is one for the deep-discount bin or a patient run during a slow month. It's not broken, and some players will vibe with the experimental mixing, but SHIMAZU needed another design pass to figure out what it actually wanted to be.

Alex · Scout Team

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