As a fan of roguelites, Japanese culture, and gaming, once I heard about Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade, I had to play it. Getting to play the advanced copy of this demo, I promise, there is much for roguelite fans to look forward to. Let’s dive into this delightful demo!

Set in a demon-infested Edo period, players can expect to explore a beautiful Japanese countryside. You’ll spend lots of time here as death brings you back to the start in typical roguelite fashion. As the story goes, during this time period, demons and humans live in a harmonious balance. At least, it was peaceful until the appearance of the Nine-tailed Fox sowing discord between demons and humans. What are the motivations of the Fox? Why now? That all depends on your choice in character.

As you begin the game, you get to choose your play style by way of the character options. This will also determine the story line you are following as each character comes with their own story. Will you be Shigure, the katana wielding heroine ready to save the day and find her master? If faster combat is more your style, play as Sara, the demon emissary who fights with twin blades. If you like a mix of ranged and melee, Taketora is your feline friend. 

A Little Bit More About Characters

Each of these characters has a different story line you'll be following. If you play as Shigure, you'll see someone who is a bit more confident and uses her blade accordingly. When her master goes missing, Shigure embarks on a journey to find him. Shigure’s immortality helps as she believes death is not the end and she will continue to fight and understand what has caused the demons to rebel.

Playing as Sara you'll see a more timid unsure version of Shigure who follows Sara around. Sara is on her own journey to return to the demon world after being exiled. Interestingly enough as you play as Sara, she’ll be on fairly familiar terms with the mid-level bosses you encounter. This adds to some of the fun of her story. The question becomes, what side is Sara really on? Will she destroy the mortal realm or in due time will she find the mortal realm somewhat endearing?

Playing as Taketora will show you a younger version of Shigure, also referred to as the princess and cosmic demon. In this version of events, Shigure is hidden behind palace walls by her grandfather to protect her. Of course, as a young child, Shigure is ready to go out and explore, unaware of the power she posses as the “Cosmic Demon”. Taketora becomes her friend and confidant so when the castle is under attack, he brings Shigure to Konpeki village for her protection. His duty is still to his lord who he goes back to find once he is sure Shigure is safe. Seemingly, he is also one of the few who knows the power she possesses. Can he reunite the family or has his lord succumbed to death?

While the demo only highlights a portion of chapter one, it's quite fun to see the different versions of the characters and the dialogue exchanges between them. Shigure seems to be the through line in each play but as we’ve only seen the beginning of chapter one, it makes sense that characters may appear in other areas later in the game.

No matter who you begin as, your journey begins taking down demons on the beach showing some of the simplistic beauty of Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade. Perhaps it is due to being based in a more simple time, or perhaps a stylistic choice, but the focus on the demons and your character make the game beautiful to look at, even while in combat.

The gameplay is fairly standard from your roguelite games. Populate in the level, fight some creatures, and then reap the benefits. The benefits vary from level to level as you explore this demo. You’ll also get the opportunity to upgrade your weapon which you can choose to update as you prefer. The weapon upgrades are pretty straight forward so you don’t have to worry about it being overly confusing. I found this to be refreshing after some games require you to know the weapon overly well. Instead, it’ll tell you percentage increases in damage or additional hits.

As with your standard roguelite, death is not the end. Once you die you’ll find yourself in a mystical area with your soul flame where you can redeem the good you’ve found for character growth. Each character will have the standard growth (such as additional revives) and then character specific growth allowing you to specialize your character to your style. As you return to the village, you’ll also be able to craft and upgrade demon blades to unlock additional powers. Between character choice, character upgrades, and weapon changes, the customization has so much potential for a variety of game play. Oh and did I mention you could eat ramen at the demon festival for some additional upgrades?

Final Thoughts

While the demo isn’t very long, it is just enough to whet your appetite. The characters and the setting will capture the attention of roguelike fans very quickly. Those who want more story in their gaming are promised deep characters and lots of story along the way. I dare say that this is shaping up to be a bit of a cozy roguelite for adventurous souls. Personally, I can’t wait to see the full release of Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade having had just a taste.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is due to release April 24, 2025 on PC, Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, and Xbox series X & S. Thank you to 7Quark for the advanced preview code!