“The game has truly come into its own with this remaster, boasting a unique visual style that’s been significantly enhanced by high-definition resolution and a smooth 60 frames per second,” explains Motohide Eshiro, the game’s Director. “With the shift to widescreen TVs over the years, we’ve adjusted the game’s output to fill these larger displays. This means the image is more zoomed in, making the battle scenes feel even more immersive and exciting.”
I couldn’t agree more. The swordplay in the game is incredibly responsive now. It’s easy to strike and parry with precision, and the battles are intense and personal. This becomes especially evident in the narrow temple corridors where I’m fending off waves of demons, working to perfect a powerful counterattack known as the issen hit while soaking up their souls to earn experience points.
“In the 2025 remaster, new players should experience the same thrill that someone did back in 2002,” Eshiro continues. “We aimed to retain the game’s core essence and charm while modernizing certain elements to meet today’s gamers’ expectations. We had access to the original game’s assets, and honestly, the quality was exceptional even back in 2002. The limitations of standard-definition CRT TVs at the time didn’t do justice to these assets, so we’ve utilized modern upscaling techniques to highlight their full detail on today’s HD displays. This update includes dynamic background elements, making places like flowing rivers look better than ever.”
