Cats and dogs fighting demons in Japan. Not weird at all.
A game about japanese katana wielding pets might sound out there, but in reality Wan Nyan Slash actually has quite straightforward gameplay reminiscent of Fruit Ninja.
But of the two, I think I prefer this one. Fruit Ninja just never really a-peeled to me (thank you, I’m here all week).
In Wan Nyan Slash the two heroes, named Wan and Nyan, must rid as many demons as their life bar will allow on the streets of ancient Japan. You’ll drag out a straight line for each animal, along which they’ll zoom forward, slashing anything and everything in their path.
Facing off against numerous ghouls, demons, and various other evil creatures appearing on the right side of the screen, your task is to kill as many as possible before being overwhelmed.
As you slay enemies, small bonus gifts can be slashed that grant boons such as extra lives and one-use special moves, which allow you to drag out more complex slashing shapes for Wan and Nyan to follow. These become invaluable when demons begin to clog up the screen, and can help build massive combos that add to your score.
There are three difficulty settings, but if you have a swift finger only normal and above will really provide any challenge. Still, there’s a clear art to Wan Nyan Slash’s gameplay that make it a lot more considered and tactical than Fruit Ninja. Enemies move erratically, constantly forcing you to change the direction of your attacks and making it much more rewarding when you manage to decapitate large numbers of them in one stroke.
The game’s visuals are its most divisive point I think. If you’ve already been turned off by the name Wan Nyan Slash blazen in Naruto style letters on the menu screen, the game’s heavy draw from Japanese culture for its monsters and environments will hardly serve to change your mind.
Nonetheless, the degree of tactics required and a slew of unlockable costumes give a constant reason to keep playing, and do much to counter the feeling that you’re just playing a violent version of Hello Kitty.
Wan Nyan Slash is the kind of game I usually wouldn’t touch with a ten foot samurai sword. But it’s certainly not the cat-astrophe I thought it would be. It’s not paw-ful by any means. And other puns.
Wan Nyan Slash is out now on iOS. Developer: DotWarriorGames. Website
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