Kazuki Kazama Revealed for Samurai Shodown
It’s been a fantastic week for fighting games! One of two major announcements today, Kazama Kazuki was revealed as the next character in Samurai Shodown. Originally introduced in Samurai Shodown IV, he’s one of the franchise’s co-protagonists.
He’s Not Like Most Nin(ja)
Most ninja across media come across as sneaky, stealthy, quiet. They’re mysterious and brilliant, striking out of nowhere, only to disappear into the shadows. Not so with the hot-headed Kazuki. Kazuki has almost no emotional restraint.
He feels more like an anime main character, going with his gut and worrying about the consequences of his actions until later. He loves his family, and his skills are just as fiery as his personality. The teaser for Kazuki was brief, but it shows a great deal.
His sword skills cover a fair amount of the screen, and his explosive fire attacks come out of nowhere. One of his fire strikes almost reminded me of Rurouni Kenshin’s Makoto Shishio.
However, like most ninja, it appears he has some kind of clone jutsu. In the trailer, he blocks a hit, releasing a massive fireball. The next frame, you can see a clone of Kazuki behind the original body, likely used to escape harm.
His strikes are punishing and violent, and it looks like he’s also got a grab. Of course, the grab attack also ends in an explosion. His melee strikes and huge sweeping sword blows are all well and good, but what else can he do?
One of his special moves on display covers the ninja in fire, only to dash across the screen. The next thing we know, EXPLOSIONS! Kazuki Kazama is definitely bringing the heat in Samurai Shodown.
Kazuki’s interesting because while he can conjure and control fire, he’s not immune to fire, and cannot control fires he didn’t create himself. He’s fast-moving, hard-hitting, and a blast to play in every Samurai Shodown game I’ve played him in.
Return to Form
A lot of Kazuki’s moves are likely to feel familiar to long-time Samurai Shodown fans. That’s no big surprise: Samurai Shodown feels more like the traditional SamSho games I’ve come to know and love. The damage is big, the attacks are big, the punishment is brutal.
There’s blood, aggressive, and so much more. That’s one of the things I really appreciate about the latest Samurai Shodown title. It’s not trying to do something new to appeal to new players. It is sticking to the formula that made it huge in its day, and that in and of itself ought to draw those players in anyway.
I did hear that Sogetsu got leaked as well, which is Kazuki’s half-brother. None of that is confirmed quite yet though. I don’t put a lot of stock in leaks, myself. What I can tell you is that on November 18th, Kazuki Kazama hits Samurai Shodown. He can be bought for $5.99, but he’s also in the $19.99 Season Pass.
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