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One of the Way of the Samurai series’ distinctive features is the ability to dogeza, an act of prostating oneself as an apology or cowtowing gesture. This feature returns in the spinoff Katanakami developed by Spike Chunsoft, and more on the dogeza, as well as other features, were explained today in a press release. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]
Procedurally generated dungeons
One of the main features of the game are the procedurally generated dungeons, the Jikai. While the insides of the dungeons change every time you enter them, there are some rules that it follows – every five floors there is an exit that goes back to the human world, but those floors have cursed spots where lots of monsters appear, and boss monsters which will block you path home.
Health & Stamina
There are two basic stat gauges you must look after – Health and Stamina. If you lose all health, you fall unconscious and are forced back into the human world, losing everything you had on you. As for the yellow Stamina gauge, this decreases when you run and attack, but you will also auto-regenerate Health when you have your katana sheathed at the cost of Stamina.
If you continue on with zero Stamina, a Reaper will come to try and hunt the player, and it’s up to you whether you find a way to regain Stamina, or just run to the next floor.
Dan Rank and Katana Level
When you defeat enemies and gain EXP, you’ll increase your Dan rank, which increases the your total Health and Stamina. However, Dan rank resets whenever you return to the surface human world.
Katana levels are levels of proficiency with the katana equipped, and increase as you use it. When reaching certain levels specified, you’ll unlock ‘Gou’ skills that give additional effects to the katana, like increasing critical chances, and more. Katana levels are retained throughout your entire playthrough.
Dogeza
The infamous dogeza poze returns in this game, and provides beneficial effects when used correctly. You can prostate yourself in hopes that enemies will spare you, and you can also use this method to beg for more time to return your debt.
If you perform a dogeza in front of a goddess statue, you can choose to pray, and obtain a random effect. You could obtain an amazing katana… or you might get more money added to your debt.
Of course, the dogeza can also be used to duck and avoid some enemy attacks as well.
Katanakami releases on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC on February 20, 2020. Check out the game’s preorder DLC here.
