Book of Zhu: Legacy Demo

Martial arts can be a great plot device, at least if they make sense in the overall story and if they are presented in a realistic manner. However, even exaggerated displays of power and speed can be a great way to attract a crowd, which is how anime series like Dragon Ball Z got to be so popular. On the other hand, it’s a tad more difficult to integrate such things into video games.

Book of Zhu: Legacy is a fantasy visual novel with an emphasis on martial arts and your ability to change the course of the story as you see fit. The demo does not feature too many choices, on the other hand, so we can only hope that the finished product delivers on its promises. Still, it’s quite the engaging world, especially if you enjoy fighting and colorful environments.

The plot follows a girl by the name of Princess Aya, who is on her way to becoming the next queen. As you might suspect, the job is not as easy as you might think, which is why she must undergo a variety of challenges beforehand. Not only that, but fighting is an important cultural aspect as well, which is why everyone practices some style of martial arts.

Since there’s going to be quite a bit of fighting involved, the game features engaging scenes in which the characters display their physical prowess, although it’s not very clear whether you have any say in them. On the other hand, you should be able to get closer to certain characters if you choose to, which means that the story oscillates depending on your decisions along the way.

The graphics are more than decent as well, even if they are pretty standard for the visual novel genre. Hence, the artwork is quite expressive and colorful, although maybe not very appropriate for younger audiences. There’s no actual nudity as of yet, but it’s never too far away either. As for the soundtrack, it’s not yet fully implemented, which means that it’s difficult to judge it properly.

All things considered, Book of Zhu: Legacy seems to be on the right path at the moment, and it’s nice to see some new ideas for a change. However, the developers promise even more features and cool things, and you can support them by participating in the game’s Kickstarter project.