Onmyoji

Japanese folklore is among the richest there is and is constantly the source of new material and ideas for anime and games alike. One such title is Onmyoji, a cross-platform monster fighting game with a deep story and compelling gameplay.

From a graphics point of view, Onmyoji stands somewhere between a dated PC game or a AAA mobile title so that you can enjoy it either on a high-spec phone or a low-spec PC. All of your progress can be synced between devices, so whatever mission you were on while playing at home can be completed while you are on the road as well.

You step into the shoes of Abe no Seimei, a legendary onmyoji from Japanese folklore and your mission is to recover his lost memories while encountering demons of all shapes and forms.  While doing so, you will unravel the supernatural tales of the shikigami, spirits, and demons, and listen to their inner voices.

Despite being a mobile title at its core, the game engages you in a deep and captivating story that is amplified by the visual-novel style of story-telling. Interacting with objects and NPCs is done in a manner similarly seen in point-and-click games, and combat is done in a TBS mode, similar to the Final Fantasy series. All these seemingly unrelated genres are bound together by the premise of you summoning and defeating as many spirits as possible to save the world, thus the "monster training" element.

Graphics aside, the game has a nasty habit of forcing you into purchasing premium currency if you want to progress faster. Fortunately, the game cannot be considered pay-to-win since all items that can be bought from the store can just as well be obtained by playing the game.

Onmyoji is charming in its own way, but it is not the type of game you'd wake up early in the morning to start playing eagerly. Quite the opposite, this is the type of game you'll play if you are away from your PC, have nothing else to play, or if you are a dedicated anime fan.