Sonokuni Review
Sonokuni from Don Yasa Crew and Kakehashi Games is a delirious assault on the senses of the best kind.
Sonokuni. Credit: Don Yasa Crew / Kakehashi Games
You are Takeru, a lone assassin on the knife's edge between her own people, the Sonokuni—a spiritual, culturally rich tribe—and the Wanokuni, a biotechnology-driven kingdom of homogeneous beings that is making diplomatic inroads under the guise of providing aid but, in truth, has imperialistic goals of assimilating the Sonokuni. The Sonokuni elders want to work with the Wanokuni, but Takeru disagrees and has been murdering the Wanokuni.
Sonokuni. Credit: Don Yasa Crew / Kakehashi Games
Sonokuni features gameplay and aesthetics similar to Hotline Miami, but calling it a clone would be an oversimplification. Sonokuni is a top-down 2D action game featuring lightning-fast, viscerally violent combat. Instead of Hotline Miami’s variety of weapons, Sonokuni narrows its focus to your sword. You slash enemies and deflect bullets. You can also slow time down briefly; this is critical because everything moves so fast.
Sonokuni. Credit: Don Yasa Crew / Kakehashi Games
Every level is broken up into rooms that each play out like a puzzle requiring deadly precision to solve. One hit and you’re dead, sent back to the beginning of the room. Sometimes I’d get lucky, but it feels like each room has a specific solution, so there was a degree of memorization and muscle memory in succeeding; the game moves too quickly to survive based on reflexes alone without knowing what’s coming. Sonokuni suggests a path through the level, but there are optional rooms to try with even greater challenges.
Though I love the game’s trippy, Japanese-influenced visual design, I frankly found the art to be a bit ugly. The bright pixel art is a visual assault, sometimes making it hard to read what’s going on during gameplay. For example, the bright colors and flat elements sometimes made it tough to discern barriers in the levels.
The game’s soundtrack is fantastic. Don Yasa Crew isn’t just a game developer; they’re also a hip-hop crew that showcases their music in the game. Their music is a great fit for the game’s intense combat and fast pace. The impact is similar to the way the music blended into Hotline Miami. I hope Don Yasa Crew releases the soundtrack on Spotify.
Sonokuni. Credit: Don Yasa Crew / Kakehashi Games
Sonokuni’s approach to combat, its biopunk story, and surreal visuals differentiate it enough from the game that inspired it and make it shine as a worthy successor. I highly recommend it for players looking for brutal, challenging combat in a 2D action game.
Sonokuni is available now on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Overall Score: 8/10
Played on: Steam Deck
