Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief

Release Date: October 11, 2022

Action, TPP, stealth, remasters/remakes, Japan, 18th century, singleplayer

6.1

OpenCritic

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Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief is a stealth game in which we play as a Japanese thief working in Edo period. Game offers a lot of freedom of mission execution and non-linear plot, shaped by our decisions.

Videos and Screens

[2:06] Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief launch trailer

[1:30] Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief trailer #2

6.1

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 19% of Critics. There are 18 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

The Thirsty Mage: 6 / 10 by David Lloyd

As wonderful as it is to get older Japanese titles localized, Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief might be a tough sell to anyone that didn’t grow up playing PlayStation 2 era games. That isn’t to say that young people wouldn’t enjoy it. But the outdated graphics and repetitive gameplay can easily wear on anyone without a bit of nostalgia to dull the nerves.

Full Review

Nindie Spotlight: 6.2 / 10 by Justin Nation

Undeniably novel, it won’t be a game for everyone but for the right audience it may be fun

Full Review

Chalgyr's Game Room: 8 / 10 by Richard York

Overall, Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief is a really fun game. Really niche, yes, but also really fun. The stealth aspect is pretty fun, and the stylish points earned through your actions are an interesting take. The gameplay loop is pretty easy to get, allowing you to hop right in to your thieving ways, and you will probably find yourself easily racking up mission after mission. While this may be a re-release of an old PS2 title, it has aged surprisingly well, if not in graphics then in gameplay. It’s fun and quirky, and I definitely suggest you give it at least a chance.

Full Review

Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief is a stealth action game. It is a refreshed version of Kamiwaza Tourai, which was released on PlayStation 2 in 2004 and was never released outside Japan. Both the original and the refreshed version were developed by Acquire studio, known from Tenchu and Way of the Samurai series.

Plot

The action takes place in Mikado city in Japan during Edo era. We play as a thief named Ebizo, who wants to steal from the rich and give to the poor. However, he abandoned this profession for a long time after seeing his companions murdering innocent civilians.

After a decade out of the thieving business, he turned to honest work and raising a foster girl named Suzona. One day his adopted daughter falls seriously ill. The cost of treatment is way beyond Ebizo's means, so he is forced to return to his criminal activities.

Game mechanics

Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief is classic stealth game. We observe the action from a third-person perspective, and our task is to steal quietly and avoid detection. The hero is relatively weak in combat, so direct confrontations are risky.

Ebizo, on the other hand, is skilled physically. He can squeeze into narrow spaces, hover over ceilings and silently follow the backs of guards. We collect loot automatically by approaching them. Our hero starts each mission with a small bag on his back, but each collected item increases its size and weight, making it difficult to move.

The maps offer a lot of freedom. Besides the main objectives, they are filled with optional loot that we can steal. In addition, our decisions and actions during gameplay shape the development of the story, ultimately leading us to one of several alternative endings.

Game modes

The game offers a single player mode only.

Technical aspects

Compared to the original from PlayStation 2, Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief offers greatly improved graphics. The authors have increased the resolution, sharpened the textures and improved the engine performance.