he powers that be may not want you to know this, but the epic story upon which Genji is based is actually a torrid romance novel. It’s true! The 11th century Japanese classic Tale of Genji details one man’s quest to bed and wed as many noblewomen as he can find. For better or worse, the game’s storyline takes things in an entirely different direction. The result is a refreshing and surprising addition to the action genre, and features among other things some of the coolest sword fights I’ve seen brought to life in a game.

Immediate comparisons to the Onimusha series definitely aren’t out of line upon first glance at Genji. Famed former Capcom designer Yoshiki Okamoto established Game Republic, and the influence can certainly be felt. The background environments throughout Genji are dazzling, filled with drifting cherry blossoms and classic Japanese architecture. The two playable characters also exhibit some impressive detail, thanks largely to how much both weapon and armor changes affect the way they look. But it’s the combat itself that is the real stunner. In what often looks like movie choreographed stunt scenes, the heroes and their foes twist and turn through an elaborate dance of weapon play. Also taking a nod from the silver screen, a button press launches your character into Kamui, a mode where time is slowed and each of your strikes become devastating preset moves, allowing for some remarkable takedowns of multiple foes at once. Not everything in the game is quite so inspiring, particularly as the the story wears on. The action has the potential to feel a bit stale, since so little changes as you progress. There’s also a fair bit of enemy recycling later on, which certainly doesn’t help ease the the sense of déjà vu.

More than anything, Genji is totally suffused in the folklore and traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun. From the honor-bound plot to the subtitled dialogue, the game targets a specific audience and sticks with it. Japanophiles will thrill, but traditional action fans would also be remiss if they didn’t at least check out what the fuss is about.