Throughout the years, there have been a handful of Dororo adaptations. Osamu Tezuka's manga tells the story of Hyakkimaru, a man who must destroy 48 demons to recover his stolen body parts. Along for the ride is Dororo. She befriends the samurai, using her talents as a thief and ninja to assist him in his quest. Naturally, the duo has many adventures throughout feudal Japan, often culminating in a fierce battle with one or more of the 48 fiends. Today's look is at the sole video game based on the property. Developed by Red Entertainment and published by Sega, Blood Will Tell is a remarkably solid action-adventure. I'd even go as far to argue that the critics of yesteryear might've taken it for granted.
I can't lie; there is a growing nostalgia for the sixth generation of game consoles that I'm unable to combat. Maybe I find comfort in the familiar. Perhaps I have a fondness for the days when not everything had to be a Souls-like. It's entirely possible that I want unpolished yet ambitious gems by developers that were actually allowed to take risks. If it means having to deal with annoyances such as a less-than-ideal camera and occasionally janky platforming, then sure, lay it all on me. Well, maybe not *all* of it. I'm trying to be at least semi-selective, because my patience for another Evergrace or Eternal Ring died decades ago.
Back to the subject at hand, Blood Will Tell divides the 48-Fiend hunt into seven chapters. They're often episodic, as the samurai and thief work together to solve a mystery or prevent a catastrophe. Each chapter will contain multiple encounters with Fiends. Some are fought as part of the story while others are hiding underneath suspicious objects. Once a chapter is completed, then its free mode is made available. This allows for the heroes to freely explore, potentially unearthing Fiends they might've missed or were unable to reach.
First-timer players might need a little time to adjust to Hyakkimaru's movement and fighting style. This is by design, since in the beginning his body is almost entirely prosthetics. He's absolutely built for combat, just lacking in strength and stability. As such, several of his attacks rely on an acrobatic form that involves lots of flips, spins, and multi-hit strikes. The slightest bit of damage will send him flying into the dirt. An introductory chapter covers the basics of combat, with everything else being "learn as you go."
For the minions that wander each area, you'll want to focus on crowd control. A simple square, triangle combo knocks down practically anything that breathes. If enemies group up, then consider taking a step back to lure one or two of them away. Alternatively, blast them away with your arm gun or leg cannon. The lack of range in Hyakkimaru's melee attacks is a source of early game frustration, but he's mobile enough for hit & run tactics. His jumping attack in particular is going to see a lot of use. Besides the obvious benefit of knocking aerial adversaries out of the sky, it shreds tons of bosses, all without leaving the samurai opponent to counterattack.
Including the 48 fiends, there are over 50 bosses to do battle with. Red Entertainment deserves a ton of credit for being able to cram so many unique encounters into a single game. That said, there tends to be quantity over quality. Some fiends are clones with additional moves, and almost all of them are defeated using basic strategies. I can't say that I mind any of that. The flow of boss encounters reminds me heavily of Action-RPGs from the 16-bit days, just with a different perspective. Keep an eye on the boss, watch for tells, and get out of the way when they perform one of their attacks. Even though several fiends are entirely undone by jumping attack spam, I was always locked-in and enjoying myself.
In fairness, my appreciation for fiends could also be attributed to what occurs after they're slain. One of Hyakkimaru's 48 body parts is returned to him, and it always looks excruciating. Those stat-boosts and ability upgrades though. I'll be damned if they don't set my neurons alight. No matter what happens during the battle itself, there's always something to look forward to. Besides the obvious benefits like more attack power and a longer health meter, improved stats allow the samurai to flinch less when taking damage, perform more complex combo strings, and carry more life-saving medicine. By the way, acquiring a "stock" of medicine involves finding 100 green bits. They're everywhere, serving as indicators of where the protagonist should head next. Blood Will Tell leans into its "gaminess" quite a lot, and it's so endearing.
The multiple quirks that define early game combat begin to melt away as the hero recovers his stolen limbs. With an actual left leg, he can dash and recover from damage without hitting the ground. Later on, he'll get his left arm, allowing him to use both sword and sword arm at the same time. Oh damn! I completely forgot to mention that the samurai uses a sword. Early on, this doesn't matter a whole lot, since sword-arms level up with frequent usage, but there is late-game mechanic that I have to mention. Charged attacks open enemies up to a QTE combo. The longer the string, the better the potential rewards. Some of the best swords in the game are rare drops, so practice getting 20+ hit combos as often as you're able to. There's one in particular that I don't know the name of, but it makes QTE combos much easier to perform. You might want to look for it, even if you only use it once in the entire adventure.
Seeing as how I'm already forgetting things, I should take a moment to address the person I've nearly forgotten about. Dororo is the other playable character. Though the bulk of her gameplay is found in the "story mode", she's still a full-fledged heroine with unique attacks and abilities. Instead of a sword, she relies on punches, kicks, and a flying headbutt that always stuns. Her "missions" usually involve information gathering or helping others while Hyakkimaru is occupied with another task. These tend to require platforming and puzzle-solving, as well as the occasional usage of gadgets. Dororo is basically a ninja, which adds a unique flair to her side of the story. There isn't as much combat, but defeated foes will often drop HP-up hearts, which are always nice to have.
Blood Will Tell frequently explores unique concepts with the two-person dynamic they've created. In one chapter, Hyakkimaru and Dororo move in separate directions but with the same goal in mind: defeat a fiend the size of a mountain. While the samurai contends with various fiends, the thief must avoid giant roots and falling meteors. In another instance, Dororo must enter a temple through its roof while avoiding the many demons defending it. This actually has a time-limit, and I could feel the tension building when I was down to my last minute and had just gotten knocked off of the roof. These and other missions are engaging, even if they're not always memorable. Though I'll admit that I didn't make time for the "Dororo Mode" that unlocks after completing the story. Scavenger hunts aren't really my thing and knocking over objects for treasure while a timer ticks down just doesn't seem all that appealing.
I'm pretty sure I mentioned a less-than-ideal camera and occasionally janky platforming earlier, but yeah those are two issues that the game struggles with. I can't get too annoyed with the platforming, since falls into bottomless pits or spikes take away a sliver of health. Most camera issues occur during boss battles, and I'm willing to bet that there's a button to disengage the "boss camera" that's enabled by default. If there is, then shame on me for being a stubborn dolt. In any case, I wouldn't consider either problem to be anything serious, at least for 99% of the game.
Predictably, it's time to discuss the 1% of Blood Will Tell where everything matters and gets pretty annoying. The Final Fiend is a bit excessive. There are four phases to contend with, and each requires a little puzzle solving. Failing to do exactly what is expected results in Hyakkimaru taking damage, which adds up quickly when the few sources of healing are scattered onigiri. Don't even attempt this fight unless you have three stocks of medicine, and that "Easy QTE" sword mentioned earlier. The final phase requires players to land a 48-hit combo. A single flubbed input won't lead to game over, but it's probably the last thing you want to see after the ridiculous third phase. This is the phase where all those minor camera and platforming issues congeal into the game's lowest point. I never did figure out how to keep the boss's giant tail-hand from grabbing the samurai and tossing him into a giant laser.
A few minutes of misery is a small price to pay for a dozen hours of fun adventure. I know I keep mentioning their name, but Red Entertainment excelled in making this game their own creation. It's got a really distinct almost retro feel. I can see why critics at the time weren't too hot on it though. Blood Will Tell was released about six months after Ninja Gaiden. I don't intend to draw comparisons when I review games, but... I get it. 3D action saw some massive leaps in the early 2000s, which leaves this feeling dated. Retro, dated, whatever. Point is, I had a good time.
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