Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief

Kamiwaza is one of the most unique games I feel I have ever played. It is oozing with so much personality and charm. The gameplay is centered around stealth and stealing. The mechanics, gameplay and characters can be downright goofy at times. Whereas the main storyline is pretty serious. The juxtaposition of these elements make for a fun and memorable experience. The game also has multiple endings, and certain things that carry over between playthroughs, so there is replay value here as well. Gameplay can feel like a janky struggle at times, but pushing yourself to learn how it all works and get through it is worthwhile. Also the game has a spectacular soundtrack. I fully recommend this to anyone willing to play a game that might test their ability and patience at times.

"This looks like something Glep would be playing in the bg on Smiling Friends" -Jonny

Cool game in the vein of Way of the Samurai and Shinobi-Do. A few little annoyances keep it from being truly great, but worth playing as there really is nothing like it.

Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief is a highly idiosyncratic stealth-action title that feels like a preserved artifact from an earlier era of game design, for better and for worse. Developed by ACQUIRE Corp. and published by NIS America, Inc., the game is essentially a modern re-release of a cult PlayStation 2 title, and it wears its age openly. Rather than attempting to modernize itself with extensive mechanical overhauls or contemporary design sensibilities, Kamiwaza largely preserves its original structure, offering players a distinctive blend of stealth, action, and narrative drama set in Edo-period Japan. This makes it a fascinating experience for players who appreciate experimental or retro-flavored games, while also creating clear friction for those accustomed to smoother, more polished modern stealth systems. The story centers on Ebizo, a small-time thief whose life is irrevocably changed after a disastrous heist forces him to abandon crime and raise a young girl he rescues, Suzuna. Years later, when Suzuna falls gravely ill and medicine becomes prohibitively expensive, Ebizo reluctantly returns to thievery, guided by a strict personal code that limits his crimes to the wealthy an…

i love old games, and games that dare to be different. maybe there is something great here. but it feels unfinished, like this was something they thought of and started making it, and then decided to pivot / make something else. and left like 1 person to finish the job. but who knows, maybe its just that starting area that feels like that, maybe that was added post completion and the rest of the game is great. maybe one day i will try it agian, probably after i have burned through all the other old games i have missed. 07

A weird game where you run up to the opponent and break dance in front of their face to perform a suteki stealth, then suteki steal everything around to gain suteki points. Then you spend those suteki points to learn additional suteki moves. It deserves a suteki remake.