Story 9.5/10: Dark Fantasy, a personal favorite genre of mine, is (surprisingly) scarce in the visual novel industry. Thankfully, it is executed and explored in Muramasa close to perfection. This world truly feels alive; the factions, the lore, the weapons, the conflicts, and the atmosphere are utterly captivating, and refuse to abate until the final credits roll. Some minor complaints would be that some of the more gratuitous sex scenes, particularly in in chapters 3 & 5, break the immersion of the drama to some degree, and one of the routes doesn't quite live up to the greatness of the others.
Characters 10/10: Muramasa's characters are excellent. Interesting personalities, gray ethical codes, and dichotomous philosophies are peppered throughout every nook and cranny. Kageaki, in particular, is absolutely unrivalled among visual novel protagonists, and paired with some excellent heroines and compelling side-characters, you have yourself a top-tier cast. Not to mention best girl Hikaru being one of the very best antagonists in the medium. There are no heroes. There are no villains. Only demons and their victims.
Art 10/10: Perhaps the strongest aspect of the experience, this VN emanates high quality production value. From the presentation, to the character designs, to the POV Tsurugi battles, Muramasa is a delight to play through.
Music 9/10: Despite being the least discussed aspect of this VN, all the tracks here are at the very least solid, with a couple (namely The Silver Star Rises, Peace, Bonds, Rondo, & Hikaru's song) masterpiece standouts. The OP and ED are also immaculate.
Common Route 9/10: Muramasa possesses one of the finest common routes available. Chapters 1 and 5, in particular, are phenomenal, and serve as fitting bookends; one a shocking tragedy, the other a revelatory marvel. Chapter 4 is also exceptional, while 2 & 3 are still genuinely interesting, and hold their own while building up suspense for later plot points.
Hero Route 9.5/10: This route feels the most logical and thematically consistent as it pertains to building upon the common route. Ichijou and Kageaki are two sides of the same coin, one self-righteous and "heroic", the other self-deprecating and "demonic", making for an interesting dichotomy and believable bittersweet romance. The conclusion, with adult Ichijou wielding Muramasa and inheriting Kageaki's curse in a war-torn future, was brilliant and bone-chilling. Also contains by far the best written H scene.
Nemesis Route 7.5/10: Predictable choice for worst route? Perhaps, but not without good reason. Kanae while not a bad character by any means, is easily the least interesting out of the four heroines, and her companion Sayo is simply not very intriguing until the last couple hours. Hikaru, built up as the ultimate threat to the world and the cynosure of Kageaki's personal turmoil, has an interesting albeit anticlimactic fate that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Kageaki himself, the highlight of all other routes, adopts a submissive and borderline servile role against rather underwhelming antagonists. And all this is without mentioning the less poignant thematic tie-ins, myriad unpredictable & tedious combat decisions, jarring gaps of logic pertaining to Kanae's Tsurugi, etc. All in all, this is a solid route with a lot of good to offer, yet unfortunately is severely depreciated by the quality of the other routes.
Conqueror Route 10/10: A refreshing and unorthodox conclusion to the narrative. Chachamaru is an excellent heroine, and her dynamic with the Minato "siblings" is endearing and well written. Kageaki choosing to place blind faith into the occult and sacrifice humanity to save his sister's life adds a dark twist to the fate of his character, while also distinguishing this route from the others. The conclusion is a perfect example of an expert use of anticlimax in narrative fiction. The ominously ambiguous silence following the final battle...does it portend despair, or augur hope? Regardless, it is breathtaking. Has Chachamaru gone insane? Or has her plan truly succeeded?
Muramasa/Demon Route 10/10: Probably the most legendary VN route of all time alongside Clannad's After Story, this final portion of the narrative has been discussed to death already. And while all the praise is completely warranted, I find myself with very little to say that hasn't been said before. I will say that Muramasa is probably the best heroine in the game, although Chachamaru & Ichijou are close behind. Also, Hikaru being revealed to be Kageaki's daughter, followed by him committing suicide in a final desperate attempt to convey his love, is the greatest scene in VN history. Peak kino.
