Kuon, a horror game released on April 1, 2004 in Japan celebrates its 20-year anniversary this year. It’s a gaming gem that has snuck under the radar for many people, and its unique feats deserve more recognition. The most surprising part for many might be that this game was developed by FromSoftware, the same company that would have brought you gaming staples like the Souls games, Elden Ring, and the Armored Core franchise.
The game is set in Kyoto, Japan from the Heian-era. Three main female characters can be switched between in order to explore various parts of the story laid out for the player. Utsuki, Sakuya, and Abe no Seimei have all been met with the task of exploring the grounds of Fujiwara Manor. There, it is up to the protagonists to investigate, and potentially stop the Kuon ritual from taking place through three chapters — Yin, Yang, and Kuon.
Each protagonist can possess spell cards, summon cards, and also weapons such as fans, knives, and spears. As the player, you would use these resources to get through enemies the same as any other horror survival game, but with the added flair of Japanese and additional in-game lore associated with many of the puzzles and enemies.
The gameplay features a fixed camera angle perspective that remains locked in place until you enter into another room where it might shift to a different perspective. You can tell that the game was at least partially inspired by Silent Hill just based on how the gameplay presents itself. It may also have taken inspiration from Resident Evil with regards to resource management for your survival, but that’s a bit less blatantly shown.
The story itself is… well, “convoluted,” to say the least — a term typically reserved for FromSoftware titles with regards to their stories. I would say that it’s much easier to grasp comparatively to the Souls franchise in its entirety, given that the lore is left less up to interpretation and is a more solid element to the game.
Kuon has also been compared to Sekiro by some, where others suggest that the two share a similar universe… but given the split timings of release dates, that might be more of a stretch by fans than anything else.
In conclusion, Kuon is a special game that should be given more recognition. It touches upon the same horror elements as other popular titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, yet remains comparatively obscure. I would say that it’s about time for Kuon to get a well-deserved remake for the modern era of gaming, so that others can get to experience this rare gem for themselves.
