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Toukiden: The Age of Demons attempted to fill a Monster Hunter-shaped hole on the PlayStation Vita, and it succeeded to quite an impressive degree. Accessible combat and relatively simple crafting systems made it a decent alternative to Capcom's popular action role-playing game romp, but Toukiden: Kiwami's gone one better, providing an experience that really shines on Sony's handheld device.

An expanded re-release of the original, Kiwami adds numerous new gameplay mechanics along with a continuation of the first title's narrative. It's the perfect starting point for newcomers, as the entire initial release is included here, and the additional end-game story is surprisingly great. However, we won't go into too much detail in this particular review, as we've already done that rather extensively in our PlayStation 4 review of Toukiden: Kiwami, which you can read through here.

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There's a massive amount of content to get through in Omega Force's latest, and it's arguably best suited to the Vita. Featuring missions both big and small, playing on the portable system means that you can take things one step at a time, gradually working your way through each new objective, whether it's to advance the plot or in order to gather materials for your next armour set or weapon.

The game's structure is clearly meant for portable play, as it tends to follow a defined loop. After completing a quest, you head back to the sleepy little village of Ukataka, and systematically go from the blacksmith to see what gear you can have put together, then to the guardian tree to receive some hopefully rare items, and then it's back to your house to greet your furry Tenko friend, who may have some handy materials for you. Rinse and repeat for anywhere between 30 and 90 hours, and that's basically the flow of Toukiden in a nutshell, and it's a rhythm that doesn't quite wear out its welcome when you're working through it in bite-sized chunks.

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Aesthetically, Kiwami looks exactly like The Age of Demons, except for a few new attack animations and some flashy effects when you crack out a team-based super move. There are some fresh music tracks, too, and while they're very much in the same vein as the original's Eastern tinged tunes, they suit the action well when battles reach an especially hectic pace.

Conclusion

Toukiden: Kiwami is the definitive monster slaying simulator on Vita – its structure an ideal fit for portable gaming. A great new storyline, some thoughtful gameplay tweaks, and the ability to carry over your save data from Toukiden: The Age of Demons makes it a must buy for fans, but even interested newcomers should take the opportunity test their skills as a slayer, as this is the perfect place to start.