Yurukill: The Calumnation Games from NIS America is a murder mystery adventure mashed up with a healthy dose of shoot ‘em up action. Learn more about this gem in our Yurukill: The Calumnation Games review!

 

Yurukill: The Calumnation Games from NIS America is a murder mystery adventure mashed up with a healthy dose of shoot ‘em up action. It’s a game that reminded me at times of the Danganronpa and Ace Attorney series. You’ll take on the role of Sengoku Shunju, who claims he’s been framed and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. The crime? Burning down a building and murdering 21 people in the process! It seems he’s not the only one in said situation, which is why it’s very weird that so many prisoners who say they’re innocent have been brought together to Yurukill Land. What is Yurukill Land?

Yurukill Land is a special type of theme park where there are many life-threatening attractions. Why would you or anyone else participate in said attractions? Because Binko, a lady wearing a white fox mask, mentions that the organization she works for has the means to give one of you what you’ve always wanted: a retrial in which new evidence will be provided that will finally prove that you’re innocent! Since only one of the prisoners can win this prize, things are going to get crazy right from the start!

Five groups will be established to take on the trials and tribulations of Yurukill Land: Mass Murderers, Death Dealing Duo, Crafty Killers, Sly Stalkers, and Peeping Toms. Each group will be composed of a prisoner and a victim. Victims are known as Executioners. If a prisoner wins all of the trials, then it will win and can get a retrial with new evidence – real or fabricated – that will set it free. If an Executioner wins, then their wish will be granted, obtaining the revenge they so desperately seek.

 

Since the game includes several shoot ‘em up segments – and, in fact, starts with a shoot ‘em up level – you can select from three difficulty settings for them: Easy, Normal, and Hell. Easy is for those of you who are beginners in the shoot ‘em up genre and would like to focus on the story for Yurukill: The Calumnation Games. Normal offers the standard shoot ‘em up journey and is reserved for experienced gamers. As for Hell, it will turn the shoot ‘em up segments into a bullet hell experience, so be ready!

To control your ship, you’ll use the left analog stick or the D-Pad to move it around the screen. You can use your primary attack with the B button to shoot at enemies or can press and hold down the A button to automatically shoot over and over again. Your score is displayed on the upper left corner of the screen, with the combo counter right below it. The outburst gauge will be shown in the lower-left corner, so be sure to pay attention so that you can know when you can unleash a powerful outburst attack.

As you defeat enemies, they will leave behind resources that you can collect to increase the outburst gauge. Once the outburst gauge is at 20%, you’ll be able to use an outburst bomb or an outburst shot. The L and ZL buttons are used for your outburst bomb, while the R and ZR buttons are for your outburst shot. If the outburst gauge is at 20% or more, an auto-defense blast will be triggered when you are hit by an enemy or a projectile. If playing on the Hell difficulty setting, the auto-defense blast will be deactivated. If the outburst gauge reaches 100%, then your bomb will turn into an EX outburst bomb, which can deal a ton of damage. Be sure to use it during boss fights!

 

Speaking of boss fights, if you want to boost your score as much as possible, you should keep an eye on the boss timer on the right side of the screen. The timer will start its countdown as soon as the boss battle begins, and once it reaches 0, your score will no longer increase. Because of this, you should give it your all and do whatever it takes to defeat each boss before the boss timer runs out.

You can collect power-ups, which will improve the attack power of your primary attacks while also granting you a secondary attack module. The function of your primary attack and secondary attack module will depend on the ship you’re piloting. Press and hold down the B button to use a charge shot, which will allow you to modify or lock the formation of the secondary attack modules while activating some special effects.

Once you’ve completed the first chapter in the game, you’ll unlock Score Attack Mode. By playing this one, you’ll be able to take on the shoot ‘em up part of the game as you try to boost your score, as you try to get a spot in the Top 100 ranking in the worldwide leaderboards. You can go into the settings menu and activate sync scores online so that your score can be compared with that of players around the world.

 

During your time in Yurikill Land, there will be several puzzles to solve in the attractions you visit. To be able to solve each puzzle, you’ll have to use the clues uncovered as you investigate and find valuable information. If you’re stuck in a puzzle, you have the option of using up to three hints for it. There is no penalty for reviewing hints, so don’t be afraid to use them! Along with solving puzzles, you’ll have to convince the Executioner about your innocence.

You’ll have to complete four trials as you select the right answers to progress further so that you can convince the Executioner that your death is not what they really want. And then, there’s the Prejudice Synapse. Choose the correct evidence to break down the prejudices in the Executioner’s mind, but be careful because every mistake you make will cost you three lives. You’ll explore the Mind Maze, which will lead you to the core of the Executioner’s mind, where they discern truth from falsehood. Assemble each sentence correctly, and you’ll move on to the next section. Make a mistake, and, you guessed it, you’ll lose three lives.

Yurukill: The Calumnation Games is a game that I didn’t realize I needed in my collection until I got a chance to experience it. A murder mystery that reminded me of the Danganronpa and Ace Attorney series mixed with hectic shoot ‘em up sequences is not something that should work as great as it does in this one. Yurukill: The Calumnation Games is out on Nintendo Switch with a $39.99 asking price.

Disclaimer
This Yurukill: The Calumnation Games review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by NIS America.