Ikki from Sunsoft is an infamous game. The NES/Famicom port of the title was notoriously referred to as a kuso-gē or crap game, and yet the game endured in various ways, such as later ports and appearances in other games like the Blaster Master Zero series. The game is still recognizable in Japan for better or for worse, and so Sunsoft decided to revive it again for Ikki Unite.
Ikki was already a top-down shooter with a very distinct method of play, and Sunsoft realized quite quickly that the game would fit a modern genre well. That genre happened to be the Survivors-style of roguelites and the resulting game is a rather surprisingly decent genre shift. It may not be a Vampire Survivors Killer, but it has a lot that is going for it.
Ikki Unite allows for up to sixteen players at once in online play. This sounds amazing, but you can end up waiting quite a while to get a full roster online. It is worth it though when you have a full sixteen players, as the game truly becomes something special then.
The different players will be scattered across the map in groups of four, and you must strategize to get everyone together. Ikki refers to the peasant rebellions against the samurai rule, and a rebellion works best in a group. When in a group, you can focus your attacks properly and revive fallen players easier, which helps keep things going.
The large roster in Ikki Unite all feel different with their own stats and abilities, and you are assigned one randomly when you play online. While the game can be played solo, it just is not as fun as when playing with others. Playing solo gives a much steeper challenge, and you will never gain the feeling of being overpowered you can get in Vampire Survivors, but that challenge can admittedly be fun in its own right.
There are a bunch of different characters to use, and they all have their own stats, weapons, and so on. You’ll be assigned a character randomly when you play online, and learning how to make the best use of each keeps things fresh. The online multiplayer is really the way to enjoy the game, as while you can play solo, it just isn’t as fun and drags down a bit.
You still have the same basic goals in single player in trying to start a rebellion and overthrow a rule. Before you can do that, you must get stronger, collecting power ups and more and defeating various bosses throughout the levels. As with all Survivors games, there is a timer counting down, but in this case, you can add time by defeating bosses, which adds a different strategic challenge in balancing out getting stronger and trying to keep the timer going.
Overall, I did like Ikki Unite and felt it was a good Survivors style game. It is a blast to play online with others, and it feels truly unique in that mode. It does lack in solo play, but you may enjoy the steep challenge it provides. Either way, there is something to enjoy in Ikki Unite and this is a reboot done right.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
