Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Blood Will Tell: Tezuka Osamu’s Dororo delivers a tightly tuned action experience that revolves around Hyakkimaru’s quest to reclaim his stolen body parts. Combat is fast-paced and satisfying—each sword slash feels weighty, and the timing-based charge attacks reward precision. As you level up your primary blade and twin daggers, you’ll notice tangible increases in damage and speed, encouraging you to mix light combos with heavy finishers for maximum effect.

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Beyond swordplay, the game spices things up with Hyakkimaru’s mechanical arsenal: a repeating rifle clipped to one arm and a cannon attached to his leg. Ammo management becomes a strategic layer—do you conserve rounds for boss encounters or lay down suppressive fire on swarms of lesser demons? The long-range weapons break up the melee flow, allowing you to adapt your tactics on the fly and keep combat encounters fresh throughout the journey.

Co-op synergy with Dororo adds another dynamic. You can issue simple AI commands—fight, evade, gather items—while in close quarters, Dororo darts around the battlefield, distracting foes and snatching up loot. Some segments even let you control her directly in puzzle-focused stages, where smoke bombs and rock-throwing offer stealthy approaches. This alternating playstyle prevents the action from becoming monotonous and underscores the contrasting skills of the duo.

The progression system ties neatly into the narrative: reclaiming each of Hyakkimaru’s 48 parts not only boosts his HP and attack power but also unlocks new abilities, such as color vision when you recover an eye or the power to call villagers when you regain your voice. This sense of tangible growth keeps you invested as each demon battle brings you one step closer to restoring your humanity.

Graphics

On the PlayStation 2 hardware, Blood Will Tell pushes impressive visual fidelity with richly detailed environments that evoke feudal Japan’s misty forests, crumbling temples, and demon-infested ruins. Character models boast crisp textures, and Hyakkimaru’s biomechanical limbs gleam under every lamp and torch, giving the world a lived-in, gritty quality.

The art direction leans into a dark, manga-inspired palette that honors Osamu Tezuka’s original illustrations. Demonic adversaries range from grotesque to spine-tingling, each designed with unique silhouettes and animations that telegraph attack patterns and vulnerabilities. Boss fights, in particular, showcase larger-than-life screen presence, with scale and spectacle reminiscent of classic monster cinema.

Combat animations are fluid, with swords whistling through the air and recoil from the rifle feeling satisfyingly impactful. While occasional camera angles can be challenged by tight corridors, the overall framerate remains consistent, sustaining the intensity of battles. Subtle particle effects—sparks, embers, and splashes of blood—accentuate every strike, reinforcing the visceral thrill of slashing through demonic hordes.

Story

The narrative premise is steeped in tragedy and destiny: a power-hungry lord sacrifices his newborn son’s body to the 48 fiends, and the child floats downstream, only to be rescued and outfitted with mechanical limbs by a mysterious doctor. Years later, Hyakkimaru awakens with little memory of his past but with an unshakable urge to hunt down the demons that stole his flesh.

Joining him is Dororo, a resourceful orphan thief whose quick wit and nimble moves provide both comic relief and emotional resonance. Their reluctant partnership blossoms into a bond of mutual respect as they traverse demon-haunted landscapes. Dororo’s street-smarts and Hyakkimaru’s sense of honor create a dynamic storytelling thread that propels you from one shrine to the next.

The pacing strikes a satisfying balance between intense demon duels and quieter narrative beats—village encounters, flashbacks, and moral dilemmas come together to paint a portrait of a world ravaged by ambition and supernatural terror. Recovering each body part becomes more than a gameplay hook; it’s a chapter of Hyakkimaru’s lost identity returning piece by piece, with each regained function deepening the emotional stakes.

Overall Experience

Blood Will Tell is more than a straightforward hack-and-slash; it’s a character-driven action epic that blends Japanese folklore with sci-fi prosthetics in a way rarely seen in the genre. The core loop of battling demons, regaining lost limbs, and uncovering snippets of Hyakkimaru’s past offers a compelling motivation to push forward, even when enemy numbers swell.

While some puzzle segments with Dororo can interrupt the combat flow for players seeking nonstop action, these interludes reinforce the contrast between brute force and cunning stealth. The difficulty curve is generally well-balanced—new weapons and abilities arrive just as encounters demand more precision, and checkpoints are generous enough to encourage experimentation.

For fans of fast-paced melee, dark fantasy storytelling, and distinctive art styles, Blood Will Tell: Tezuka Osamu’s Dororo stands out as a memorable PS2 exclusive. Its fusion of heartfelt narrative, mechanically satisfying combat, and atmospheric presentation makes it a title that continues to resonate years after its release. If you’re looking for an action game with both emotional depth and thrilling set pieces, Hyakkimaru’s voyage to reclaim his flesh is a journey well worth taking.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10