A fantastic philosophical action journey
Full Metal Daemon Muramasa is one of those VN's I had heard of but never been able to play due to the language barrier. Thanks to JAST however, we are now able to enjoy what it has to offer.
To put it simply, FMDM is a philosophical story mired in moral relativity, taking a critical look at traditional heroic archetypes to examine the possible consequences of black and white thinking.
And while it can be preachy at times, it presents some interesting ideas.
However the story can be uncompromising when it comes to show some uncomfortable realities about humanity, but while it can be cynical and bleak in its outlook, it is not all misery with a pretty witty and well timed sense of humor lightening up things when necessary.
But the real strength of Muramasa comes from its quirky and complex roster of characters that almost all manages to be fun and memorable in their own ways. This especially how it gives almost all sides a chance to shine
The action scenes are all quite well executed, especially given the limitations of working within the visual novel medium with in depth detailing on the hows and whys in battle, though one particular scene is perhaps little too indulgent in the descriptions.
These scenes are backed by a stellar and pumping soundtrack that sets the tone, even if the track selection is somewhat lean for a VN of this lenght.
The one big knock I would have against the VN is two segments where it almost seems to switch genre and becomes very unintuitive, pretty much necessitating a guide. Thus I would recommend playing up until about the fifth chapter blind as to not spoil some of the early twists and then whip out a guide after that. (There is a flashback chapter that serves as the signal for the route split after which it is fine to use a guide)
All in all it is a fantastic journey that might leave you thinking long after the final scene plays out regardless of whether you agree or disagree with what it has to say.
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