Hands-on preview: Muramasa Revenant Blades shines as stylish Metroidvania remaster
A Nintendo Everything editor recently demoed the upcoming Muramasa: Revenant Blades remaster, a side-scrolling hack-and-slash game originally released on Wii in 2009. The preview revealed a smooth, enjoyable experience featuring multiple playable characters and difficulty options, with enhanced 4K visuals, improved localization, and new English voice acting. The title is confirmed to be launching on both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 platforms next year.
Muramasa: Revenant Blades consolidates nearly two decades of releases into a single package. The original 2009 Wii title received a PlayStation Vita port in 2013 that bundled additional Genroku Legends content, establishing a catalog that this remaster now brings together with modernized technical presentation. The game expands its roster beyond the two characters available in the preview build, offering six playable protagonists at launch with distinct playstyles and narrative perspectives.
The remaster introduces substantial quality-of-life refinements targeting Western audiences. Enhanced 4K visuals and completely new English voice acting accompany revised localization efforts, suggesting developer attention to accessibility and clarity for players unfamiliar with the original release. These improvements may lower barriers to entry for Switch and Switch 2 owners discovering the title for the first time.
This remaster could serve multiple market functions for Nintendo's ecosystem. Players seeking stylish action experiences on Switch 2 may benefit from an established game offering demonstrated depth and polish. The simultaneous release across both console generations could test publisher confidence in continued Switch support while establishing early Switch 2 software diversity. Broader industry implications may emerge regarding whether aging handhold exclusives warrant costly modernization efforts, particularly when console hardware cycles accelerate.