Just One Man Impressions: Stylish & Intense Sword Action

Just One Man is an immersive VR hack-and-slash that puts you in the armor of a lone samurai warrior cutting his way through an endless army of enemies.

Developer Raikiri is setting out to create a VR massive multiplayer online game that will truly put players in an expansive virtual world, and is working on fine-tuning each aspect of such a project through a variety of smaller titles. Just One Man is the first step in this journey, focusing on refining VR combat that will make players really feel like they are engaged in blistering sword fights against an unyielding enemy army.

To fend off these enemies, you will need to first block their attacks before landing a few of your own through various motion prompts. For the smaller standard enemies, you block their strikes by holding up your arm in the path of their blade, then fight back with jabs and swinging blows. Larger foes can’t be blocked, but you can dodge their clubs by moving in the direction the onscreen arrow prompts you to.

Eventually, an enemy will drop their sword when they go down, allowing you to pick it up to even the score. You can hold swords in either hand, hold them in a reverse grip, and even dual-wield. Slashing at enemies with your own katana is satisfying, and perfect for living out your dreams of being Leonardo ahead of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City.

However, the swords only last for a certain number of strikes before they break, requiring you to use your fists once again until you can get another. As a result, battles are frantic and require extremely quick thinking and reflexes. Be prepared for sore arms if you plan on playing this for longer periods of time.

Once you kill a certain amount of enemies, you can unleash a powerful Super Move that is activated by holding down the trigger and performing a certain motion. Given how chaotic the action can be, it is pretty hard to tell if you even have the move available, let alone perform it. Still, it can clear a screen of enemies and looks impressive to pull off.

Just One Man has three primary game modes: Training, where you learn how to play, Challenge, where you test your skills against a wave of enemies in a certain location, and Endless, which pits you against a horde of opponents that doesn’t stop until you run out of lives. After a round of combat, your final score is tallied and in Endless Mode you can compare your performance with other players through an online leader board.

Just One Man’s visual style is simple but striking, featuring blocky, colorful characters and vibrant environments. Landscapes include crimson-skied battlefields, quiet green meadows, and peaceful cherry blossom fields. The Endless Mode stage is especially notable, featuring a dark blue background that makes the upcoming battle against a never-ending army all the more foreboding. The music includes energetic rap and techno, adding to the stylish aura that Just One Man is going for.

Only time will tell if Raikiri can piece together its dream VR MMO, but Just One Man feels like a promising start when it comes to developing a simple but challenging combat system. Charging at opponents and slashing at them is intuitive and thrilling, and while there isn’t a whole lot to the game besides that, it can be a fun way to hone your digital samurai skills and maybe burn a few calories in the process.