What the game is
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is an action adventure built around the anime's story, played through the eyes of Tanjiro Kamado. The campaign runs from the Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, where he joins the Demon Slayer Corps, through to Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train with the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. Alongside the story, battles play out in full 3D with graphical effects that recreate the iconic techniques from the series, and there are quick-time events mixed into the cinematic sequences. If your group knows the anime, this is the version where you relive those moments rather than just hearing about them.
Fighting with the cast
Versus mode is where the roster matters. There are 24 fighters to choose from, including Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira, plus demons such as Rui, Lower Five of the Twelve Kizuki, and Akaza, Upper Three of the Twelve Kizuki. That mix lets you set up matchups that never happened in the story, so your group can argue over who gets to play the Flame Hashira and who has to take the demons. Costumes, like the Butterfly Mansion Patient Wear, can be used in Versus mode, and Character Unlock items give immediate access to the listed characters there.
Playing together
Online PvP is the main way your Discord group fights each other, and the latest patch is required to access online play. Remote Play Together is also available, which lets one person host and others join in. Keep in mind the game is listed as singleplayer alongside the multiplayer options, so the story sections are a solo run while the fighting is where the group meets up.
Before you start
Check which language package you have: only Korean subtitles are included in the product purchased in Korea, while Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese are included in purchases outside Korea. Some character unlocks, avatars and costumes only apply to Versus mode, and note that some items appear across different editions, so watch for duplicates if more than one person in the group is buying.