Believe it or not, Nier: Automata is almost a decade old. Given how successful it’s been — over 10 million copies sold as of Feb. 2026 — it’s surprising the beloved game hasn’t gotten a proper sequel yet. Last month, a YouTube video teased “Nier: Automata to be continued…” and I don’t think Square Enix was referring solely to the Nier collaboration with Overwatch. While fans wait for the next Nier game, they can check out the next best thing: Homura Hime, a new hack-and-slash with an anime aesthetic.
In developer Crimson Dusk’s debut project Homura Hime, you play as an exorcist setting out to battle demons throughout the world via sleek and stylish hack-and-slash combat. Homura Hime has one set of weapons available (a pair of swords that float at her back, like in Nier: Automata), but a diverse set of combos and skills to try out. Like in other action games, you’ll collect currency to unlock those new moves. Thankfully, your combat vendor shows up in the middle of levels, meaning you won’t have to wait until completing a mission to unlock a suite of new attacks.
You’ll want to try out as many combos and skills as possible because they’re all so effective, and so damn cool. One skill summons a giant flaming phoenix to rain down fire on your enemies, while another propels Homura Hime forward in a vortex of slashes with her swords. My favorite teleports Homura Hime’s blades to an enemy at a distance, slicing them for a ton of damage while you hang back safely.
Skills are on a cooldown, so combos make up the bulk of the moment-to-moment fighting. They mix up light and heavy attacks, with some juggling your opponent in the air and others ending with your sword lingering in the air as it rotates around like a vertical helicopter blade. No matter how a combo finishes off an enemy, each one is all a visual treat and they all make me feel like a badass demon exorcist.
I love me a good parry, and Homura Hime delivers exactly that. The timing isn’t difficult, and an audio cue will tip you off every time you need to parry. Successful parries quicken the cooldown on Homura Hime’s skills, making them vital to the flow of combat if you want to get back to your high-damage-dealing moves ASAP. During some encounters, like boss fights, you’ll need to chain together successful parries to stun your opponent and deliver a spectacle of a finishing move.
Where Homura Hime lacks somewhat is with its narrative, which takes a backseat to slicing and dicing demons. Each level will have you tracking down a different archdemon that’s corrupting the world and people around it, and learning about them is interesting. It’s just that plenty of the storytelling occurs during intense boss fights, and it being Japanese audio-only means those of us who don’t speak the language will have to read subtitles during the fray. Your mileage may vary, but I was too focused on dodging bullet-hell projectiles and parrying attacks to glance at the bottom of my screen to figure out what the characters were saying.
I’m only a few hours in, but the boss fights I’ve encountered have been exhilarating. The first is against a demon who wields a giant skeleton as a weapon, and the next pits you against a demon who summons plant enemies from a coffin. They test just how well you’ve mastered the various systems and tools Homura Hime has at her disposal, and are as satisfying to conquer as any boss in a Souls game.
The year is still young, but Homura Hime has some of the best action in a game I’ve played in 2026 so far. It’s got everything you’d want, from stylish skills to satisfying parries, and will surely help ease the wait for the next Nier, Bayonetta, or Devil May Cry.
