If you're only somewhat interested in slaying oni with your friends, then Koei Tecmo has a deal for you. Toukiden 2: Free Alliances arrived yesterday for the PlayStation 4 and Vita and it allows you to check out some of what the full game has to offer as a kind of free-to-play version. In this case, it means you can only play a few missions each day before you run out of "Stamina" and have to wait for it to regenerate.

Rather than focusing on the grind for materials so prevalent in Monster Hunter style games, Toukiden 2 does something revolutionary: it concentrates on the more fun experience of slaying big creatures with your friends. Jason and Matt share their thoughts....

I thought I had had my fill of Monster Hunter style games after God Eater 2, but then in walks Toukiden 2. Locke and Matt joined me last week to slay oni or die trying.

You say potato, I say Toukiden Kiwami.  This may not be the easiest game to pronounce, but it is made by the people behind the Dynasty Warrior franchise and for fans of strategic mash-em-ups that can be no bad thing.  Those with long memories may remember the Vita version of the game, but as of March 27th 2015, it will also be available on PlayStation 4.  A new mission trailer and pre-order info have been released to whet your appetite. 

Omega Force is taking their well-known Dynasty Warriors action back to Japan with Toukiden: The Age of Demons. The game was a huge hit in Japan and is finally seeing a U.S. release in just a week's time. Before that, though, you can check out the demo to see what it's all about.

There seems to be a trend these days in the handheld scene. It involves teaming up with buddies to take down large monsters in epic fashion. With the release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate coming next month, and Soul Sacrifice not long after, the tradition is running strong. I'm not complaining, it means more cooperative action for fans of the genre to be a part of.