Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel review

When RPGs go wrong

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Nice 2D art

  • +

    A decent plot

  • +

    Not too distant from the show

Cons

  • -

    Insane number of random encounters

  • -

    Confusing paths in dungeons

  • -

    Yawn-inducing battles

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel looks predictable: nothing special, but possibly something fans of the anime series will at least enjoy. In the beginning, this seems to be the case. Once you leave the first battle, though, the game will quickly shows its nature… way, way too quickly.

We’ve played a lot of RPGs in which enemies randomly ambushed us as we walked from place to place - that's practically a staple of role-playing games. But we can safely say Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel has one of the most ridiculously high random encounter rates, ever. Approximately one to three steps is all it takes for the screen to freeze and for an assembly of evildoers to assault the party. This isn’t more than a second or two, folks. If this sounds irritating, you don’t even know the half of it - most areas are set up to have at a lot of dead-ends, with not even an item for your hard work. It’s a confusing process of selecting the correct path based on your gut instinct, which will inevitably become more tortuous as areas look more interchangeable.

More info

GenreRole Playing
DescriptionIt seems like an acceptable RPG transition from the television series until you take your first baby steps in the first dungeon. We guarantee even the most hardcore Inuyasha fans will become ill because of the random encounter rate - literally.
PlatformDS
US censor ratingEveryone
Release date22 January 2007 (US), 22 January 2007 (UK)
More
CATEGORIES
Latest in RPGs
Fighting a dragon with a sword and shield in Skyrim
Former Skyrim dev says "a lot of the great stuff" in the RPG came from the devs having "quite a bit of freedom" to create what they wanted, even if it wasn't "on schedule"
Yasuke standing in front of a Kofun tomb in Assassin's Creed Shadows
It took me over 20 hours to unlock Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows, and a Kofun turned out to be the perfect training ground
Pillars of Eternity
10 years later, in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 and Avowed world, Obsidian is giving its own throwback CRPG Pillars of Eternity a turn-based combat mode
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Reclaiming their crown, pacifist Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 player beats the whole RPG as "Merciful Henry": 1,741 strikes blocked, 472 knockouts, and zero kills
Top-down screenshot of Monsterpatch, showing a grid-based town with Pokemon-like creatures, GBC graphics and vegetations sprinkled about.
This cozy RPG promises a Pokemon and Stardew Valley mashup with "limitless customization," 208 monsters, and more, so no wonder its Kickstarter was funded in just 16 minutes
Dragon Age: The Veilguard art showing the RPG's companions grouped together
Dragon Age: The Veilguard director is leading an unannounced game for Wizards of the Coast, which recently hinted at more Baldur's Gate
Latest in Reviews
Razer Monitor Stand Chroma on desk with blue lighting reflecting off surface and Alienware gaming monitor on top.
Razer Monitor Stand Chroma review: “a pretty but flawed premium RGB riser for your gaming desk”
Image of the Corsair Virtuoso Max wireless headset sitting on top of a gaming PC case taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe.
Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless review - a PC headset tour de force
Zombicide box featuring stylized art of survivors fighting zombies
Zombicide 2nd Edition review: "Like a zombie flick brought to tabletop"
Razer Handheld Dock with Steam Deck sitting on cradle, pink and yellow RGB lighting on, and Alienware monitor in background with Tomb Raider Trilogy gameplay on screen.
Razer Handheld Dock review: “Your Steam Deck will ride shiny and Chroma"
Photographs of the Agricola board game in play
Agricola review: "Accurate representation of the highly competitive and often unstable world of agriculture"
Photos taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe of the Shure MV7i microphone, within a pink and white themed room.
Shure MV7i review - convenience and excellence rolled into one superb sounding package