DEMONS' SCORE Review
PROS
- Fun musical themes; full thematic changes based on the soul you equip.
- Amusing storyline and characters; over-the-top and refreshingly candid with its silliness.
- Challenging rhythm-game mechanics.
CONS
- Forced repetition through the story to unlock content only emphasizes the lack of variety.
- Full-price for the game reaches almost console-level prices; content limited considering the ultimate cost.
- Voice-acting feels forced in action scenes; re-edited from previous dialogue and jammed in without any visuals to match.
VERDICT
Demons’ Soul is a pricey way to enjoy the music of some of Square Enix’ top composers, but if you can stand the forced repetition you’ll get to enjoy a competent rhythm-game and the rather amusing storyline attached to it.
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When you bring together notable composers responsible for the stunning soundtracks of games like Final Fantasy 11, Nier, and Secret of Mana, you’d like to think their work is showcased appropriately. I’m not entirely sold on the ‘appropriate’ part when it comes to the magic-transforming-teenager-and-skimpy-clothes department of Demons’ Soul by Square Enix, but the rhythm-based gameplay is perhaps the best way to showcase its music.
You play as Serenity Aleister, a girl thrown in to the unfortunate job of tech-support for her father. Her task includes destroying the demon lords of the underworld who have been unwittingly unleashed upon the world, and with the help of her possessed bear and a sub-machinegun and sword combo, she might just succeed.
Each stage is themed after a particular style of music, tied directly to the boss itself. Scratch that - prior to reaching the boss the music you listen to (and dispatch monsters with) is based on the ‘soul’ you currently have equipped. At first you’ll have none, but after killing Asmodeus you’ll be able to turn in to a skimpily dressed ‘clubber’, taking on his particular musical motif in battle. Kill another boss and you’ll have the choice of forming a ‘pact’ to transform in to them, gaining boosts to your stats and a change in music in the process.
To take out the hordes of enemies you’ll engage in an Elite Beat Agents/Ōendan style of tapping, sliding and swiping the screen in beat with the music. Miss a beat and you’ll take damage - get a ‘perfect’/’critical’ and you’ll gain health. It’s all very simple at its core, but twists such as multiple taps and zig-zagging swipes will keep you busy.
However - and this is where things become a little depressing - you didn’t think you’d get all of this for free did you? Sadly not. Despite the already significant initial cost of the game, signing ‘pacts’ will require you to spend even more money - as such the game holds you to ransom if you’d like some variety in your models and music beyond the first basic ones. For a game touting little variety in the way of combat and an enforced ‘repetition’ of the Easy, Medium, and Hard stages to actually ‘beat’ the game in its entirety, this becomes a fairly dirty move on the part of the publisher.
If you don’t mind repetition or you’re happy to fork out large sums of money for the limited experience in Demons’ Soul, then this is most definitely worth your time, but it’s a hard pill to swallow when you consider how repetitive the default gameplay is.
Screenshots
$4.99
