-INTIAL THOUGHTS-

This game clearly has a lot going for it. I recognize a huge variety of scripts I’ve seen in other RPG maker games implemented in this one. Each one contributes to the game in a huge way and helps to make it more enjoyable for the player. I especially like how the player can edit everything to their liking such as the battle system and the camera speed. There are some parts though that shows that this game is unfinished and still needs some work in certain areas. The bestiary is one of these things. I’ll explain the bugs I found later in the review but for now let’s just say that the bestiary was more than unfunctional for me and I ran into more than a few issues that should be resolved. I still liked playing the game though (I wouldn’t spend five hours playing a game I didn’t like in some way). The only thing that really bothered me throughout my experience playing besides the bugs is that the tone of the game constantly changes and doesn’t seem to focus on one specific type for the game. Demise’s opening title screen makes it appear as if the game is going to be a horror game and as you play the tone constantly changes between a hero’s coming to age story and a bone chilling thriller. I would also like to add here that some elements seem pointless or unnecessary. I mean what is the point of leaving Sela’s place to go after the kid if your just going to go right back to Sela’s house in less than 5 minutes. This process is repeated too many times for my taste in a variety of different quest lines. Despite all of this though the game is very enjoyable overall and a lot of hard work has made the game what it is today.

-PRESENTATION-

I have a love hate relationship going on with the presentation in this game. In regards to the graphics, while I think that the mix of RTP and non RTP assets is well handled, I still find it somewhat discerning to see the same old rats and imps that appear in every RPG maker game. In addition to that it throws off the flow of the battles in my opinion. Most of the enemies in the game move slightly in battle and gives it more of a “I’m really fighting you” kind of look to it and then the player encounters a static image and remembers that they are just playing another RPG Maker game. That being said though, this is not the majority and thankfully only happens in a few times in the duration of play. One thing that I really admired though was the attention to detail on all of the maps. While there are a few in which I would have designed differently, for the most part each map is spectacular and feels like a natural environment. Unfortunately, my praise for the environment is almost equal to my disappointment with the music. All the chosen music when traveling fits nicely but the music changes between short scenes and flashbacks not only seem forced but disrupt the flow of the game and just don’t sound right for the situation in most cases. I would also like to mention that the music in the title screen helps give Demise more of a Five Nights at Freddy’s vibe that the game just doesn’t relate to. I like the story of the game and while the events may be tragic; this game is definitely not a horror game. The story thus far has a bunch of up’s and downs in it as the main character and major protagonists try to figure what’s going on but doesn’t rely on gore or scares to keep the player drawn into the game. The story does that all on its own and trying to make this game more horror like would just tarnish the story.

-ENGAGEMENT/GAMEPLAY-

As an RPG, the main source of engagement come from the story of the game. Demise’s story is vast and full of side quests and plot twists to help keep the player invested in playing the game. It even includes a few super bosses for the more competitive players to try and beat and they are deserving of the title of super boss. Of the two I encountered I was only able to beat one and that was after leveling up tremendously first. Thankfully they are optional and the game clearly warns the player to save before going and facing the super boss. There are usually green crystals nearby which not only save the game but completely heals the player so that they can face them at their full strength. For the most part these are placed strategically and are generally close by where a boss battle will be initiating but in the mountain area I wished that they could be utilized a little more. The boss battles are generally fair if not completely easy depending on the player’s level. Grinding in this game has its benefits as with most RPG’s but I believe that the developer has done a great job of balancing the enemies/allies as the player moves further through the game. Even towards the end of the game with my character taking of 400 damage from a simple “attack” command, I still rarely ever defeated an enemy with only 1 hit. I would also like to take this time to again thank the developer for allowing the player to choose the type of battle system to play with. With a few practice runs and changing of the settings I was able to customize the battle system to my liking so that it wasn’t purely action but still far from default too. Giving the player this ability definitely adds depth to the game as every player can play the game how they want to and be able to change it whenever they wanted.

-BUGS/GLITCHES-

In the videos below you will see that not only was a creature not added to the inventory when scanned but also if I tried entering and exiting the bestiary without clicking anything I would get a RGSS3 player error. In addition to this, “Limit” skills do not seem to cool down when the “Active Time” battle system is enabled. Besides this the only other thing I felt I should add is that curly braces show up at the end of the word when a stat is being buffed or debuffed. This may be a design choice of the developer but still wanted to make sure I added it in case it wasn’t.

Links to videos:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5APKZT75uLbZjRWa0FmRGtFRjA/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5APKZT75uLbQmlJQTFjOXlkUmc/view?usp=sharing

-OVERALL-

Demise is a fantastic RPG with hours of gameplay waiting to be played. There may be a few odd design choices and a bug or two but ultimately it is a fun game with an interchangeable battle system that will appeal to everyone. I say play this game if you like RPG games, Adventure games, or Action based games. Also this game is still in development with more updates coming out in the future. Make sure to stay up to date with project on RMN and remember to thank the developer for doing an outstanding job!