Review – Demon Gaze Extra

Demons are everywhere in the game, and they’re so damn ugly that it’s terrifying. The art direction is a little too over-the-top for me to take seriously as anything but an awful nightmare, but I was still able to have some fun with its mechanics. It’s not great though!

Demon Gaze is a dungeon-crawling RPG that features a unique combat system. The game has received positive reviews with an 8.8 score on the PlayStation 4, and for Switch players it can be downloaded now for $19.99

Growing up, I didn’t pay much attention to the DRPG genre. My eyes weren’t completely awakened to it until I read Labyrinth of Refrain. The inability to see my characters was the biggest turnoff for me. I had become used to seeing a view of what was going on in towns, fights, and when travelling up until that moment. Saviours of Sapphire Wings was my first project with Experience Inc as a company. It was a title I enjoyed and gave a solid seven out of ten. So it came as no surprise to me when I heard Demon Gaze was receiving a fresh slick coat of paint before releasing Nintendo Switch. It was one of those games that I didn’t get to play since I didn’t have a PlayStation Vita at the time. Even if I purchased one, the cost of the memory cards made it difficult to justify. That will change today, but was it worth the wait for Demon Gaze Extra?

The surroundings are generic, but have a peek at the vista!

Experience Inc enjoys offering us the flexibility to customise our staff as a corporation. NPCs — both in look and identity – are the only solid, set-in-stone characters. While I appreciate the flexibility this provides players, it comes at a substantial cost – investment. Every single one of those party members is a hollow shell. They’re thrown into passing jokes to add depth, but it seems more like an afterthought than an attempt to bring them to life. I appreciate the appreciation, but I despise the fact that it’s just a name-dropping exercise. They laugh, drink, and mingle with others, yet they’re seldom addressed. They seem to be puppets who are merely there to fill up the world. JRPGs are known for their ability to connect with people from all walks of life. If you miss out on it, you’ll have a half-baked experience.

Thankfully, the NPCs strive to take up the load and, for the most part, succeed. Demon Gaze Extra does an excellent job of fleshing out little behaviors and developing uniqueness. A few are quite amusing, such as the cheerful cat girl. Expect depravity, whether it’s in the form of eye candy or obscene conversation. For example, suppose you’re asked which portion of a woman’s body you like. There’s also an outlandishly beautiful item of underwear that defies sense. Then there’s the other side of the coin, when undress is used to depict a personality attribute. What I mean is that a female sometimes prances past when I’m engaged in conversation with someone. It’s designed to convey her drowsy demeanor and her willingness to go about in her underwear groggily. It’s good to see fan service with a purpose, even if it’s just a little one. In that vein, I’d want to highlight a specific interaction.

Normally, I’d say something clever, but this speaks for itself.

For niche games like Demon Gaze Extra, obscenely exposed clothes is become the norm. So, the knickers aren’t perplexing, but they do, believe it or not, contribute to a healthy conversation. It included a touching moment between the female protagonist and myself. With the way things turned out, I was reliving the days of my first relationship, which gave it more realism. It also helps that the girl’s mystery is compelling, albeit predictable. It’s a theme that the story’s penultimate climax shares. Although, in its fairness, the literary shirt had a few additional creases that I hadn’t anticipated. Overall, Demon Gaze Extra aims to strike a balance between humour and seriousness. Character antics elicited guffaws, smiles, and eye rolls. Euphemisms abound, and I really like the double entendres. However, there is one portion of the story that stands out.

Let’s talk about surprise, ignoring the use of amnesia as a writing device. Many games have a single occurrence that leaves players speechless. Demon Gaze Extra aspires to accomplish so and makes an attempt, but the overall product is lackluster. The character development is a key factor for the failure. Because the section in question occurs quite early, there isn’t enough time to establish a relationship. When empathy between the player and the NPC is developed, impactful circumstances tend to have the necessary shock. That way, any grief you feel after a traumatic event is amplified and hits you in the gut. That was not the case, which is why it happens with a whimper. Later, there’s another attempt, but despite the build-up, it fails owing to hot and cold writing. Fortunately, the development of half of the major characters is miles ahead of the others.

Big bucks, large bucks, big bucks…shoot!

Tedium is a pleasure block that can make even the most complex features into slow tasks. Demon Gaze Extra contains plenty of stuff, ranging from grinding to plain ol’ treasure seeking. It’s because of the latter that I’d notice not just constant menu surfing, but also a lot of retracing. These treasure maps, which may be discovered randomly along the voyage, are the culprits. They have coordinates on them that point to a certain location. However, it never exposes the location, instead substituting ridiculous riddles for clues. I had trouble understanding the clues, especially when they were so obscure. The specifics are hazy, and they point to a lot of different zones, so I decided to hire a guide. I made it through with it, but the experience was a complete grind. Those dreadful leads aren’t the sole cause for this.

Demon Gaze Extra’s hook is now catching, well, demons. This is one of my favorite aspects of the game, and it’s made much better by the conflicts that precede earning them. See, I like a good challenge, and I was given one. It kept me on my toes, and even when I lost, I was putting together a plan. The issue is that demons are inextricably tied to maps, of which there are around seventy to scavenge. To even materialize the prize, you must be accompanied by a specified person. The problem is that there are 10 altogether, but you only have three spots on your person. As you would expect, there’s a lot of hopping between places and the hub inn to keep the line-up fresh. When you add in the trial and error of attempting to identify treasure places, it’s clear that you need to find a freaking guide — it’s a must-have.

Prometh is so lethargic that she refuses to zip up her hoodie. She never, ever does it.

Here’s the true bummer: there are a few delightful discussions with the task provider when finishing the objectives hidden behind maps. These experiences give them more individuality and provide them a reason for their unusual habits. Anyone who like beautifully crafted yet vulgar CGs will be pleased to see that they are present and correct. It’s awful to have things concealed behind such a vexing mechanism. It’s a huge blunder, and there are a few quality-of-life changes that need to be made right now. However, there are some areas where Experience Inc improves, such as automatic movement. This makes loot hunting a little more bearable. The main drawback is the presence of damaging impediments such as spikes, poison, and so forth. The good news is that it is negated by a demon. The bad news is that they take up a valuable spot, restricting the number of people who may come along in quest of riches and adding to the tedium.

Okay, I know I’ve made the game seem unappealing, but trust me when I say it’s hot. There’s a lot of fun to be had, and it kept me up till the small hours of the morning. Demon Gaze Extra has an addicting quality about it. However, it is an acquired flavor that will not appeal to everyone. For those who are acquainted with Experience Inc, this is a first-person DRPG with first-person mobility and fighting. The grinding is another common characteristic. Due to the lack of towns, the only accessible store is located inside the hub inn. As a result, all of the available equipment rapidly becomes obsolete, and battle is the only way to get higher-tier armour and weaponry. There are magical circles that, when used in conjunction with a gem, may aid ensure drops. In other words, utilize a sword gem to acquire a strong weapon – this was my preoccupation.

The devils are sweltering. Also schizophrenic.

Armaments now have an upgrading system that boosts their stats. This is in addition to the various ratings, which, predictably, indicate the better option. It’s the most compelling reason to grind since there’s nothing like getting the greatest sword, then investing in and improving it to its maximum lethality. Maximizing equipment is a breeze because to the simple access to gems through the hub inn store. Unfortunately, combat does not bring you a lot of money, so selling is the only viable choice. If I had to define the gameplay loop, it would be a never-ending cycle of combat, gathering item drops, selling the undesired, and integrating the remainder into whatever weapon or shield you wield. Battles may be sped up to help with the inevitable repetition. Although it is not automated, the boost in speed is significant. It doesn’t alter the reality that this is a waste of time.

If you still don’t believe grinding is important in Demon Gaze Extra, I have additional evidence for you. While demons have a rank system, their true strength is determined by their armament. In other words, if you’re going to handle a powerful beast, you’d better be carrying some real fire. This heightens the incentive to conduct a slew of murders in order to beef up your arsenal. When if it weren’t enough, characters can only raise one stat as they level up. I’d raise whatever makes the most sense depending on the classes: MYS for Healer, VIT or STR for Paladin, and so on. In this case, equipment is used to compensate for what is absent. Because dodging, for example, will be abandoned in favor of sheer damage output, defense will have to take precedence. It adds a layer of strategy to the game and is enjoyable to experiment with to find the finest combinations.

Yes, it’s a female-only squad with one guy member. Please don’t pass judgment on me.

Forests, volcanoes, castles, and other settings are, without exaggeration, generic. Everything feels empty and desolate, and in most, if not all, cases, it feels like you’re playing a PlayStation 3 game. Then then, that’s the Experience Inc way, and character portraits are often where the art style shines in the games I’ve played. The look is traditional anime, with brilliant colors that pop. The CGs, in particular, are completely hand-drawn and bring the characters’ antics to life. I would say, though, that some of the designs, particularly Cassel, seem a little unimaginative. In terms of performance, I didn’t observe any stuttering or frame drops. In my almost fifty-hour session, I did, unfortunately, have a single crash. It occurred, ironically, during a boss battle that was kicking my behind. Perhaps this wasn’t so much a technical flaw as a way to combat my stubbornness.

Demon Gaze Extra emulating NieR wasn’t on my bingo card, to be sure. And yet, it is precisely what the score does. For those unaware, the vocals are garbled and spoken in gibberish, yet the instrumentals are symphonic and create pleasant sounds for my ears. However, although the music is good to excellent, nothing stands out. Most importantly, tracks do nothing to heighten the emotional impact of a scene, which is a mistake in a JRPG. But it’s not all bad news: Demon Gaze Extra strikes a home run when it comes to ambience. Forests, undersea, and other settings all sound real. There’s even a strange clip of what seems to be chanting in one place. Whatever it is, it adds to the mystique brilliantly. There’s also a dub that surprised me. It has inflection and cadence, but it’s still a mediocre performance. There were no irritating voices, which is usually a positive.

So, let’s talk about the obscene stuff. Yes, this does happen. Forewarned is forearmed.

Demon Gaze Extra fills a void, making it excellent for grindheads. The majority of its mechanics center on going out and murdering indefinitely. Sure, it’s a time-consuming process, but quality of life aspects like speeding up combat assist. The story itself is decent, but it takes an hour or so to really get going. Unfortunately, both efforts to make an effect at the two key periods fall short. Despite this, several characters grabbed my heart with their antics. Then there were the ones that caused me to roll my eyes. Be aware that perversion is unavoidably included in this bundle, with clothing such as lingerie being provided only for entertainment. Unfortunately, there’s a boss at the end of the game who is completely broken. The struggle may remain an inconvenience with patience and luck, but it is also winnable. I strongly advise you to use a guide.

I can only suggest this book to those who fall within the intended demographic. Even yet, the present pricing is a little high, and the value just does not correspond to the gameplay. Wait for a discount on this one.

Environments have a generic appearance. While they have a lot of detail and are well-made, they don’t compensate for the lack of liveliness. For each location, it uses a template design.	While I had a good time, there’s no denying that this game is inherently monotonous. As a result, it has limited appeal and may not appeal to the majority of people.
The music is excellent. I loved that there was some NieR influence as well, whether it was deliberate or not. The only drawback is that none of the songs are memorable enough to keep me singing them long after they’ve been played. A great soundtrack should aim to increase the emotional impact of a situation, but this one falls short.	I became unreasonably consumed with improving my equipment and character development. I was intrigued despite the fact that the notion was so easy. The jewels’ gatcha vibe worked in Demon Gaze Extra’s favor, pulling me in to try again and again.
Final Score: 7.0

Demon Gaze Extra is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo Switch.

On the Nintendo Switch, a review was conducted.

The publisher sent me a copy of Demon Gaze Extra.

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