Book of Demons is not a brand new game. It’s been available in one form or another in early access since 2016. The fact that it isn’t more well known and more loved is a sign that things can certainly fall through the cracks when it comes to Steam. Maybe that has something to do with the service paying a little too much attention to AAA titles.
On December 13, the Hack and Slash dungeon crawler officially came out of Early Access and it’s pretty clear Thing Trunk knew what it was doing when it declared the game “finished.” This might be one of the more underrated games in this genre this year, especially since it launched with such little fanfare. Perhaps the best part of the game is that it’s a rather complex game packaged in a way that is very simple.
Players take on the role of either a mage, a warrior or a rogue and battle their way through one level after another of monster-infested dungeons. The end game is to get to the bottom level, where you will take on the biggest bad and try and save the village that lies hundreds of miles above where you’re doing all the fighting. To some degree, Book of Demons is like most other Hack and Slash dungeon crawlers in that each character has specific weapons and powers that can be unlocked the further you battle through your enemies.
Book of Demons Stands Out in a Crowded Field
One way the game stands out for the better is that the controls when you go into battle, are quite simple. That’s despite the fact that you can be calling up all kinds of different powers and weapons in a short amount of time. There are going to be times you’re going to be blasting five or six enemies that are all converging on your position while also attempting to freeze time, freeze your enemies, put up a shield or heal yourself. All of this can be do with a couple of clicks and none of it requires you to open up a separate menu or waste time trying to figure out what button you need to push.
All of your powers are laid out in a way that doesn’t require players to remember complex combinations. Just pick the loadout before you enter a dungeon and start aiming and clicking. The characters automatically fire their primary weapon in the direction of advancing enemies as well. This feature adds to the ease of use the game went out of its way to put front and center. All of this action is wrapped up in a pretty bow that definitely stands out in a crowded field thanks to a great art style.
All of the characters are made to look like paper cutouts that gives the game a bloodless PG-rated look that doesn’t take away from just how fun it is to play. Thing Trunk took it’s time officially releasing Book of Demons and when they finally did, they definitely got it right.
Pros
- The art style is impressive and allows the game to stand out
- There are enough different powers and magic spells to keep players engaged.
- Ease of combat is a big bonus
- There’s an interesting story unfolding if you want to pay attention to the “gossip.”
Cons
- The dungeons don’t vary much in appearance
- More
Conclusion
Book of Demons isn’t a particularly complex game but what it sets out to do is done very, very well. From the ease of combat to a fetching art style, the game is one that could show up on “game of the year” lists if it had a bit more word of mouth. The only thing that doesn’t allow this game to stand out more is that it really is in a rather crowded field. The only thing this game has going against it is that the dungeons can look quite similar. That absolutely shouldn’t be a reason to skip this game.
