Demonschool Takes Tactical Fans Back to Class In Epic Fashion

At this point, I’ve been covering Demonschool for a while now. Not only did I demo it at two different PAX West shows, but I’ve been writing up news for the game since it was first announced by Ysbryd and Necrosoft. So when I heard there was a new demo that was going to be included in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to check it out. And despite some small inconveniences in the press build of the demo, I am very pleased with and hopeful for the future of the game.

First things first, let me just say I love the zany world of the game. It’s sort of like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on acid. Not only does the game take place in 1999, but it’s full of witty one liners, a quirky group of friends and a pending demonic invasion. Most challenging is how everyone in the game except a small few suffers from perplexing and suspicious memory problems, causing them to conveniently forget anything weird that happens. Luckily our heroes all have latent demon slaying ability, which not only helps them survive, but also seems to help them remember what’s happening. Though even then, they still suffer from some strange memory gaps, most notably the main character named Faye.

When they’re not out searching for clues and beating down demons and gangsters, Faye and company are also still attending school. One teacher gives them important assignments and even lets them study to learn new skills. That same teacher also gets all their cues from a strange clipboard that seems to fill itself up with important information the teacher knows nothing about. Sure it’s shady, but everything in the game is under a veil of mystery.

What matters is that this strange scenario makes for a really compelling adventure that’s full of things to do. You can spend your time doing all sorts of random side quests or just move the main story forwards. Rest assured that spending time doing extracurricular activities is usually well worth your time. You might increase your bonds with friends like meathead Destin, nerdy Namako or media-obsessed Knute. Or maybe you’ll fish up some tasty abominations at the dock. The choice is ultimately yours.

One thing about Demonschool that hasn’t changed is the challenge. Though the game is a tactical RPG, it doesn’t play like many others I’ve experienced. Movement and combat are one and the same, which means you can’t just position your units perfectly before attacking. Further complicating things, each character attacks a different way, and Knute doesn’t even attack at all. He’s still invaluable, since he’s the only healer in the demo, whereas Faye and Destin knock heads, and Namako is capable of stunning groups of foes. At first, I got my clock cleaned during every battle, but I gradually started to pick up the mechanics better.

Once I internalized the strengths and weaknesses of my team, things dramatically improved. Especially once I charged up and unleashed their special abilities. The game is also pretty generous, allowing 8 AP to use each turn, with each character’s first actions only costing 1 AP, and each subsequent action costing double. Which usually meant I could lunge into combat, reposition my team, rinse and repeat. That said, even the best strategy can meet sudden complications, such as one character being super weak to physical attacks, or another being annihilated by poison. It’s a lot to balance, but once you start putting in the time, it’s really not unfair.

Though I really enjoyed the demo, there was one big issue that limited how far I was able to get. For some reason, the media build of the demo didn’t immediately feature save or load functionality. My understanding is that this will be implemented by the time Steam Next Fest rolls around, but that wasn’t much help for yours truly.

I played the Demonschool demo over the course of 3 separate sessions, and each time I was forced to start from the very beginning. This very much made me want a way to skip dialogue. I also had issues with how often my Gamepad lost connection to my PC, which caused some headache. Not to mention I would have loved a quick and easy way to instantly swap between my units during battle. Instead, I had to move my cursor all over the map constantly. These aside, though, it was a very enjoyable experience.

Despite the problems I faced with the demo, I am still quite excited for the final release of Demonschool. This is a worthy and unique example of the genre, and one I think fans of Shin Megami Tensei and even Fire Emblem are going to adore. Be sure to check it out if that sounds like your sort of game. And stay tuned to HPP for more exciting tactical adventures!