Demon Gaze Review
It’s hard to know what you’re going to get when you first pick up an NIS title. If you’re lucky, you may be gifted with an insanely deep tactical RPG that offers hours upon hours of playtime, but on the other hand you might be in for a perverted web of sexually charged Japanese fetishism that crosses multiple lines. Demon Gaze somehow manages to sit right in the middle, with elements of each breaking through. A Blank Slate >> You are the Demon Gazer, a being tasked with hunting down Demons, beating them to a pulp and capturing their souls with your intense, brooding stares. Apart from this, you’re not given much to go on as far as your character is concerned. Instead, it’s up to you to choose between 40+ different character designs, including their class, voice and name. Parties can consist of up to five characters at one time, all being created from the same pool of designs. But while these characters have no interaction with the story whatsoever, it’s impressive how quickly the few traits you choose begin to create their own stories through the gameplay. Stages function in a bizarre mix of East meets West, with the first person dungeon navigation being reminiscent of early Wizards and Warriors titles, while the varied turn-based combat undoubtedly draws from classic JRPGs.
The dark side of the coin surfaces from the Inn sequences. The Inn acts as the game’s hub, a place where players return to revive fallen characters, sell and buy weapons and where most of the games storyline plays out. It’s run by “The Manager”, Fran, a money obsessed mishmash of master/servant fetishism, but deep down she’s got a good heart… supposedly. Other notable characters include Lancelorna, the scantily clad veteran, Prometh, a morbid young girl who constantly forgets to wear clothes and Lezeren, an eccentric male Elf who loves taking baths when you happen to be in the same room. It all plays out like a teenage manga, crammed full of angst and sexual suggestion with moments that border on the criminally perverted. Stay Inn-doors >> Luckily, the majority of the gameplay comes from the Dungeon sequences, which are fun, exciting and perfect for the pick up and play nature of the PS Vita. This function is only jeopordised by the occasional scandalous image that may spring up during Inn sequences, but they are easy to gage if you’re trying to avoid awkward moments on public transport.
The lack of animation should be a hindrance, but the art is incredibly detailed, the class system expansive and the scope of enemies so varied that the game ends up benefiting from its low budget design. The result is a JRPG that does what JRPGs do best, offers a variety of strategical gameplay that is as addicive as it is lengthy, while still managing to squeeze in the odd side-boob whenever it gets the chance. 6/10 Verdict: Demon Gaze offers a simple yet addicting handheld RPG experience, distracted only by its flirty anime desires. As published in Hyper Magazine #250.