On its face, “The Dark Eye: Demonicon” is very similar to other games that primarily rely on a “hack and slash” mechanic like God of War. However, upon closer inspection, you realize that there is actually a surprising amount of depth to the title and that it is jam-packed with various RPG concepts and gameplay elements.
For instance, some have noted how the decisions you make throughout the game seem to impact the sequence of events. Killing that bad guy might seem like a good idea at the time, you’ll only find out later that you may have acted to hastily. These narrative-based choices go hand in hand with a surprisingly interesting control and combat system that includes not only your standard attacks, but also stun moves and a barrage of “maneuvers” that you can initiate which will greatly increase your effectiveness in general combat. Moreover, you can also cast spells, each of which will produce different effects and help you take down certain types of unique enemies. In addition to the 25 spells you will accumulate, there are also plenty of super-powered weapons to obtain.
The game itself is a rather dark and dreary RPG-fantasy title that is somewhat visually reminiscent of old favorites like Dark Souls or Demon’s Souls. In other words, there’s a distinctive focus on catacomb-like environments and other very mysterious and dark level designs which add greatly to the somewhat creepy feel of the game.
If you’ve seen any of the preview or teaser trailers then you should already know that this game borrows some of its artistic cues from the Lord of the Rings; this alone will probably perk up the interests of quite a few gamers. However, this doesn’t mean that DE: D is a knock-off game; it definitely is an original title, even if it is constructed from borrowed elements.
Visually speaking, the game is very nicely appointed, and there’s plenty of detail as well. The lighting is spectacular and there are plenty of “oh my god, what is that thing!?” moments to be experienced. The environments definitely get the job done and the character models are good too. Needless to say, this is a quest completion-based game, so it’s really par for the course in terms of its overall aims. Demonicon is yet another splendid fantasy RPG that will undoubtedly please a great number of fans, particularly those who enjoy hack and slash action, spell-casting as well as setting out on lengthy, dangerous quests in foreboding territories.