Catacombs 1: Demon War
- July 12, 2017
- SimProse Studios
- 2h median play time
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Get on itch.io StoreCatacombs 1: Demon War is a 3-chapter game where you become a brave hero on a mission to uncover the dark past of your cursed home and defeat evil forces. The game features high-res graphics, customizable controls, and an immersive original orchestral music score. With over 300 weapons, armor, and items, and hundreds of thousands of possible combinations, the game offers a rich and engaging RPG experience.
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Reviews
- The game features a strategic RPG battle system that requires players to manage their HP and MP effectively, adding depth to combat.
- The story and writing are surprisingly good, with engaging side quests and a plot twist at the end that keeps players interested.
- The developer shows a commitment to improvement, responding to player feedback and releasing updates to enhance gameplay.
- The game is very short, with a playtime of around 3 hours, which may leave players wanting more content.
- It suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, leading to a frustrating experience with controls and gameplay mechanics.
- The overall quality is low, with simplistic graphics and repetitive gameplay that fails to engage players for long periods.
- story19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging plot, voice acting, and well-crafted side missions, while others find it simplistic and lacking depth. Many players appreciate the plot twist at the end and express excitement for future installments, although some criticize the overall narrative quality as reminiscent of a low-budget title. Overall, the game offers a decent introductory chapter to a larger story, with a blend of retro graphics and engaging quests.
“I love the voice acting in this game; I wish he did that in the Cavern of Time. This game had more story to it than Cavern of Time!”
“The ending of this game is a good plot twist, and I love how it ended.”
“I can not wait to see his next installment for this story in the next game, which I hope is Catacombs 2 soon.”
“The story is what you would expect from a cheap title, so no complaints there.”
“It's as if a ten-year-old had written a story named 'War of the Stars' or 'Master of the Ring' and were incredibly proud of it.”
“The setup with the locked dungeon, the side quests (collecting vegetables for a random guy in a locked dungeon... yeah, sure), nothing makes any sense whatsoever.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive and outdated, with low-quality visuals typical of RPG Maker titles. While some players found the mechanics initially challenging, they eventually became smoother, but the overall experience is marred by grindy random encounters and a lack of innovation. Reviewers suggest that the game would benefit from insights into better RPG design practices.
“The gameplay mechanics were different from what I was used to, but once I got used to them, everything flowed fairly smoothly.”
“I'd advise the creator to take a look at the RPG Maker game design forums; there are some people there who could get him up to speed, so that the solid presentation will get a valid gameplay foundation to rest on.”
“Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low-quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
“The gameplay itself seems repetitive and a little outdated.”
“On the gameplay side, most of it consists of the usual RPG Maker grind against invisible random encounters, plus a bunch of fixed visible boss encounters.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally considered subpar, typical of RPG Maker titles, lacking full HD support and customization options, which may disappoint modern gamers. However, some users appreciate the retro aesthetic and animations, noting that the visuals align with the game's narrative style, particularly in the first chapter. Overall, the graphics are described as simplistic but acceptable at a lower price point.
“At the right price, the game is alright... retro graphics and animations with a decent Chapter 1 story.”
“As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
“Simplistic graphics.”
“The first of three chapters of a larger story, Catacombs 1 has different graphics than most RPG Maker games.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some users find it basic and repetitive, others appreciate the custom compositions that enhance the game's grim atmosphere. Overall, the investment in quality assets, including music, is noted positively by some players.
“On the positive side, the creator has invested heavily in assets (Pioneer Valley tilesets, custom music which is actually pretty nice), and the few ounces of voice acting are also fine.”
“The music is low caliber, pretty basic and repetitive.”
“The only thing I loved about this game is the setting, the grim mood it creates, and its music.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being a blatant cash grab, lacking originality and quality, and relying on poorly executed assets. Reviewers express concern that such practices tarnish the reputation of amateur developers and contribute to the proliferation of low-effort games on platforms like Steam.
“It's horribly basic, riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, full of stock copy-pasted RPG Maker assets. No real game development has taken place here; this is just a cash grab, shovelware polluting Steam for profit.”
“This kind of cash grab construction kit shovelware from bad actors gives amateur developers a bad name.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game for its simplicity and directness, noting that it avoids excessive grindiness while providing an enjoyable experience. The lack of a complex overarching story allows for a more straightforward gameplay focus, which many find refreshing and fun.
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, with many users noting that there isn't much incentive to play it again after completing it.
“Not a lot of replay value.”
