Demonicon

A deep and rich storyline coupled by immersive visuals and player choice are where the game shines the most. Although animations aren’t the liveliest of sort it’s not a game breaking bug nor does it pull you from the immersion.

67%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

stability, optimization

67% User Score Based on 467 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $9.99

Buy NowGet on Steam$9.99

About

"Demonicon is a single-player, third-person action-RPG set in the dark fantasy world of The Dark Eye. Embark on a 15-hour journey as a brother and sister fighting through hordes of fiends, making moral decisions, and determining the fate of the continent. With a good story and a blend of battle and magic, Demonicon offers a thrilling RPG experience."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 467 reviews

story168 positive mentions

stability15 negative mentions

Engaging and dark storyline with moral choices that impact the narrative.
Decent character development and skill customization options.
Interesting lore and world-building elements that appeal to fans of the Dark Eye universe.

Clunky combat mechanics and slow animations that detract from the gameplay experience.
Lack of manual saving, relying solely on auto-saves which can lead to frustrating loss of progress.
Outdated graphics and poor voice acting that diminish immersion.

story
528 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The story of "Demonicon" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and darkly intriguing, while others criticize it for being linear, predictable, and poorly executed. Central themes involve complex moral choices and familial relationships, but many reviewers noted that the choices often lack meaningful impact on the overall narrative. Despite its flaws, the game is appreciated for its rich lore and character development, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven RPGs, albeit with caveats regarding its execution and pacing.
- “The plot centers around Cairon and Calandra, siblings with a mysterious origin who have been warned their entire lives not to mingle their blood, lest bad things happen.”
- “I enjoy the darkness of it, the bleakness, the sense of knowing that the choices I was going to make were tough, and the lack of knowledge in knowing how the choices I'd make would influence the story and the outcomes of things.”
- “The story is good enough that you care.”
- “However, when the surprise behind every corner has to do with who had sex with whom at some point in the past, or when a woman's chastity is literally one of the factors that could lead to the end of the world, it's hard to look past the idea that this is less a story with pulpy tropes, and more a story about male power fantasies and body control playing out on a fantastical stage.”
- “The story is tedious and likes to resort to exposition dumps and overcomplicated worldbuilding.”
- “The story is almost incomprehensible at times and honestly too much - I ended up skipping/skimming dialogue towards the second half of the game.”
graphics
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
59%
19%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear dated and reminiscent of titles from the early 2000s, rather than contemporary releases. While some appreciate the artistic elements and atmospheric design, others criticize the overall quality as mediocre, with glitches and performance issues detracting from the experience. Overall, the visuals are considered acceptable for an older RPG, but they do not stand out in comparison to more modern titles.
- “The artwork in the loading screens is really great, and the short ink drawings in the lore videos are quite nice too.”
- “Graphics can look very pretty.”
- “Overall the graphics and characters create a great atmosphere that draws you into the story.”
- “The graphics are dated with dull environments and the cut scenes reminded me of Dragon Age: Origins back when I played it on the PS3.”
- “The graphics look pretty bad for 2013, but that would be alright if the game excelled in other aspects.”
- “The graphics are very dated, and it can be pretty clunky at times, so if you're expecting a super polished, streamlined experience then this probably isn't for you.”
gameplay
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
47%
23%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it clunky, repetitive, and frustrating due to poor mechanics and linear design. While some appreciate the engaging story and character progression, others criticize the lack of depth in combat and the dated graphics. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a significant drawback, overshadowing the game's potential despite some enjoyable moments.
- “Overall, a nice gameplay and great story + music make this game what it is: an A+ product.”
- “The gameplay dynamics such as combat system and menu navigation are set to reflect the lore of a preexisting universe and it's not awesome for new players.. that being said, it has merit as a highly technical game and what I saw of the storyline was impressive.”
- “Demonicon may be a bit rough around the edges, particularly regarding dialog continuity and the occasional frustrating camera angle, but the core gameplay is a spot-on mixture of live action combat and rewarding character progression.”
- “The game has its pros and cons, some interesting plot twists and player decisions, but still some mechanics and design elements make playing painful.”
- “The terrible combat mechanics just ruined it :( - I played 2 hours to give it a fair shot, I would have liked to play more but it was just horrible to play.”
- “The fighting mechanics are slow, clunky, and extremely repetitive.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the dark tone of the story, while others find it forgettable and repetitive. Although certain tracks, particularly the combat music, are noted for being catchy, many players express disappointment with the overall sound design and voice acting quality. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the experience, but lacks variety and polish.
- “Overall, a nice gameplay and great story + music make this game what it is: an A+ product.”
- “The music is fitting to the overall dark tone of the story.”
- “The music and ambient sound are also done superbly, and complement the atmosphere quite well.”
- “I honestly can't remember any of the music except for the battle music.”
- “It seems as if some parts have sound clips missing (or put simply there’s no sound at all, such as when a boss makes a visual scream yet nothing comes out of their mouth), forgettable music, and mediocre voice acting at best leaves much to be desired in the sound department.”
- “Finally, generic music and sound and mostly awful voice acting, some people have praised the voice work on this game and I guess to each their own, but in my opinion, it's horrible.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The atmosphere of the game is described as dark, gritty, and immersive, effectively drawing players into its unique and twisted narrative. While some critiques mention a lack of graphical polish and variety in the game world, the overall mood is enhanced by strong ambient sound and music, creating a compelling backdrop for the story. Despite some shortcomings in voice acting and movement, the atmospheric elements resonate well with fans of the dark eye RPG system.
- “A dense dark atmosphere, consistently well done.”
- “Another reason which made me keep playing was the atmosphere: it was dark and gritty, sometimes a bit insincere, but it managed to keep me hooked.”
- “The music and ambient sound are also done superbly, and complement the atmosphere quite well.”
- “Reminds me of bad storytellers that say 'the forest looks spooky' instead of describing how the trees look weird and seem to move, how the shadows look too dark for that time of day, you know, instead of building actual atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and graphics are grey, dull.”
- “The atmosphere is rather dark, but not really gloomy and sinister.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability is characterized by a range of bugs and graphical glitches, including awkward animations, texture issues, and occasional crashes. While these technical problems can detract from the experience, many players find them manageable and worth enduring for the engaging story and gameplay. Overall, the game is described as "rough around the edges" but still playable, with some users reporting no significant issues.
- “It's janky at times, with some awkward design choices and buggy cutscenes, but it offers a lengthy campaign, pretty alright combat, and a fairly engaging story.”
- “It has some graphic glitches and bugs, like some tearing while fighting or slow loading textures.”
- “A bit rough around the edges and a bit buggy (various crashes here and there) but a fun game nevertheless with a very interesting story and mature content.”
optimization
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frame rate drops and stuttering, particularly in busy areas or during combat. While some users with older systems managed to run the game smoothly, others with more current hardware experienced poor optimization, leading to frustration. The presence of optimization variants for maneuvers and spells is noted, but it does not compensate for the overall performance problems.
- “Each maneuver also offers two optimization variants, both of which can be selected, e.g. that a maneuver uses less stamina and also causes more damage.”
- “However, like the weapon skills, every spell has two optimization variants, both of which can be selected.”
- “I was able to max the game out at 1080 on a dated system without any optimization issues.”
- “Optimization is terrible... this is just a bad game.”
- “Unfortunately, it is not optimized well and wildly fluctuates framerate on max settings.”
- “The graphics feel old and, even if my PC is mostly current, the performance sometimes dropped some frames.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and hilarious dialogue, with standout lines that resonate well with players. Many reviews highlight the effective voice acting that enhances the comedic elements, making for a fun and engaging experience, despite some technical flaws. Overall, the humor appeals particularly to those with a taste for dark and mature comedy, contributing significantly to the game's charm.
- “I felt the writing is really great for a smaller and more linear game, tons of humorous parts in the game and some really satisfying options in conversations at times.”
- “If you have the taste for the dark and mature, and if you're immature enough to appreciate a good sense of humor, there's a good chance that you will enjoy this game.”
- “If you can look past the funny voice acting, the hilarious script and the bipolar tendencies of your hero Cairon, then you are in for a very funny ride.”
character development
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the depth and variety it offers, particularly in the context of the "dark eye" universe, while others criticize it for being shallow and lacking meaningful choices. The pacing of character development is also a point of contention, as it starts strong but becomes drawn out and less engaging towards the end. Overall, while some find it satisfying and rewarding, others feel it falls short, especially for those seeking a more immersive RPG experience.
- “I really enjoyed Demonicon more than most RPGs I have played. The 'Dark Eye' universe was new to me, and I enjoyed exploring it. The character development choices and powers really made me feel like I was evolving into a demonic weapon. It was a very satisfying experience and an underrated game.”
- “The most redeeming quality of this game is its character development.”
- “The combat is done well enough, and the Dark Eye provides a good system that gives lots of variety for leveling up and character development.”
- “Also, pacing is not the best - it starts slow, gets good, and ends very dragged out. There is talk about urgency while you are running back and forth in a vast monastery, and while character development is mostly over.”
- “For an RPG, there isn't much character development; you invest XP earned in skills and magic.”
- “The character development is shallow; there are only so many useful combat skills, and out-of-combat skills are for flavor but not really needed.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The reviews for "replayability" in the game are mixed, with some players noting a lack of significant replay value due to limited character options and a linear story progression. However, others appreciate the presence of multiple story branches and choices that can lead to different outcomes, suggesting that there is some incentive to replay the game to explore these variations. Overall, while some players find the game lacks replayability, others see potential in its decision-making mechanics and combat variety.
- “Choices do matter during playthrough, so there is replayability -- although I think the story still drives to a similar outcome in the end.”
- “There are a lot of story branches to add replayability.”
- “It also has replay value if you'd like to see where the different choices would take you.”
- “But to me, Demonicon commits a cardinal sin when it comes to RPGs: it is not replayable.”
- “Sadly, I don't see myself playing this game again; there's not much replayability, in my opinion.”
- “Replayability isn't on the radar; this is a play until you beat it, then uninstall the game.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some appreciate the minimal grinding compared to other hack-and-slash titles, many criticize the gameplay for becoming tedious and repetitive, particularly as the game progresses. The linear RPG structure and limited combat options contribute to a sense of monotony, despite some fun elements early on.
- “The gameplay is pretty straightforward; I found it fun in the beginning, but at least for me, when the end drew near, it was getting a bit tedious.”
- “For a linear RPG, this is standard, but it’s still undeniable that the gameplay in this game will become tedious very quickly; and considering some spells are incredibly strong later on in the game and easily spammable, the game is rarely challenging at all (unless you bump the difficulty up).”
- “It's slow and tedious.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is marked by its exploration of dark and taboo themes such as sex, violence, and religion, which some players find disturbing yet insufficiently developed to evoke deep emotional responses. However, the character development and moral choices create a sense of conflict and evolution, allowing players to feel a personal connection to the gritty world and its challenges. Overall, while the game touches on heavy subjects, the emotional impact varies among players, with some appreciating the depth and others feeling it lacks resonance.
- “The few choices you make actually made me feel conflicted, because they never offered you a clear conscience one way or the other.”
- “The world itself is quite gritty, touching on subjects such as incest, cannibalism, a seemingly incurable plague sweeping the already starving refugee camp, and more.”
- “I really enjoyed Demonicon more than most RPGs I have played; the 'Dark Eye' universe was new to me, and I enjoyed exploring it. The character development choices and powers really made me feel like I was evolving into a demonic weapon, which was a very satisfying experience and an underrated game.”