DEVIATOR

About

"DEVIATOR is a single-player Action game with wonderful gameplay and perfect graphics. Precise timing is key in the core combat mechanic of deflecting enemy attacks. Mastering this skill builds momentum, leading to a powerful enhanced state for your character. The game features a fantastical world with vivid 2D hand-drawn artistry, from lush forests to shadowy cities, leaving a deep impression."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 280 reviews

gameplay32 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features a solid parry system that adds depth to combat and is satisfying to master.
Visually stunning with beautiful graphics and engaging level design, creating an immersive experience.
Offers a challenging gameplay experience that appeals to fans of metroidvania and souls-like genres.

Heavily criticized for being too similar to Hollow Knight, lacking originality in art and mechanics.
Gameplay can feel sluggish and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating combat experiences.
The story and dialogue are considered weak, with some players finding translation issues and lack of clarity.

gameplay
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The gameplay has drawn mixed reactions, with many players noting its heavy reliance on a parry mechanic that, while engaging, often feels high-risk and low-reward. Comparisons to Hollow Knight are frequent, with critiques highlighting a lack of originality and polish, particularly in movement mechanics and combat fluidity. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the game's aesthetic and potential, suggesting that with further development, it could evolve into a more compelling experience.
- “The mechanics in the game are also awesome, the ability to parry is a fantastic choice: it's easy to time the parry, but hard to predict when the enemy will attack.”
- “As someone who considers Hollow Knight and Grime to be the greatest metroidvanias ever, this game scratches that Hollow Knight-esque and parry-based gameplay itch quite well.”
- “It's rough around the edges, and the dialogue is terribly bland and lifeless, but the gameplay itself is competent and the parrying, while not perfect, feels good to use.”
- “I love games with parry mechanics, but sadly the parry mechanic in this game is very high risk for very low reward.”
- “Grabbing a ledge mechanic seems clunky; it should be faster or there should be no mechanic at all (considering there is wall hopping).”
- “It's not interesting to follow, and the start of the game does not build up gradually in mechanics and severity, thus destroying any desire to keep playing and seeing how it will evolve (if it evolves at all).”
graphics
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
53%
6%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their beauty and detail, often drawing comparisons to the art style of Hollow Knight. While many reviewers acknowledge the similarities, they also note that the game incorporates unique elements that set it apart, resulting in a visually stunning experience. However, some critics argue that the game leans too heavily on Hollow Knight's aesthetic, leading to perceptions of it being a copycat.
- “The artwork is amazing.”
- “Visually, it's stunning - clean, detailed graphics enhance the overall playing experience.”
- “Very promising Hollow Knight-like game with beautiful graphics and parry mechanics.”
- “I've already heard the many complaints about the eastern devs using an art style that is very similar to Hollow Knight...”
- “Graphics: Hollow Knight's homework friend.”
- “Did they ape Hollow Knight aesthetics?”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
The music in the game is generally described as chill and well-matched to the vibrant environments, enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, there are notable performance issues, including instances where soundtracks stop working or fail to start during critical moments, leading to a disjointed experience. While some players appreciate the original compositions, others feel the music falls short compared to expectations set by similar titles like Hollow Knight and Ender Lilies.
- “The soundtrack is chill.”
- “Artwork and music and everything else is awesome!”
- “The dialogue is mysterious, and so far the notes and journal entries are sparse but detailed, painting a rich environment that is absolutely gorgeous to the eye, with a perfectly matched soundtrack.”
- “The game crashes at the menu about 3 seconds after the music kicks in.”
- “The music needs work; on one of the bosses, the music didn't even start until a couple of seconds into the fight. On another boss, the background music for the area didn't stop playing and just had an overlay on the boss music.”
- “There's little about Deviator that hasn't been lifted directly from Hollow Knight - the art, music, much of the combat, skill progression, UI, enemy design, SFX, etc. It's so nakedly obvious that I almost feel guilty playing it.”
story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it as a bland and unoriginal copy of titles like Hollow Knight, lacking depth and compelling narrative elements. Some appreciate the mysterious setting but feel that the storytelling is awkward and underdeveloped, leaving players disconnected from the characters and their motivations. Overall, while there are glimpses of potential, the story currently feels like an afterthought, with many players hoping for improvements in future updates.
- “So far I love the story, gameplay, the art and look of everything. The only thing I didn't like was from my own fault of not checking that I was buying an incomplete game. It needs to be finished up, smoothed around the edges, quality of life upgrades, and things missing altogether added in. Once all that happens, it'll be a top-tier game.”
- “All of the classic tropes are there (minus leveling up, which sadly is my favorite aspect of a good metroid-vania title), all wrapped neatly in a mysterious story set in a foreign world.”
- “By the rough estimates, early access offers around 30-35% of the main story, featuring 4 locations, 4 main boss fights, and 2 optional ones.”
- “The story is just... another bland cryptic anime nonsense with no explanation whatsoever.”
- “I wish it demonstrated why our character needs to do what they need to do or why they went on a quest to begin with, how they got to the location at the start of the game, etc. Just show us why we should care about our character in general.”
- “Whatever's happening with the story seems like an afterthought, but I don't really care.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and unengaging, often comparing it unfavorably to "Hollow Knight." The lack of a compelling story, interesting dialogue, and meaningful gameplay contributes to a frustrating experience, with some feeling that the grinding requires an unrealistic time investment. Overall, the exploration feels monotonous and lacks excitement, making the grinding feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.
- “It took me about 4.5 hours to get through the early access, and then the rest of the time was spent grinding for pysi or whatever it is called.”
- “Combine this with no plot (right now), the exploration didn't feel much fun due to being very labyrinthine and with little to no powers, it made the 2 hours I played very tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
Overall, users report that while there are some performance issues, such as soundtracks occasionally stopping, there is optimism that these will be addressed and optimized by the time of the game's official release.
- “Performance got fixed.”
- “Some performance issues: soundtracks sometimes just stop working.”
- “But probably this will get optimized when the game actually releases.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a generally stable experience with occasional bugs and glitches, which are expected to be addressed in future patches. Most players have not encountered significant issues or crashes.
- “Occasional bugs and glitches (will get patched surely).”
- “Occasional bugs and glitches (will get patched surely).”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by frustrating mechanics, such as unresponsive movement after certain actions, which can lead to player annoyance and diminish the overall experience.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is significantly enhanced by a melancholic classical tune that permeates the game, contributing to a deeply immersive and emotionally resonant experience.
- “There is sort of a melancholic classical tune that runs through everything—really helps develop the atmosphere.”