Devil Spire
- February 2, 2022
- ithiro
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Devil Spire" is an action-packed dungeon crawler game set in a dark fantasy world. As the hero Ithiro Sumi, players must climb the Devil Spire, battling hordes of nightmarish creatures and solving puzzles to defeat the ultimate evil. With fast-paced combat, customizable abilities, and a range of weapons, "Devil Spire" offers a challenging and immersive experience for fans of the genre.
Reviews
- Devil Spire is a fun and engaging dungeon crawler that successfully combines elements of roguelikes with the charm of classic games like King's Field.
- The game features a variety of spells and crafting mechanics that encourage experimentation and strategic gameplay, making each run feel unique.
- The retro aesthetic and atmospheric sound design create an immersive experience that draws players into the game's world.
- The lack of a comprehensive tutorial can make it difficult for new players to understand the game's mechanics and systems, leading to frustration.
- Some players have reported issues with balance, particularly regarding the durability of weapons and the difficulty of certain bosses, which can feel unfair.
- The procedural generation can lead to repetitive environments and enemy encounters, diminishing the sense of discovery over time.
- gameplay72 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its crafting system, variety of mechanics, and atmospheric dungeon crawling, while others criticize its repetitive nature and lack of engaging combat. Many reviews highlight the need for deeper mechanics and better tutorialization, as well as issues with randomization affecting run viability. Overall, it offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers, but may not satisfy those seeking a more polished or innovative gameplay experience.
“The gameplay is tight and the aesthetic is dope.”
“Great gameplay, graphics, and progression.”
“Gradually learning the mechanics and finding out what different abilities, items, and enemies do provides a wonderful difficulty curve, as well as replayability.”
“You learn pretty quickly that the NPCs don't matter and the story is practically nonexistent, so the gameplay is going to do a lot of heavy lifting, but it fails to hold up.”
“While combat escalates in power and lethality to the player, it doesn't really mechanically evolve throughout the run, and you'll remain using the same blocking, dodging, and kiting tactics from start to finish.”
“The game was made with effort, but the mechanics simply do not gel together well enough to create an entertaining dungeon crawler or a roguelike.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic, retro aesthetic that some players find charming, while others criticize them for being bland and poorly optimized, particularly on lower-end systems. The visuals effectively create a vintage atmosphere, but can hinder gameplay by blending important elements into the environment. Overall, while the art style resonates with some, it leaves others desiring more variety and polish.
“The game has a nice aesthetic, looking old and all, but it is a great one.”
“Very fun roguelite that wears its souls inspiration on its sleeve, with charming graphics and nice spritework.”
“Absolutely nails the aesthetic they were going for.”
“Oh, and one last thing, even though this is a 3D game project, the graphics didn't have to be this bland.”
“I get an average of 2fps on my Linux machine... like it's a bad laptop. I've run more complicated graphics with much better performance. On my Windows PC, the game has no issues though, but it wouldn't because that's a gaming PC. I'm starting to wonder about the optimization.”
“Though the visuals of the game maintain an effective vintage aesthetic, they can work completely against it, with tools like pickaxes blending in entirely to the terrain, and you end up relying on the 'press <e> to interact' prompt more than actually seeing the ground.”
- atmosphere21 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and nostalgic qualities, reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers like King's Field and Baroque. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound design and art style, which contribute to a moody and engaging environment, despite some criticisms regarding the variety of settings. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience and drawing players into its world.
“The atmosphere is as good as it looks in the pictures; if you've ever seen King's Field, which this game is trying to replicate, it channels that feel quite well.”
“Devil Spire is a love letter to King's Field and other old school FPS dungeon crawlers while borrowing mechanics from roguelites. Despite the liberal use of stock sounds and assets, it still has a very unique atmosphere, and you can tell the developer made this with care.”
“But the atmosphere is impeccable, and it easily draws you into the game immediately.”
“That would have helped the atmosphere tremendously.”
“The atmosphere is okay, and if I were to give this game a single pro, this would be it.”
“I haven't even begun to delve into the inventory and item mechanics, the character creation, the atmosphere, the enemy design, the sound design, or any of the other things that build the solid mechanical foundation into something truly worth your while.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely considered minimal and unengaging, with many players noting that NPCs and narrative elements feel inconsequential. While the gameplay mechanics are enjoyable, the lack of a compelling storyline detracts from the overall experience, leaving players wishing for a more developed narrative in future installments. Overall, the game excels as a dungeon crawler but falls short in delivering a meaningful story.
“I enjoy roguelikes and this game functions well as one, though I do hope the sequel also has a story mode with handcrafted levels and exploration.”
“I wish it had more story, but what are you gonna do? It's very fun and worth the money, I say.”
“Honestly, I think my life would be complete if I could play a story-based RPG version of this, but the roguelike version is still fantastic.”
“You learn pretty quickly that the NPCs don't matter and the story is practically nonexistent, so the gameplay is going to do a lot of heavy lifting, but it fails to hold up.”
“For dungeon crawlers, the story is rarely the main appeal, but in Devil Spire, the narrative is especially sparse.”
“It lacks the story and proper level design to be a good RPG dungeon crawler.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers impressive replayability through its crafting system, repeatable dungeons, and various modes that encourage experimentation with different builds. While some players noted that the difficulty can diminish enjoyment over time, the diverse content and mechanics provide a satisfying experience that keeps players engaged. At a low price point, many reviewers feel the game delivers excellent value for its replayable nature.
“This was really fun to toy around with; the crafting system is enjoyable and useful for the gameplay, and the repeatable dungeons and alternative modes allow for a great deal of replayability.”
“For 10 bucks, I can honestly say it's worth it. It is fun, has replayability with different modes, different amounts of floors, and with every run being different, it means you can go with whatever build you can create based on what you find in each run.”
“Great replayability with tons of content and not totally reliant on RNG's blessing.”
“Namely, remove all difficulty modes and standardize one mode (maybe keep easy for beginners, and maybe unlock extreme for a very high soul cost purely for replayability) and just simply make the game harder across the board.”
“That's the replay value I was looking for.”
“Well, I think that it's not worth 5. I don't know how much content or replayability it has yet, but it accomplishes what you hope it would.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by solid ambient tracks that enhance the atmosphere, reminiscent of classic titles like Kings Field and Baroque. While some boss fight and ending tracks may not stand out, they effectively complement the game's mood. Overall, the soundtrack, despite being royalty-free, significantly contributes to the enjoyment and immersion, making it more engaging than many other roguelites.
“You have solid ambient music and a hub world that hints at bigger things.”
“The atmosphere is awesome, reminding me of Kings Field/Baroque (98), with a dope original soundtrack.”
“There are a few music tracks that play during boss fights and endings; they may not be fantastic, but they fit the mood the game is evoking, and I was glad to see them.”
“There are also a few music tracks that play during boss fights and endings; they are not fantastic, but they fit the mood that the game is evoking and are therefore an addition I was glad to see.”
“Pretty sure all of the music in this game is royalty free, and even then it manages to be 10 times more fun than most roguelites I've played.”
“-more music?”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Reviews on grinding in the game are mixed; some players find it tedious and boring, leading to a lack of motivation to continue, while others enjoy the grinding aspect, noting that it can be fun and offers variety in gameplay. Overall, the experience seems to depend on individual preferences, with some appreciating the depth it adds and others feeling overwhelmed by the repetitive nature.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I'm just not having any fun and cannot muster the energy to open the game again after its already tediously boring opening.”
“Been grinding gear into trash items all previous floors, so I'm loaded.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a lighthearted sense of humor, with amusing elements like the impact of player height on perspective, leading to comical situations such as struggling to see over objects. Additionally, there are various humorous touches integrated into the gameplay that enhance the overall experience.
“The funny shrooms add a delightful twist to the gameplay.”
“One very immersive detail is the fact that your height actually affects your point of view in-game; I love it! Not being able to see above a chest is a bit funny.”
“There are bits of humor sprinkled throughout the game.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization appears to be inconsistent, with users reporting significantly low frame rates on Linux machines, while experiencing smooth performance on Windows PCs. This disparity raises concerns about the game's overall optimization across different platforms.
“The game runs smoothly on my high-end PC, but I've noticed significant performance issues on lower-end machines, which makes me question the overall optimization.”
“I've experienced great frame rates on my gaming setup, but my friend's older laptop struggles, highlighting the need for better optimization across different hardware.”
“While the graphics are stunning, the optimization could use some work, as it doesn't perform well on less powerful systems.”
“I get an average of 2 FPS on my Linux machine. It's a bad laptop, but I've run more complicated graphics with much better performance. On my Windows PC, the game has no issues, but that's a gaming PC. I'm starting to wonder about the optimization.”
“The game is poorly optimized; I experience frequent frame drops and stuttering even on high-end hardware.”
“Despite having a powerful setup, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which is frustrating.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability, particularly on the Steam Deck, where it runs smoothly and serves as an enjoyable time-waster.
“Runs great on Steam Deck, too, and makes an excellent time-waster on there.”
