Eastern Exorcist

Eastern Exorcist is an enjoyable 2D hack 'n' slasher that feels slick and fluid, but doesn't do quite enough to stand out from the crowd

Starting at $10.14Buy now

Get on Steam

Get on Xbox Games Store

"Eastern Exorcist is a single-player Fantasy Hack and Slash game with an interesting plot, featuring a skilled exorcist fighting against chaotic evil in a beautifully designed 2D world. The game boasts excellent visuals in Chinese ink painting style, tactical combat mechanics, and a storyline filled with joy, sorrow, and unforeseen entanglements. Cutscenes are presented in the form of Chinese Opera, enhancing the cultural experience."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 326 reviews

story45 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

The game features stunning artwork and a beautiful art style that enhances the overall experience.
Combat is engaging and satisfying, with a variety of skills and mechanics that allow for different playstyles.
The story, while not groundbreaking, is interesting and incorporates elements of Chinese folklore, adding depth to the gameplay.

The game suffers from pacing issues, with some bosses being overly difficult while others are too easy, leading to an inconsistent challenge.
The tutorial is overly long and intrusive, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay and frustrate players.
Level design is linear and lacks exploration, making the game feel repetitive and limiting player engagement.

story
118 mentions
38 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally viewed as average, with some players finding it engaging while others consider it sparse and linear. It features two distinct character storylines, each with unique bosses and subplots, but many reviews note that the main narrative lacks depth and exploration of its themes. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it is complemented by solid gameplay and appealing visuals, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate action-oriented narratives.
- “The story is pretty good and the combat gives me sidescrolling soulslike vibes.”
- “The best things about the game, in my opinion, are the story and the myths that you come across while playing; really nice storyline and beautiful art style.”
- “Great visuals, combat, and story.”
- “The story is weird; in chapter 1 of both characters' stories, the main conflict is set up to be an overarching plot for the rest of the game, but it quickly devolves into multiple good subplots that do their own thing, and the main one is treated as a means to reach these places.”
- “You know you are nearing the end of the story only because of the chapter number, not because the character has reached a significant milestone in their journey.”
- “The straight line environment, combined with the lack of story, lore, and NPCs, makes it a very dead world.”
graphics
72 mentions
72 % positive mentions
24 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful art style, fluid animations, and impressive visual effects, often described as stunning and reminiscent of traditional Eastern paintings. Many reviewers highlighted the visuals as a key selling point, enhancing the overall experience despite some criticisms of gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal.
- “The graphics are beautiful and it ran flawlessly for me.”
- “The environments and artwork are gorgeous and it's the reason I kept playing.”
- “The art style is vivid and amazing and combat is fluid and hard-hitting.”
- “Very primitive combat system, small locations (5 steps left, 5 steps right), poor graphics even for such a b-grade game.”
- “If they have big layered stages with this kind of graphics, it will truly stand out from all the competitors.”
- “So in the graphics it looks like the bullet hits you, but mechanically, you've dodged the bullet.”
gameplay
65 mentions
43 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward hack-and-slash mechanic with a focus on timing and skill, incorporating elements like parrying, dodging, and charge attacks. While many players appreciate the fluid combat and beautiful visuals, some express frustration with certain mechanics, such as intrusive tutorials and enemy spawning systems. Overall, the game offers a satisfying challenge with a blend of familiar souls-like elements, though it may not reach the heights of its inspirations.
- “The armor/shield/stagger/posture mechanic is an interesting wrinkle with which to contend and can make a game with already deep combat even more rewarding.”
- “This game has an extremely smooth combat system and gameplay system.”
- “Beautiful graphics, tight controls, and adrenaline-fueled gameplay make Eastern Exorcist a game to behold.”
- “For whatever reason though, this implementation of the mechanic didn't sit well with me.”
- “The start of the game is also flooded with intrusive tutorials which broke the momentum of gameplay more than a couple of times.”
- “Wolf demons are such a poorly designed enemy that they are actually 10 times harder than any boss in this game; they are not a threat alone, but their almost limitless spawning with multiple monsters makes them an RNG pain that makes the gameplay miserable.”
music
27 mentions
56 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and fit well within the game's universe. While some players find the soundtrack beautiful and evocative, others note its repetitiveness and lack of variety, suggesting that more tracks would improve the experience. Overall, the music is generally considered a strong point, complementing the visuals and gameplay effectively.
- “The music in the game is the cherry on top of the cake - fits perfectly into the universe.”
- “The music goes really well too, it's strong and dangerous during the fights, and there's a constant 'hum' of music as you're travelling across the lands.”
- “Sound, music and atmosphere are just fantastic.”
- “The combat is terrible, the sounds and music are awful; the only thing that can be considered good is the graphics, which are average.”
- “Lack of music and sound variety.”
- “Add more music if possible, it's really lacking here.”
atmosphere
9 mentions
67 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its striking visuals, eerie music, and immersive sound design, creating a captivating blend of beauty and macabre elements. Reviewers note that the atmosphere effectively evokes a sense of gloom and nostalgia, reminiscent of settings like ancient China and the manga "Berserk." Overall, the combination of artistic style and audio elements contributes to a top-notch atmospheric experience.
- “I came across the demo of this game at one of the Steam Next Fests, and I was struck by the visuals and the atmosphere.”
- “It has nice eerie music and atmosphere, with pretty and macabre visuals as well.”
- “The atmosphere is top-notch.”
- “You can really feel the atmosphere in a dilapidated temple.”
grinding
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in these games is often mild and becomes tedious, especially as players approach final bosses with already upgraded skills. While some find it easy to level up and max out characters without extensive grinding, the repetitive nature of enemy animations and the incremental nature of upgrades can detract from the overall experience.
- “These games tend to only have a mild level of complexity and then it's generally just a whole lot of grinding to upgrade this, that, and the other.”
- “It's only when the game gets to the final bosses that the difficulty spikes back up, and by this point you can have almost entirely upgraded skills, so any more grinding is just for incremental increases.”
- “You know, the same as it always is in this genre, and it becomes slightly tedious to carry on at the level you're at, but also really tedious grinding to level up whatever remains.”
replayability
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through different character choices that lead to varied bosses and areas, as well as the option to re-challenge bosses for special items. However, some players feel that the experience can become repetitive and less engaging after mastering the content, as it can be completed quickly. Overall, while there is a solid foundation for replay value, it may not sustain long-term interest for all players.
- “Also, there are different bosses and areas depending on which character you choose, giving it a lot of replayability.”
- “So the game has a ton of replayability.”
- “On top of that, you are also able to challenge the bosses again to get special items, so the game certainly offers replayability.”
- “It adds a bit of replay value but soon gets boring when you can do all 17 bosses in about 10-12 minutes if you know how.”
- “And what seems like will have replay value after the first run.”
- “Also, there are different bosses and areas depending on which character you choose, giving it a lot of replayability; but I think the balancing suffers a bit, since it's easy to overlevel yourself.”
stability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant glitches that hinder progress, particularly during the tutorial and specific trials. However, others have noted a generally enjoyable experience despite occasional issues with hit boxes. Overall, there is a pressing need for bug fixes to improve stability.
- “Buggy mess, can't make it through the tutorial.”
- “The trial about the blade's wave attack has glitches.”
- “I will ask for a refund if they don't fix the glitches soon enough.”
optimization
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is highly praised, with smooth performance reported on high-end systems, such as a 2070 Super with an i7 and 16GB RAM at 4K resolution. Additionally, the inclusion of challenge modes for bosses enhances gameplay without compromising performance.
- “Game runs very smoothly on my 2070 Super, i7, 16GB RAM system at 4K, so optimization is very good.”
- “Performance is great on deck.”
- “They have challenge modes for all the bosses which increase difficulty and time the encounter to rate your performance.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the significant effort put into the game's character design, animations, and cutscenes, highlighting the engaging storyline with its intriguing twists. Overall, the character development is noted for its visual appeal and narrative depth.
- “It's easy to notice that the developers have put a lot of effort into making the game visually appealing, including the scenarios, character design, animations, and cutscenes.”
- “I watched the gameplay online and I like the general storyline, which has a few twists, as well as the character design.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by a comical error early on, where the phrase "there's no need to kill" is mistakenly presented as "there's no need to kiss," adding a lighthearted and amusing touch to the experience.
- “There's a funny error quite at the beginning where it says 'there's no need to kill' but it actually reads 'there's no need to kiss.'”
- “The game's humor is spot on, with witty dialogue that had me laughing out loud.”
- “I love the quirky characters and their hilarious interactions; they really bring the game to life!”