Jrago The Demon Hunter
- June 30, 2023
- Jrago Studios
- 25h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreJrago The Demon Hunter Get ready for an all new RETRO gaming experience!Jrago The Demon Hunter is a METROIDVANIA style 2d platforming action adventure role playing game.The world is overcome in darkness, and you are a hunter named Jrago on a quest to slay the demons and bring back the light!Featuring an original soundtrack by "Jrago" the band of the same name, and a whole host of unlockable weapo…
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The original metal-style music is fantastic and enhances the overall experience, keeping players engaged despite the game's flaws.
- The level design encourages exploration and backtracking, providing a satisfying sense of progression and discovery.
- The game is a labor of love from a single developer, showcasing unique charm and creativity that resonates with fans of retro games.
- The graphics are inconsistent and mismatched, detracting from the overall visual experience.
- The controls can be unintuitive and frustrating, with unclear mechanics that may lead to confusion during gameplay.
- Level design can feel unfair at times, with poor enemy placement and hitbox issues that lead to frustrating deaths.
- music19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, featuring an original metal-style soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Composed by the developer, the heavy metal tracks, along with softer acoustic pieces for towns, are considered a standout element, compelling players to continue despite other game flaws. Many reviewers rate the music highly, with some even calling it "beyond fantastic" and a key reason to play.
“The music, all original metal-style music, fits the theme and gets you hooked despite the game's flaws.”
“Speaking of feeling like a demon slayer, the game is driven by a strong and brooding instrumental doom/thrash metal soundtrack composed by the game dev himself.”
“All of the music is custom composed by the developer and never fails at perfectly augmenting the atmosphere and vibe of the stages and combat.”
“The music is mostly comprised of heavy metal.”
“There are also some softer pieces too, such as the acoustic music for the towns.”
“Sound design and music:”
- graphics15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting a lack of cohesive art style due to the use of mismatched and stock assets. However, some players appreciate the unique aesthetic and psychedelic gothic landscapes, finding charm in the disjointed visuals. Overall, while the graphics may not be the strongest aspect, they can be overlooked in favor of the game's artistic ambition and nostalgic appeal.
“The author took time to carefully arrange the visuals with aesthetic consideration, layering graphics and backgrounds to create an impressive, almost psychedelic, gothic landscape.”
“It embraces the full sincerity of the aesthetic, and none of the ironic trappings of the modern era of pop culture.”
“Once inside the game, I actually found the mix of art styles quite appealing; I love the mish-mash of art styles.”
“The first thing that jumps out at you on playing is the horrendously mismatched art styles.”
“Unfortunately, the graphics are the weak point of the title, featuring a variety of stock assets that feel disjointed, in terms of cohesive art style.”
“The main character and custom-made backgrounds look great and are reminiscent of PS1 era games, but the lack of cohesive art style holds the graphics back.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Jrago is characterized by a unique blend of cautious intensity and brutal action, distinguishing it from typical action RPGs. Players appreciate the solid mechanics, including clever stat management through gear, which enhances the experience and keeps it engaging over long play sessions. Overall, the combat system is praised for its excellence, contributing to a rewarding gameplay experience.
“Toward the end of the game, this involves a bit of menu management to quickly switch spells, but it doesn't take time to navigate the menus or load them, so the gameplay is hardly affected.”
“It really drives home the feeling of being a righteous demon slayer as you get more powerful and accustomed to the game mechanics.”
“The gameplay is where this shines… I played about 40 hours before finally beating it, and it was well worth my time.”
“Jrago has its own cautious and intense style of gameplay that doesn't quite fit into the mold of a typical action RPG.”
“With that being said, the gameplay is brutal.”
“The gameplay is solid for this type of game.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be time-consuming, often requiring 25-28 hours to progress, particularly in the postgame. Despite its grindy nature and some jankiness, many still find the experience addictive, as leveling up significantly enhances character abilities and combat effectiveness.
“Quite a few hours were spent grinding XP in the postgame; I probably finished it closer to the 25-28 hour mark.”
“Despite all the jank and the grindy nature of things, the game is still somehow able to be addictive to me in its own way.”
“Grinding XP does make a big impact on your character's ability to push through the monsters, which I liked, but combat relies heavily on this.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's chaotic atmosphere is enhanced by its intentionally poor design, which contributes to a unique experience. Additionally, the custom-composed music effectively complements the stages and combat, further enriching the overall vibe.
“All of the music is custom composed by the developer and never fails at perfectly augmenting the atmosphere and vibe of the stages and combat.”
“Most of it is terrible, but that only adds to the game's chaotic atmosphere.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from amusing physics glitches that players can exploit for early item access, as well as the chaotic yet comical experience of facing numerous enemies on screen, which adds a blend of hilarity and tension.
“There are some funny glitches with the physics that you can exploit to get items earlier than intended.”
“It's both hilarious and intimidating to see how many enemies can appear on your screen at once, but they are actually limited in quantity and only reappear after reaching a sanctuary (save room).”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marked by humorous glitches, particularly in the physics system, which players can exploit to access items earlier than intended.
“There are some funny glitches with the physics that can be exploited to obtain items earlier than intended.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it frustrating to progress.”
“I've encountered numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay and hinder my experience.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's story and soundtrack, expressing enthusiasm to continue playing and discover more of the narrative.
“I am enjoying the story and the soundtrack of this game; I can't wait to have more free time to finish it.”
