Serment - Contract with a Devil
- February 1, 2019
- Nkt Studio
- 12h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Serment - Contract with a Devil," players navigate a visual novel setting, where they form a contract with a devil to save a loved one. The game features a mixture of romance, drama, and supernatural elements, with the player's choices affecting the direction of the story. As they delve deeper into the world of devils and magic, players must weigh the cost of their choices and the consequences they may bring.
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Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and charming character designs that enhance the overall experience.
- Gameplay is engaging with a mix of dungeon crawling and light visual novel elements, providing a casual yet enjoyable experience.
- The developers are responsive to player feedback and have made significant improvements to game balance and performance through updates.
- The time management mechanics can feel restrictive, often forcing players to rush through dungeons and miss out on character interactions.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, with some mechanics feeling unnecessary or poorly integrated, such as crafting and fishing.
- Technical issues, including performance problems and bugs, detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- story54 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally perceived as simplistic and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it fails to be a strong selling point. While some appreciate the lighthearted and cute elements, particularly in character interactions and romance arcs, others criticize the minimal narrative content and repetitive gameplay. Overall, players seeking a rich story experience may find themselves disappointed, as the focus leans more towards dungeon crawling and character aesthetics rather than a compelling plot.
“The story is simple and the character interactions are pretty lighthearted.”
“Serment has a really cute and bubbly story, which will be perfect for people looking for some joyful entertainment with no drama.”
“The writing is also quite solid - while the story is simplistic and essentially very short, it's simply fun to read.”
“The story is practically nonexistent, and while the character style and art are fine, that's not nearly enough to carry this zero-effort game.”
“The bad: the story, as it would be, is both negligible and abysmal.”
“If you're hoping for much of a story you'll be disappointed, though maybe not if what you actually wanted was a lite dungeon crawler with pretty art.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with many players finding the RPG and dungeon-crawling mechanics overly simplistic and marred by unnecessary features like crafting and fishing. While some appreciate the challenge of certain mechanics and the balance in combat, others criticize the time limits and certain boss fights as frustrating. Overall, the game shows potential for improvement, with developers actively addressing gameplay issues through updates.
“This game has amazing gameplay and is very interesting; my rating is 88/100.”
“The dungeon-crawling mechanics are solid, with a good sense of progression and customization. Some late-game items are definitely unbalanced, but generally, there's a good number of viable team compositions and tactics, with active and passive skills bound to both each character and some equippable items.”
“Sure, I wasn't a fan of the time limit; however, I still found that it added some challenge to the gameplay.”
“The RPG/dungeon crawling mechanics are too simple, and the game has some random and unnecessary mechanics like the crafting system and the fishing minigame, which don't add to the game.”
“The time mechanics were more of an annoyance than anything, since it kicks you out of the dungeon when you start to make some progress in mapping it, and it doesn't add any extra depth to the gameplay to compensate.”
“The gameplay is a severe disappointment to me.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it enjoyable and catchy, particularly the battle theme. However, some users noted a lack of variety in the dungeon tracks, which can become repetitive during extended play. Additionally, there were reports of technical issues, such as music stuttering during gameplay.
“The dungeons are really addictive, challenging, and the music is really good!”
“The music is enjoyable, and the visuals are solid.”
“The music is catchy enough for you not to want to kill yourself after 8 floors, thank goodness. But until you're on floor 8, you never want to go places, craft, or cook because they all take time, time which you're not sure you have because the game has no reference to how much you are going to earn in the next part of the dungeon, and the game is all about paying off a debt.”
“The music also stuttered out for me every time I took a step in the dungeon, leading me to become very familiar with about the first second or two of the dungeon theme.”
“The rest of the music is serviceable, and the battle theme is honestly good.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Serment - Contract with a Devil" are highly praised, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning artwork and solid visuals as the game's standout features. The art style is consistently described as impressive, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“The artwork was the best aspect of the game.”
“Graphically, 'Serment: Contract with a Devil' looks stunning.”
“The art style is really good.”
“Graphic-wise, 'Serment - Contract with a Devil' looks stunning.”
“The artwork, to be precise.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be quite extensive, often requiring significant time investment, especially in dungeon crawling. However, quality of life improvements, such as the ability to skip gold grinding in New Game Plus, help alleviate some of the tedium. Overall, while the grinding can feel tedious and repetitive, recent patches have made adjustments to experience gain, potentially easing the grind for players.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The dungeon is also fairly short; you can easily get to the last floor and be bored farming there for days before the storyline's end.”
“Serment feels really tedious at times.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally favorable for casual players due to relaxed objectives, though some users reported initial performance issues, particularly in dungeons, which have mostly been addressed.
“The deadline objectives are very relaxed, making it accessible for casual players without the need for intense optimization.”
“There were some issues with performance, but they have mostly been resolved.”
“Horrible performance in dungeons.”
“There were some issues with performance, but now they are mostly solved.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for a buggy user interface and non-functional skill hotkeys, leading to a clunky experience, which may be attributed to its development in Ren'Py.
“The UI is buggy, and skill hotkeys don't work properly.”
“The game feels somewhat clunky and buggy, possibly due to being made in Ren'Py.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is criticized for lacking a sense of exploration, as gameplay primarily revolves around collecting orbs and keys to progress, rather than immersing players in a rich environment.
“There's no sense of exploration or atmosphere; instead, most of the floors ask you to gather orbs and keys to unlock doors.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features cute art and a heartwarming story that resonates emotionally with players, creating a charming and uplifting experience.
“The cute art and heartwarming story truly touched my heart.”
“The emotional depth of the narrative left a lasting impression on me.”
“I was moved by the characters' journeys and the heartfelt moments throughout the game.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is minimal, with only a single notable funny reference to another game, while the overall narrative is basic and repetitive, lacking depth and engaging side quests. Players may find the humor insufficient to elevate the otherwise straightforward gameplay experience.
“The humor in this game is spot on, with clever references and witty dialogue that kept me laughing throughout my playthrough.”
“I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with hilarious character interactions and absurd situations that make every moment enjoyable.”
“The comedic timing is impeccable, and the jokes land perfectly, making even the simplest tasks feel entertaining.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character design as stunning, indicating that the visual representation of characters is a strong point in the game's overall appeal. However, there is no specific mention of character development in terms of narrative or growth.
