Demon Gaze (PS Vita) Review

Demon Gaze is the spiritual sequel to the Japan-only PSP title Students of the Round, and it carries on many of that title's tropes. The game is a dungeon crawling RPG, in the vein of notable franchises like Etrian Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei, and has players building a team of customisable characters and exploring the world. Demon Gaze starts off with the main character Oz, who can be altered to personal liking, as he wakes up in a small dungeon with no recollection as to who he is or his surroundings. As Oz finds his way out, the mechanics of the game are gradually introduced and the current events are filled in. Oz learns that he is a 'Demon Gazer', and has the power to trap and control half-robot half-demon creatures that roam the lands. From the Dragon Princess Inn hub of the game, a party and inventory can then be built, before setting out to capture these rare demons. The story as a whole is a tad on the predictable side, but provides a competent backdrop to the real meat of the game - the characters and dungeons.

By speaking to the manager of the inn, rooms can be rented out, and this is how a party is built up. Not having a full group of five from the outset will be a little strange for DRPG veterans, but it serves a useful purpose in gradually easing players into the game's mechanics. Although, this does mean grinding levels early on to build up a party to a sufficient level, so this approach is somewhat of a double-edged sword.

New characters can be built to each person's liking, with dozens of selectable portraits of both male and female, job and race classes, voice samples, and a given name of choice. Job and race options play a huge role in strategy and progression through the game; should the priority be in recruiting a Healer for the team's back line, or a defensive Paladin wall for the front? A speedy Samurai to take down foes quickly, or a Wizard to cast useful but expensive magic? Whatever characters made play a very minor role in the cut-scenes and story, as it'll be the main hero that gets the recognition, but by creating them, these characters could very well become more attached to than static portraits should allow.

Although the party members are hand-made, the allies at the inn are anything but, each coming with their own distinctive personalities and quirks, and an effective bit of voice acting here and there. Straight from the outset it is clear that Demon Gaze is not shy about pandering to its otaku target audience, with a generous amount of fan service from the female characters, and some highly suggestive dialogue, even from the demons themselves. This can be either eye-catching or cringe worthy depending on personal preferences, but it does in no doubt help build a more memorable and distinctive world of characters.

Dungeons are viewed from a first-person perspective, and the map is filled out as steps are taken. Each themed area, be it the city on fire or the Ancient Forest, has its own resident demon, and it's players' task to capture all the Demon Circles scattered around the map and lure them out. These Circles are where the majority of accessory and experience gathering takes place; depending on the types of gems placed on them, stronger creatures can be conjured, or foes that hold certain items. Fights can still be found when roaming the map, but it is here that the most important ones take place. Exploring the map itself is made significantly easier and quicker thanks to the Auto-Roam option that lets a course be plotted to move to a destination via buttons or the touch screen.

Battles themselves are a simple affair. Using a turn-based system, characters' abilities can be put to the test, and a captured demon or two called out when the going gets tough. Fights can be over in seconds due to almost instant loading times and a button that speeds the turns along much quicker, so those just wishing to explore the dungeon shouldn't be kept in battle too long.

For many recent PS Vita buyers, the newer version of the hardware might be the one to house this game, but for the older model, Demon Gaze does an admirable job of making the OLED tech shine. Actual animations and CGI are thin on the ground, but the portrait and world designs have a clean, sharp look to them, and not being able to see characters physically fighting won't diminish the belief that they are doing so. The voice acting in the game, whilst not used too often outside of battle cries, is done very well, and the choice between English and Japanese speech is always welcome (plus an unusual option for Japanese text too; useful for language learners).

Demon Gaze is strictly a single-player adventure, but the game does house some social features in the form of Chalk Memos and the PS Vita's Near application, allowing a select number of notes to be left in the dungeons to point out secrets to other found using Near. The game itself is pretty lengthy, reaching double digit playtimes quite easily, and the four selectable difficulty options are a blessing for those looking for an easier or trickier play through. Demon Gaze doesn't break many conventional barriers, but what it does, it does well.