Demon Gaze II Reviews
Demon Gaze 2 is probably a nice time on the Vita. On the PS4 it is very much not so. It is the video game equivalent of eating junk food when you’re not hungry. If I run out of other games I will play it again. But for now I’m putting it down and picking another orphan of the PS Vita exodus.
I love Japanese games, but Demon Gaze II fails to deliver in almost every area. By the time the credits rolled around, I was relieved rather than satisfied. There is some good content in here, but you can only take so much of it before you're just done.
As an entry to dungeon crawling, Demon Gaze II certainly does improve upon its predecessors accessibility. It’s more polished and is clearly more direct in approaching its goal. While broadening the appeal for fans of Japanese RPGs, this new focus has come at a cost. It feels a little generic.
Demon Gaze 2 expands and improves on everything from the first game, but when the first game was the video game equivalent of 3am fast food, though, those improvements don't amount to a ground-breaking new title in the genre. Demon Gaze 2 is just a fairly decent, quirky JRPG.
Occasionally, Demon Gaze II can be a little fun and make you chuckle. And, while there is nothing especially wrong with the game, there really are not many highlights either. I wish could say more positive things about this game, but in all honesty, it's not one I would recommend for most JRPG fans.
I had never played a Demon Gaze game before and totally didn’t know what to expect when I put the game on; I didn’t even know that it’s essentially a 2D dungeon crawling JRPG focused around strategy fighting and turn based combat! I’ve come out of the game pleasantly surprised and it will definitely be something I’ll play to the end, mainly when I’ve got nothing else to play.
If you enjoy turn-based RPGs with quirky characters and a generally lighthearted story, then you'll likely enjoy Demon Gaze II. There's a very strange fan-service mode in the maintenance performed on the demons, but other than that this is a safe bet for fans of the genre. Planning when to demonize your demons can make all the difference between domination and utter defeat, and the challenge level shouldn't put anyone off at the normal level. An active imagination is required to enjoy the little actual action displayed on-screen, and the dungeon graphics are terribly simplistic. But there is a lot of story and plenty of battling to keep most RPG players busy for dozens of hours before the Revolutionist Party seizes victory.
Overall, Demon Gaze II is still a strong and enjoyable dungeon crawler, albeit not without some flaws.
Demon Gaze II is very similar to its predecessor, improving in some areas (such as the combat system and the customization level) and making a step back in others (difficulty level, fan service). All in all, a solid entry in the DRPG subgenre, but nothing to write home about.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Streamlining facets of the original Demon Gaze lead its sequel to be a little less frustrating but a little more bland.
Overall, if the game wasn’t so talkative when going from dungeon to dungeon and if the character designs were a bit better, I’d honestly have a better time. More so if the game didn’t make me feel like I was only going from story beat to story beat to story beat every time I beat a dungeon it would have made it a bit more enjoyable. This isn’t to say that the game is even remotely bad however as the dungeon crawling itself is a ton of fun here. While I do wish I could see the turn order in battles, it’s really no big deal. The fact that what moves my teammates will learn and when they’ll learn them is a pretty big plus in my eyes.
Demon Gaze 2 is recommended to players that want to know the DRPG genre, however, fans of the original might be disappointed due to the simpler systems and the lack of challenges.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Demon Gaze II aims for purity in a dungeon crawler, and mostly captures the magic of its forebears. While the dungeons themselves are wholly uninteresting, and some may take exception to the "maintenance" mechanic, Demon Gaze II manages to be a fun, worthwhile experience.
Even though it isn't as captivating as the first game, Demon Gaze II offers an engaging campaign that dungeon crawler fans are sure to appreciate.
Demon Gaze II ultimately wants you to relax and have fun.
In every respect, Demon Gaze II is a superb follow-up. The revamped demon system makes for a much more involved and fulfilling adventure. Players are no longer obligated to build their entire offense around one or two mechanics, which lends battles a greater degree of flexibility. The storyline isn't particularly complex or thrilling, but it's at least adequate. All of the characters fit into standard tropes, yet they're also earnest and even endearing. Of course, this is all secondary to the great dungeon design and battle system. This entry has succeeded in carving out an identity in an increasingly crowded market.
Strange, gorgeous and arrestingly charming, Demon Gaze II may not be a game for everyone. However, if you have a soft spot for classical 'crawlers like Wizardry or Dungeon Master, this'll likely scratch that itch, and it'll do so with a tonne of spunky Japanese verve and charisma, to boot.
Dungeon crawlers aren't for everyone, but Demon Gaze II is the perfect place to start for players who have yet to try out the genre. The story has as much depth as the impressive in-game customization systems that will surely impress veteran fans of the series along with being easy for newcomers to digest. I'm happy to see Experience stepping out of their comfort zone and trying new things with the dungeon crawling genre. Playing through Demon Gaze II has left me excited for whatever the developer has coming next.
Though dungeon crawlers usually aren't for everyone, Demon Gaze II manages to cater to all audiences by offering a low access point for newcomers and a fairly high skill cap for veterans.
Demon Gaze II improves on the original in a lot of ways and is another excellent dungeon RPG from Experience Inc. that is worth your time.