Demon Gaze

1. dr0s3

   Apr 22, 2014

   10

   I am overly impressed with this game- amazing interface efficient battle and an enjoyable grind (One of those rare times where I actually hadI am overly impressed with this game- amazing interface efficient battle and an enjoyable grind (One of those rare times where I actually had fun grinding out something, even if it is random it's almost addictive.) The story and characters are a bit deeper than something like the EO series, but you still have that wonderful since of control as you decide everything from voice to appearance of your characters, something that I didn't think about before but being able to change an annoying voice is pretty nice.
   
   Not for everyone, but really hit the spot for me. Now to go back to the dungeons!… Expand

   • 10 of 15 users found this helpful
2. Barjoe

   Jan 2, 2021

   10

   Amusing storyline, great humor, catchy soundtracks, charming characters, and simple but addictive gameplay. What more could a JRPG fans asked?

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
4. jameswoo

   Apr 23, 2014

   10

   I have played the Japanese version extensively before playing this English version. A polished and modern take on the dungeon RPG genre.I have played the Japanese version extensively before playing this English version. A polished and modern take on the dungeon RPG genre. Highly recommended.… Expand

   • 8 of 19 users found this helpful
5. spectorelite

   Jun 17, 2014

   8

   This game is a classic JRPG that will hold no punches on new comers to the genre with the earlier objectives begining much harder then theThis game is a classic JRPG that will hold no punches on new comers to the genre with the earlier objectives begining much harder then the later ones once mechanics are learned proper. That being said the game is beautiful and the characters are all classic troupes and you be thrown for a loop with unique characters but they are all lovable in their own way but it is obvious which ones were made to be most liked. This is one of the few games out there that everything about your party is customizable to the extreme from everything to their skin to their class to their voice etc etc. stats are determined by class so there is no option to make a unique class however the main character is considered unique. If you dont mind fan service and gameplay that is predicated on moving forward/discovery this game is for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it will take anywhere from 30 hours to 50 hours to complete depending on your play style. I for instance wanted full map completion extra and trophies so i did a little extra work here and there and ended at 43 hours and there was actually end game content albeit it was about 1 dungeon and a boss basically.
   
   TL;DR : pro: Looks Great, Compliments its battle system well, story isnt knew but compelling enough, enjoyment comes from discovery mostly and figuring out the story.
   con: grindy, not a beginners jrpg, decently long for a hand held game, leaves a bit to be desired if you are coming off a console rpg or a western one for that matter.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
6. DanHazy

   Apr 3, 2016

   8

   Concept: Battle through waves of enemies in a dungeon crawler with enough strategy and fanservice to satisfy any gamer.
   
   Story: The story isConcept: Battle through waves of enemies in a dungeon crawler with enough strategy and fanservice to satisfy any gamer.
   
   Story: The story is intriguing with humorous and perverted dialogue mixed in.
   
   Gameplay: The gameplay feels like a real adventure because of the constant struggle for money, which means players can never get everything they need before setting out for a dungeon. This makes players consider their purchases carefully. I'll delve more into gameplay further down in this review. 
   
   Graphics: The graphics aren't bad for a ps vita game and the dungeons look incredible. 
   
   Gameplay time: My gameplay time was forty five hours which doesn't include the endgame content, which can claim an additional twenty hours.
   
   Music: The music was outstanding. Players can expect upbeat relaxing songs with some japanese vocalized songs mixed in. A couple of dungeons had no music whatsoever though. These dungeons were an under water dungeon that only had water swishing sound effects and a palace dungeon that only had someone speaking inaudibly.
   
   Voice acting: Voice acting was high quality with every voice fitting each character. The game was only voice acted about thirty percent of the time however. This game is voiced in english.
   
    In depth review
   
   Great gameplay, perverted, charming, and challenging. These are all elements found in Demon Gaze. Demon Gaze is a dungeon crawler that demands players to strategically battle their enemies or otherwise, face a gameover screen. This game prides itself on it's difficulty no doubt, as it's the most difficult rpg to be released for quiet some time. This may make gamers reconsider purchasing this game, which is understandable, but many gamers found this difficulty to be refreshing as so many rpg's today hold your hand the whole way through. So if you aren't afraid of a little challenge, then grab a Pico hammer, befriend a demon, and what the hell, bring Etna along and venture through the world of Demon Gaze.
   
   Let's talk about the gameplay difficulty, which is what made Demon Gaze so unique. Some of the reasons the difficulty is so high are; limited supply of revival items, a constant struggle for money, and powerful enemies that can kill a couple of your party members before you even get a chance to act. The reason the player is so short of money is the fact that the player has to pay rent whenever they return to the inn, which is your base. This makes every venture outside the inn an important one as players need to make each one profitable by fighting enough battles to actually profit when you return. If the player doesn't have enough money when they return, then they fall into debt. On the other hand, paying rent on time grants the players gifts from time to time.
   
   The gameplay involves much strategy as players make their own unique team, choose which demons they take into battle, and choose which stat gets boosted when obtaining a level up. Making a team is very customizable as players can choose between many different classes and race's. This allows players to make each party member exactly how they wish. When making these characters, players get to choose their appearance from about sixty different character potraits. Etna, Flonne, Sicily, and Asagi can be bought for a cheap price as dlc. 
   
   The boss fights in this game usually require some amount of prior grinding. Which isn't so bad because battles can be fast forwarded , taking very little time. These boss fights are demons which after defeat, will join the party. These demons can be summoned during battle to attack, heal, or help defend. Each demon has their unique qualities which leads to some decision making when deciding which demons would best be suited for each boss fight.
   
   This game does state that when creating the main character, that they will always be referred to as a male, regardless of what gender you choose. This is quiet astonishing I know, and completly unacceptable. What's the word....flabbergasted. Yes, I was flabbergasted when I read this and it was the only reason  I didn't choose a female.
   
   Closing comments:  Demon Gaze is not for everyone as difficult as it is, but if you are up for a challenging rpg that always feels rewarding when emerging on the victorious side of battle, then join the proud gamers who have conquered this demon. There is also another dungeon crawler for ps vita made by the same people who brought you Demon Gaze. It is titled Operation Abyss and is said to be a more serious game with little to no fanservice.
   
   That wraps this review up, hope it helps.… Expand

   • 3 of 3 users found this helpful
7. GoombaJMR

   Jul 5, 2015

   8

   A solid localization from NIS America, and a great RPG to play on the go, Demon Gaze manages to do most everything right. I quickly found theA solid localization from NIS America, and a great RPG to play on the go, Demon Gaze manages to do most everything right. I quickly found the music to be very catchy and enjoyable - and it also features vocaloid IA, which could be good or bad, depending on your tastes. Hmm, the graphics are very good, and the dungeons are also very diverse, but the actual dungeons themselves can become a tad bit bland after exploring through them for more than two or so hours.The battle system is deep and solid, and the difficulty level isn't too high or low. The story is interesting to see, and while fan service is present - it isn't one of Demon Gaze's main points. There are puzzles to solve in this game too, and I found these puzzles to be quite easy and challenging at the same time. I felt that the way quests are handled in this game wasn't really the most efficient way, and yeah.... basically it could have been improved! The game is pretty long too, clocking in between 25 and 40 hours, depending on how fast you complete things. Sooo, take your time and find this game, then play it! I feel that you won't regret playing this solid RPG.
   
   Gameplay: 8.5/10
   Story: 8/10
   Music: 9/10
   Presentation: 7/10
   Length: 8/10
   Overall: 8/10… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
8. Tarren

   May 13, 2014

   5

   Demon Gaze: A good-looking but bland tasting RPG.
   Demon Gaze is a first-person dungeon-crawler JRPG. Aside from having to choose the GazerDemon Gaze: A good-looking but bland tasting RPG.
   Demon Gaze is a first-person dungeon-crawler JRPG. Aside from having to choose the Gazer class as the party leader, the player is free to pick from a pool of seven classes and five races (who start with different base stats and are locked out of certain equipment) to fill the rest of their party. The crux of the game revolves around defeating and capturing demons (the game’s bosses). Capturing demons will allow the Gazer to equip their key, giving them a suite of bonus skills and the ability to summon the demon in combat (who acts like a sixth, uncontrollable party member).
   I enjoy Demon Gaze’s art. There are plenty of bright colors and the character portraits are unique and fun. While there’s little movement during dialog, the character’s expressions are varied so it doesn’t feel like you’re simply talking to cardboard cut-outs. The voice acting is also very enjoyable and adds to the NPC’s personalities.
   The game is very, VERY linear. At the beginning of the game, the bulletin board where members of the inn post quests and the like is almost overwhelming. However, after a while you discover that all of those quests you assumed were sidequests are actually part of the main thread. There are only three sidequests in the game: Gather soul skulls for the mortician, Prometh, scrounge for black mushrooms for Pinay, the maid, and buy/find a set of rare clothing for the stylist, Kukure. All three of these sidequests are given fairly early on and you gradually complete them by finding hidden treasure (via treasure maps) within each area. The story itself “meh”. While on par with most JRPGs, nobody will remember its plot after a few weeks.
   The game allows an online component called “Gazer Memos” which are signs with short blurbs written by other players. These signs can warn others about upcoming hazards, help navigate a maze or notify them about nearby treasure and how to obtain it. While useful, seeing the memos scattered about an area really ruins the atmosphere. Also, since every treasure has been discovered and noted by fellow gazers, treasure maps become wastes of space in your inventory.
   Demon Gaze’s level designs are uninspired. While pretty to look at, there are no interesting or new themes to the levels (there’s a ruin level, a graveyard level, a forest level, ect.). Puzzles and gimmicks within the levels are just as uninspired and many levels have the same gimmick, such as damaging floor tiles, leading to monotony.
   Combat occurs on an almost static screen; enemies only flash when attacking or being dealt damage and there is the occasional swipe or flash from an ability or spell. The entire game is in first-person, so you never see your characters react. Also, there is a very limited diversity of monsters in the game, making palette swaps common.
   The difficulty is another problem that plagues Demon Gaze. On “cool” (the game’s normal difficulty), all the random encounters are little more than annoyances. Boss fights are either “decimate the party on the first turn” difficult or “could beat blindfolded” easy depending on the party’s level. There’s no sweet spot where you feel triumph over a difficult foe. You either crush the boss or be crushed by the boss.
   Demon Gaze is flip-floppy on how much technical information if wants to give its players. For example, you can read up on demons’ abilities that you’ve yet to face or capture, yet it never tells you what exactly your stats do. I can safely assume that strength increases my standard attack’s damage, but what exactly does mysticism do? And why, despite leveling nothing but intelligence on my wizard, do her spells seem to do the same amount of damage as they did 3 levels ago?
   Demon Gaze’s biggest fault is its combat: there’s just not a lot of strategy. While there are elements (air, dark, earth, fire, light, and water) and some monsters have weaknesses due to what class of monster they are, the extra damage is rarely noticeable. This is even more frustrating when facing bosses who, despite having titles such as “Fire Dragon Woman” and “Earth Iron Woman”, don’t have an elemental weakness. Status ailments (K.O.’d, poisoned, paralyzed, ect.) don’t last very long on monsters either and their most common medium, as special effects on weapons, is unreliable, meaning these effects aren’t a consistent factor in fights. This means most fights boil down to slugfests. The strategy I used for the vast majority of fights was to use the samurai skill Slash, which attacks an entire line of enemies, and the healer skill Holy Shield, which absorbs a bit of damage done to the party for a turn. There were no moments where I thought “Okay! I need to silence the enemy healer while rushing their archer in the back.” Most of the time, I didn’t even need to make a decision about how to attack, and thankfully, pressing the triangle button will make your party perform all of their actions from the previous turn. So almost every random encounter can be won by holding triangle. Bosses are somewhat exempt from the holding triangle play, but their fights are no more strategic. Boss fights are won simply by cranking up the defenses on your characters while chipping away at their health with your strongest abilities. Again, bosses have no elemental weaknesses and aside from a few who will remove your party’s buffs and/or who will rearrange the formation of your party (moving the members in the back to the front and vice versa), there is not a smidgen of thought involved in these fights.
   I picked up Demon Gaze because it seemed similar to the Etrian Odyssey series. I love the gimmicks that each new stratum brought and challenging combat that the E.O. games have brought me. Unfortunately, Demon Gaze, while similar at first glance, doesn’t have much of what made its fellow modern dungeon-crawler great. I took a bite, expecting a taste of the epic fun I hold dear. Instead, what I took a bite of what just a good-looking but bland tasting RPG.… Expand

   • 1 of 6 users found this helpful

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