Demonschool Review – Brilliant Combat, Captivating Worldbuilding

Demon School Review

Fans of Atlus games have had a lot of luck in recent years. We have new major franchises such as Metaphor: ReFantasyand remakes of old games such as Raidu updated. Many of these releases exist in post-Persona 5 peace, however. Fans who want new versions of old Atlus games don't get much. It's been a while since Atlus released a first-person dungeon crawler or isometric strategy JRPG. Demonschool isn't made by Atlus, but it's a strategy JRPG that's a welcome throwback to older Atlus games like Persona 1 and 2 and Devil Survivor.

The story of Demon School is about a world where demons invade and cause people to lose their memories beyond the present day. Faye, our main character, decides to go to the island where the demons are appearing to get to the bottom of the problem. She does this by enrolling in a local college. I don't want to go into the details of this story, because even its most general features are revealed to the player as a secret. There are smaller subplots as Faye builds relationships with her classmates and completes side quests. The story and world of Demonschool are captivating and one of the main reasons to play.

Turn-based tactical Japanese role-playing game

Another important component that will make people want to play Demonschool is its turn-based tactical JRPG combat system. The player receives a supply of action points. They can choose which characters want to perform actions. Each character's first action costs one AP, the second action costs two, and so on. Thus, the more characters a player uses, the less AP his actions cost. The planning phase consists of the player choosing how to use their AP, seeing the outcome, and deciding if they want to cancel certain actions. When finished, hold triangle and the action phase will play all the player's commands.

Many character actions move enemies in certain directions, which sets them up for more actions from another character based on their new position. Taking one sidestep reduces the AP cost of subsequent actions to zero. Special points are awarded for performing actions and at the beginning of each turn. Pressing square consumes the SP meter and performs a special attack. For example, Fay's starting special attack deals two powerful points of damage and costs no AP if the enemy is killed.

Combo attacks

Pushing an enemy onto another party member results in a combo attack. Combo attacks deal elemental damage. Characters and enemies sometimes have weaknesses and resistances to certain elements. Each battle has a specific goal, such as “kill X number of enemies.” Symbols appear when all combat objectives are achieved. The fight ends when the player moves to where the symbols appear and takes an action to seal them. If this is accomplished within three turns and no characters die, the player receives a perfect score.

A unique aspect of combat in Demon School is the de-emphasis on statistics. Characters and enemies have extremely low hit points, so every point of damage really matters. Normal hits often only deal one point of damage. Movement, positioning, and combos allow players to increase their damage output. There is also no grinding in the School of Demons. There are optional battles, but they provide drops that can boost stats or lead to new skill tree abilities. There are no levels to grind for.

Balance of old and new

The Demon School's combat system works very well. It does a great job of combining familiar JRPG combat strategies with new ideas. All the systems felt a little overwhelming at first, but the game does a good job of easing the player's mind before ramping up the difficulty. Mastering dodging and creating combos is great. The school theme giving the player a score after each battle adds a lot of value for players who like to play for high scores.

However, the battle can be tedious. Each battle requires careful planning and thought. In some ways, Demonschool feels more like a puzzle game than a tactical JRPG because there's often a better way to approach each battle. Many times when I got stuck, I felt like I was trying to figure out what the game wanted me to do. The difficulty can be high, and I found myself hitting a wall several times where I got stuck in a battle I just couldn't figure out. Some may find these linear battles off-putting, but others may appreciate the puzzle nature of them.

Influence of Shin Megami Tensei

Classmates become party members. Faye may have a relationship with them. Bonds are built by fighting together, choosing the right dialogue options, and winning mini-games. Making connections unlocks certain side quests. All areas of the island are on a static map similar to Shin Megami Tensei. There is also a calendar, very similar to Persona. Progress towards the goal propels time forward as Faye juggles school life with battling demons. However, there aren't many school simulator aspects to Demonschool. The main mechanics of the game, taken from the Persona series, are the relationships between the characters. Elements of school life are mainly aesthetic.

However, the aesthetics of Demon School are breathtaking. The character sprites are very reminiscent of the PS1 era Persona in appearance. The characters have realistic proportions, and when they talk, large portraits of the characters appear in the background of the action. The isometric environments are gorgeous and 3D. The music is a synth-heavy jazz soundtrack that reminds me of something that might have been in a PS1-era Castlevania game. Visually and sonically, Demonschool is an incredibly attractive game that stands out among today's offerings.

In conclusion

I liked Demon School. The JRPG's tactical combat system will likely be the deciding component for most players. The lack of emphasis on statistics is a bold choice that sometimes makes Demonschool feel more like a puzzle game than a strategy JRPG. The combat system is not for everyone. But the story, aesthetics and atmosphere make Demonschool a real treat for longtime Shin Megami Tensei fans.

***PS5 code provided by publisher***