Demonschool Review: Yeah, It's the Takedown | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Also on: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S

Price: $24.99

Ok, I couldn’t resist the KPop Demon Hunters reference when talking about Demonschool. Both are influenced by anime, both are about kicking demon butt, and both are fantastic in their own way. Demonschool blends everything I love about strategy games and JRPGs, but somehow makes all of it feel far more accessible without losing any of the challenge.

While much of the cast falls into familiar archetypes, even borderlines on being a bit cliché, it works for this style of game and never feels out of place.

Demonschool follows a group of students who attend a college plagued by demons who are on the verge of bringing about the end of days. This ragtag group is pulled together by the fact that they are some of the only people who can actually see the demons and fight them. The team is assembled by Faye, the main protagonist, who is a demon hunter. One of the things I really appreciate about Demonschool is the writing and humor, especially the banter between the characters. Faye is very much a “punch first, ask questions later” kind of person and often gets the group into trouble, while Namako is far more practical and grounded. Their friendship is unconventional, but it works, and it leads to some genuinely fun moments. Destin is another favorite of mine, the classic “all brawn, no brains” character. And while much of the cast falls into familiar archetypes, even borderlines on being a bit cliché, it works for this style of game and never feels out of place.

By far, the best aspect of Demonschool is the battle system. Think chess, but with a team that has abilities that all play off one another. And just like chess, the action takes place on a grid-like board. Combos are key in Demonschool, especially if I want to finish each battle within the turn limit to earn high marks. For example, Namako has the ability to weaken enemies as she passes through them, so I’ll often line those weakened enemies up in front of Faye or Destin so they can take out as many as possible with a single attack.

 If I don’t like what I see, I can rewind, as long as I haven’t fully committed to the plan.

There are only so many action points I can spend each round, and since they come from a shared pool, every movement and ability use has a real cost. Thank goodness for the rewind option. I can preview how each action will play out, and if I don’t like what I see, I can rewind, as long as I haven’t fully committed to the plan. Once I’m confident in my approach, I set everything in motion and watch it unfold. It’s incredibly rewarding when a good strategy comes together.

Each member of the party only has three health, so I constantly need to be thinking ahead to make sure I don’t leave someone in the line of an attack after I’ve committed to my plan. There are healing abilities available, but using them means spending valuable action points that could have gone toward offense. It creates a constant push and pull between playing it safe and going all in.

Progression is handled a bit differently than in most RPGs, though. Instead of earning XP, I spend opals to purchase new abilities from the store.

After I defeat the required number of enemies to clear a level, I still need to move one of my characters to the last row to seal the demons away. Of course, that also costs action points, so I always try to make sure at least one character is steadily moving forward on the board. If I can finish the level within the listed number of turns, and without losing any team members, I earn high marks and receive more class credits and opals.

Opals are the main form of currency in Demonschool. I can use them to buy new abilities or cosmetic items for my team’s home base. Progression is handled a bit differently than in most RPGs, though. Instead of earning XP, I spend opals to purchase new abilities from the store. Abilities can also be earned by completing side quests or defeating certain bosses.

Once I have a new ability, I then need to spend the class credits earned in battle to actually learn it and assign it to a character. After I assign a party member to study a new ability, there’s a cooldown period before that character can learn another one. It adds another layer of planning to how I build out my team and abilities

 Demonschool reminds me of the Persona games, but in a much more approachable way.

Outside the combat and progression mechanics, the game also leans into the school-life structure. In a lot of ways, Demonschool reminds me of the Persona games, but in a much more approachable way. There are plenty of side quests to complete and even a relationship-based mechanic. Once I’m in the list view of all the locations, if there’s something new to discover, the word “new” appears next to that location. It’s a really easy way to track what I should be doing next.

My only real complaint about this system is that once I highlight a location on the list, the “new” indicator disappears. I would have preferred it to stay visible until I actually selected the location. I understand why they may not have wanted to design it that way, since many of these are optional discoveries, but as someone who likes to explore and experience as much of the game as possible, it gave me a bit of fear of missing out. I eventually learned to select the location right away instead of just moving over it.

Boss battles play out much the same way as regular fights, but the bosses have visible health bars and access to abilities that normal enemies don’t. For example, they might drop hazards onto specific grid spaces on their next turn or unleash wide area-of-effect attacks. Paying attention to these patterns is crucial, because if I leave a character standing in one of those danger zones, they’re going to take damage.

Final Grade: A

Demonschool has been on my list of most anticipated games since I first saw it at PAX East a few years ago. The game didn’t disappoint. The battle mechanic is definitely the strongest aspect of the game, with this strategy-like implementation that feels like playing chess. But one doesn’t have to be an expert in strategy games to enjoy Demonschool, as the rewind ability allows me to think through my moves before committing to them. Pair this mechanic with a fun story and an interesting progression system, and it’s the making of a stellar game.

Review copy provided by Stride PR