Devil Slayer - Raksasi Reviews

666

I really wish I had played this sooner than I had, especially now that I see there's a sequel planned. (And I hope said sequel is "more of this, but more polished".) At first glance, it LOOKS like a bare-bones indie rogue-like, but once you start doing runs, there's a LOT of content to unlock. Characters, weapons, items, areas, and just gameplay additions and tweaks are earned both by progressing and thru a Dead Cells-like "purchase with currency earned by killing enemies" method, and it's really good for that whole "improve your runs by permanently improving your characters and utilites" thing that Dead Cells had going for it. Some people don't like that, and would rather do the Isaac thing, where your characters are always static and never change, but in a game like this, where you're unlocking harder content and harder difficulties, it's a welcome thing to have. The combat system seems a bit wonky to start, but once you get into the swing of it, it feels a lot better, especially if you're using a remapped WASD + mouse setup. And combining different weapon types with different characters keeps things relatively interesting. Again, really wish I had got this earlier, I've only just finished unlocking the "endgame" bits and it feels like this is one hell of an overlooked game, right here.

Lovely game with decent combat, decent roguelite mechanics, and good art. It's a mix of top-down melee combat and The Binding of Isaac gameplay. Feels like the devs enjoyed making the game and I enjoyed playing it, may or may not be worth it unless you like the character design style (which I do). Different characters have different weapons they start with but as far as I can tell any characters can use any weapon. There could be more variety in items it feels more like a dumbed down Risk of Rain than it does Isaac, items do stuff but they feel fairly minor.

In the internet age, this game was able to give me a feeling of genuine discovery. You're reading this because you want to know if this game is worth your cash; and while it's not perfect, it is a really special game to me. Let me see if I can share why: [h3]First Things First:[/h3] This game says 'Sexual Content', and im not sure if thats a community tag or a dev one because, like, I guess it's correct; technically. When you die on a run, your character's clothes look like they were put in a blender for 7 seconds. No nipples or private parts exposed, no sex scenes or even promiscuous dialogue. But because you see some high-up thigh meat, this whole game got tossed in the porn bin. So if you were WORRIED about the Sexual tag, its elements are so downplayed youll forget they exist until you die. And even then, its practically SFW. If you WANTED the Sexual tag, then this might not be for you; because ill grant you the wifus are a selling point, but if you arent ALSO looking for a fun Rouge-Lite, then there are far more effective purchases you can make to just get your rocks off. [h3]The Negative Reviews:[/h3] There are a few points ive seen come across in the negative reviews: [b]- The Game is too meta-progression heavy:[/b] Ill admit I dont recall how sluggish the beginning of the game was. But I dont believe I would have as many hours as I do without it seeming reasonable to me. There are a lot of weapons and items to unlock in this game, so the beginning [u]might[/u] be slow, but due to that there is notable selection and depth late game. [b]- Game is too hard / too easy:[/b] While certain runs definitely feel harder or easier than others, I think its less a balance issue (Though that could be a factor still) and more the meta-progression. The more stuff you unlock, the more tools you can find and combine into cool builds, the easier it can feel. I think theres plenty of challenge in this game for normal cats like me, and when you start making better builds you can absolutely hit that power-fantasy high. [b]- Boss fights are lackluster:[/b] Uh, yeah kinda. The first few times you fight them theyre challenging and fun to learn, but the mechanics could feel a bit tighter. Hitboxes a bit cleaner. I still enjoy fighting bosses, but every now and again I find myself taking a hit and saying 'could have sworn I had I-frames on that'. I could also just be bad, keep in mind (I am). [b]- The story is lackluster:[/b] Also yeah. Its ok, and kind of interesting to engage with, but pretty shallow as far as stories go. But that also doesnt feel like the goal of this game, so I dont hold it against it. Would I like to know more? Absolutely, and I hope the second game gives us more of that. But its more just a framing device than a story youre supposed to be invested in. [h3]The Rest:[/h3] Devil Slayer Raksasi definitely hooked me. A bunch of unique characters, each with weapons and weapon skills to learn, and a wealth of items to either use in combat, or combine with other items to make unique builds to dominate the levels! I think due to the slower beginning of the game, a lot of folks arent getting the "hook" before becoming uninterested. And I cant blame them, and I wouldnt blame you, but I will (spoiler free) explain the event that has stuck with me the last few years. After beating a few runs, and unlocking the character buff system (Which ill admit, should just be unlocked from the beginning imo) I started making some real effective runs, and in the last level of a run, I got a bit curious about something I had been seeing. Its reasonably hidden, but being a weirdo who checks everything twice, I found a 'loose string' and started another run so I could bring the items needed to pull on it. Making it to the end of a new run, I was able to find a secret which led to a hidden level; extra hard. Got my ass absolutely handed to me multiple times trying to complete that secret level, a whole new run each time just to try and beat it. But then. Finally. I got lucky (or smart for a second), and had a BUSTED build, and I dominated that secret level! I was rewarded with something incredible that was not listed anywhere on any guide I had seen at that point (Mind you, this secret level was also not something I could find online at the time). It added a whole new, fascinating dynamic to the game which I was excited to play all the more with (hence, the 70+hrs). It was a journey of discovery in this game, where I was able to find out for myself a hidden secret the Devs had laid out. A surprise that was untainted from online guides and tutorials. [b]Devil Slayer Raksasi was able to hide something from me in the information age, and that feels so novel and impressive to me.[/b] If that last sentence entices you, then I beg you to try this game as blind as you can. It is a bit jank. Instructions arent crystal clear, and youre gonna die a LOT. But man, I had a great time overcoming those challenges and being rewarded for my efforts. TLDR: If you skipped to this, and you want a slightly janky Rouge-lite, and dont mind a slower early-game for a crazy late game, I recommend [u]on sale[/u] for sure. TLDR2: If you actually read this review, and are somehow still reading, I truly recommend at [u]full price[/u]. All the better if on sale. [h3]Generalized thoughts:[/h3] - Great game to pick up / put down. Easy to pause - Multiple meta-progression systems, which mesh simply together, but gives you a lot to consider / play around with - Cool character design / art. Just for me, but I really do love the art-style. - Fun but simple gameplay loop. Whenever I put this game down for an extended time, its pretty easy to jump back in - Interesting world, but not enough of it to sink my teeth into. I hope to get more in the new game!

This game is the absolute definition of a hidden gem and I cannot recommend it enough. At first it seems so hard you'll wonder how it's even possible to clear a run. Once it clicks it's so addicting. They even have optional end-game grinding for people like myself who want to get more out of it. 60+ hours from the base game for $15 then another 10+ hours from the $7 DLC. I'm sure most people won't get as much out of it as me but I am truly in love with this game and wish it was more popular.

Did almost everything in the game. Except one or other character challenge due to being lazy. Buy it even if it isn't on a sale. This is definetly a hidden gem. Solid roguelike experience with a Souls stamina bar for dodging and running. To entertain you, there are your traditional roguelike runs, a boss rush, a setting where you can "train" against each kind of enemy (including bosses) in the game and some unique challenges. Most of the complaints that i have seen regarding this game can be answered with "Learn the game". This isn't a perfect game though. There are some problems which i will mention below. - There is a weapon class called the Blunderbuss, which is basically a cannon. The class' strong attack is a charging shot whose charging time is sooo slow. it becomes tricky to use it on bosses and during hard mode. I would decrease the charging time to make it more effective. - At a certain point, the other heroines may join you during a run until the die. This is fine for the most part, then you start seeing the AI stopping the character on a hazardous floor or when you get an item that turns on Friendly Fire and the AI insists in getting near you. - The Soul Idol system. The "endgame entertainement" for those who did everything according to the devs. This is a system that can add up to 5 passive abilities to a character via Soul Charms and maybe you get 1 or 2 extra passives if you put together certain Charms. The problem that i have with this is system is the effort it goes to work against you. To put it simply, it strongly reminds me of Gacha Games but in steroids. Every, single, step, of the process is random and it takes too long to farm Charms so you can unlock all 5 slots for a character, start producing Charms of the highest tier and "rerolling" them until you get the ones that you actually want. I am glad that the sequel, apparently, doesn't have this system.