Wanderjahr: Demo Review

Wanderjahr is a cute and colorful JRPG with a deceptive level of difficulty.  In fact, the game’s subtitle is “Try Again or Walk Away”, which seems like a clear challenge to the player.  Are you going to try again and figure out where you went wrong…or give up?  Well, considering I took the latter route, you might be able to infer that the alternative option wasn’t super appealing.

Disgaea 4 Complete: Demo Review

Though I’ve played a decent number of RPGs over the years, one subset of the genre in which I have little experience is tactical RPGs.  I was first introduced to them during a short span of time spent playing the Shining Force games on this Sega Genesis Collection I have for the XBox 360, though I didn’t really play much beyond the first half hour or so of each game.  My most recent dive into the rather confusing world of tactical RPGs was the demo for Disgaea 4 Complete, the PS4 release of a 2011 PS3 game.

Oninaki: Demo Review

Oninaki is an action-RPG created by Tokyo RPG Factory where you play as a Watcher, someone who brings peace to the dead and helps guide them to the next world.  The game features real-time combat, and you fight alongside different spirits called Daemons.  As someone who usually likes games with darker stories, I have to admit that the game was a bit depressing to me, as the first ghost we encounter is a young boy who wishes to see his parents one last time.  I also felt that the cutesy aesthetic didn’t seem super fitting for the game’s somber tone.

Tearaway Unfolded: Demo Review

Out of all the demos I’ve played thus far, my favorites have easily been Unravel and the subject of today’s post, Tearaway Unfolded.  Initially known simply as Tearaway on the PS Vita, this remake for the PS4 makes use of the controller’s motion controls and touchpad.  The game has a really adorable papercraft aesthetic, and you can even customize your character.  From the very moment the game begins, it just oozes charm as two disembodied voices switch between various TV channels, only to grow bored and decide that my chosen messenger and I (the player is referred to as “You”) should go on an adventure where we’re tasked with delivering a letter to the Yous’ world through the big hole that opened up in the sky.

Yoku’s Island Express: Demo Review

When I read that Yoku’s Island Express was described as an “open-world pinball adventure”, I had my doubts.  I don’t mind pinball in short bursts, but I couldn’t believe they could actually make an engaging “adventure” out of it.  But seeing as this was a free demo, I had nothing to lose but time.

Song of the Deep: An Undersea Metroidvania

Song of the Deep had been on my radar for a long time, largely because it was made by Insomniac, the creators of one of my favorite gaming franchises, Ratchet & Clank.  The game is an underwater Metroidvania where you control a submarine built by a girl named Merryn who makes it her goal to find her father, who went missing at sea.  In true Metroidvania fashion, the game is a labyrinth of underwater passages, your means of progression tied to finding new upgrades for your submarine.

Immortals Fenyx Rising: Demo Review

I recently had the pleasure of trying out the demo for Immortals Fenyx Rising, an open-world game made by Ubisoft where you play as the new demigod Fenyx.  Having studied a decent amount of Greek mythology in school, I can really appreciate this aspect of the game and was rather pleased whenever the game made references that not everyone will understand.  (Sure, we all know who Zeus is, but how many people have heard of the Greek god of volcanoes and blacksmithing, Hephaestus?)  The game also had an entertaining sense of humor and was frequently narrated by Zeus and Prometheus, which had me laughing at their banter multiple times.

Xeodrifter: Demo Review

Xeodrifter is a pixelated, Metroidvania-style space adventure which appears to be heavily inspired by games like Metroid and Super Metroid.  You are thrown right into the gameplay, finding yourself on some sort of alien planet with absolutely no direction.  A short bit of exploring later, and I had already defeated the first boss and obtained a submarine for travelling underwater, expanding the places that were now accessible to me.

‘n Verlore Verstand: Demo Review

The title of this bizarre indie game is actually an Afrikaans term translating to “a lost mind”.  And I have to admit that this demo certainly left me feeling rather lost.  And I can’t tell whether or not that’s a negative or simply to be expected, as this game has us exploring a strange and nonsensical world of dreams.

Awesome Pea: Demo Review

Awesome Pea is a retro-styled platformer where you control a supposedly greedy pea who enjoys collecting money. The game clearly wants to be reminiscent of old-school games, with green-tinged graphics and an unforgiving nature, sending you back to the start of each level whenever you mess up. The demo consists of the first three stages of the game, which took me roughly 10 minutes to complete.