Early access games have always been quite of a confusing proposition to me. It gives you a game that is barely done and asks you to decide then and there if you would like to buy it, even with all the faults, in the hope that you would assist the developers in finishing a game you have no control over. I have always looked at these games with skepticism, because I’m paranoid, and spending a dime on anything is like nails on a chalkboard.
However, with Book of Demons—which is part of a larger series of games—pleasantly surprised me. The game, which is based on several ‘books’, each with their own unique story and gameplay style, gives the player what seems to be several hours of fun, whether you’re a novice casual gamer or someone who likes to battle it out for glory with as many enemies on screen as possible. Book of Demons gives you the keys to the castle and tells you how to modify the game to your particular style. The game does this by offering the player—after the first level—the option to adjust how long each level will be on a sliding scale. Increasing the time increases the size of the level, and how many enemies you will encounter.
The first book—called Book of Demons—reminded me a lot of the first Diablo game, as it takes on this story quite literally. However, the unique art style of the game gives you something different altogether. The game has the look of paper, and each character and enemy class looks and acts like cardboard cut-outs. This takes getting used to as the main protagonist—be it the Mage or the Warrior—hops around the set paths into the darkness.
Combat is quite satisfying, taking on almost a mobile approach, where you have to click on each enemy as fast as you can to defeat them once they’re in your field of view. However, this can be challenging at times when there are multiple targets descending upon you, and some are well armored. In the Book of Demons, you mainly play in the Maze, Catacombs and then Hell. Each level has unique features and is divided into many smaller sections, where you have to defeat higher enemies.
The loot system is quite interesting in this game. Each enemy slain—sometimes not—gives you loot drops, in coins or in cards, that you can equip. These cards range from health regeneration, to faster attack speeds. You can also upgrade the cards and buy new ones in the town square. The card system is quite different from what you usually get in these types of games, and it’s a nice change from the usual humdrum in RPG style gameplay.
The game does support controllers, and from what we were told, the game will be launching on Xbox One as well, as soon as the PC release is finalized. From what I’ve played thus far, I would say this game is a must buy when it finally releases on the platform of choice for the gamer—be it Xbox or others—and in my opinion will be worth the $20—or whatever they will charge—when it drops. It’s a lot of fun and gives casual and hardcore gamers an experience that is consistent and customizable.
Book of Demons is currently available on Steam Preview. Coming soon to Xbox One.
Dreyer was a regular ICXM contributor between 2016–2017, publishing 139 articles across opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative. They post on X as @dreyer_smit.