Demeo Review – Take a Roll on This

Demeo Review

Social video games were not at the forefront of my interest, however, VR completely changed my opinion. Games such as Werewolves Within and Star Trek: Bridge Crew place you in an immersive world and require teamwork and discussion to achieve success. The combination creates incredible experiences that you can not replicate in the traditional format of the medium. Demeo aims to take the classic TTRPG gameplay, a genre that centers around communication, into the virtual realm. While this sounds like the perfect concoction, will Resolution Games be able to include the many nuances of its counterpart to create a critical hit?

Whether on your own or with up to three players, your task is to venture through three floors and destroy all that block your path. Each of the campaigns takes place inside the Elvan Necropolis and offers variety in terms of design. The narrative itself is vague and is simply a premise for your escapade. The real stories are within the interactions that you have with other players. Due to the cooperative nature of the game, you work with one another and form bonds as you battle beasts. This results in an organic story of triumph or defeat which varies with each playthrough.

A Different Class

Each class is significantly different. Not only are their stats and powers unique but they also work effectively with one another which increases the importance of variety within the team. The enemies are also diverse and require you to bait and attack carefully to succeed. As foes lurk around every corner, you must be tentative with your exploration. Creatures can quickly overwhelm which adds further emphasis on the idea of working together.

At a base level, you have two action points that allow you to move, attack, or do both. With just a flip of the wrist, you can peruse cards that you collect from chests in the world. These supply you with a range of special attacks that can drastically change your position on the battlefield. Each card has a cost which encourages you to consider its usage. You can plan ahead and cause significant damage by using environmental items to take out enemies in an instant.

Everything in Demeo is intuitive and simple which allows you to focus on the game rather than fiddle with the controls. To interact with an item, you just grab your player and place it on top of the object you desire. It’s the same if you want to melee an opponent. To use a card, you pick one up and place it where you want. It’s really that simple and due to this, it allows you to focus on the nuances of the game and strategize. Due to the VR headset, it’s easy to communicate, but to support this, you can also draw on the map to indicate routes or points of interest. This becomes a vital tool that eases the frustration of being unable to gesture.

Grab a Squire

Multiplayer is at the heart of the game, and with cross-play available, you won’t struggle to find a game. However, if you wish, you can play it on your own. This is not the way I would advise playing due to several aspects. Gone is the comradery that accompanies online adventures and the lack of other players makes it harder to strategize and plan forward. Also, the game can get quite tough when playing with others, but on your own, it can feel impossible.

The game captures the idea of being huddled around a board wonderfully. As you peer down, you can see the simple miniatures and lose yourself in the atmospheric area. You can easily maneuver yourself to find the most comfortable position through hand motions. Off to the side, you can see a typical basement or games room that links to the premise. There’s a lovely cozy feel which makes you want to stay there.

Demeo is an essential game for PSVR 2 owners. The addictive gameplay loop is perfect for cooperative play and due to this, you will form alliances and forge memories of epic quests. The intuitive controls remove any frustrations and allow you to concentrate on the tough journey ahead. While it may be a little too difficult on your own, the multiplayer experience is incredible. 

***PSVR 2 code provided by the publisher for review***