Labyrinth Of The Demon King

First and foremost, I came into this game expecting a cross between Kings Field, Silent Hill and Resident Evil and that IS what I got. There are a lot of things I like about this game from a general design approach and artistic perspective and if you played oldschool Silent Hill and Resident Evil then there will be a lot to appreciate here. However, this is a game. You have to PLAY games. And in terms of what it was like to play this game, I walked out with the impression that the only truly "finished" part of it is the first tower out of the four you must conquer. The first tower will give you high hopes and the impression that the rest of your playthrough will have even more surprises and interesting mechanics and that the quality will improve as the devs get more confident in their design and formula. The exact opposite is true. Every tower after the first is progressively and dramatically shorter than the first, puzzles and secrets you think you need to return to later on turn out to have no solutions and are completely irrelevant despite implied interaction, mechanics are actively STRIPPED AWAY as even simple things such as being able to cut down door banners strangely disappears immediately after the first part, the area backtracking becomes even worse and highlights just how obnoxious it is to have constantly respawning enemies interfere with your backtracks ESPECIALLY in the second tower where only one water wheel can be active at once and you WILL have to backtrack a minimum of around 7-10 times even if you know all the puzzle routes, newer areas dramatically decrease given maps leaving you wondering aimlessly and without direction until you memorize very samey looking corridors, plot threads that are established NEVER get resolved and the game eventually ends on a complete nothing note. This is a game that genuinely wears on your patience past a certain point and even if you complete it out of pure stubbornness you'll find yourself more disappointed than had you not. I'm not even mentioning everything, there are still moments that will completely suck you out of the experience as the game has various obnoxious bugs. That lack of maps in the later portions leads to you overlooking/forgetting about innocuous room/items and you either stumble around the entire building four times over looking for a tiny thing you missed or consult a guide. Every time I try to give this game credit, it snubs me one moment later. You can't even enjoy cutscenes because the sound balancing becomes UNBEARABLY loud. No part of me wanted to come out of this game feeling like I do because there are so many other things about it that are charming, but it legitimately feels like the devs got bored with the project halfway through and rushed everything along while ignoring any chances to polish it. This game NEEDED playtesting and it didn't get it. Based on that, i can't recommend it, I feel my experience will be shared by many. PS: Considering this game has no actual replay value, the backtracking turns the combat into an annoying slog, I can't say this game is worth the 20$ price tag either. This is a 10$ experience.

Solid horror game, basically its like kings field had a 3 way with silent hill and forbidden siren and we dont really know who the baby daddy is so they sent it to boarding school in fuedal japan. Play it blind and its quite challenging too. 9/10.

please add a dlc with more to this game you indie guys are putting AAA devs to shame and i love it. also best $20 ive spent in a long time.

Labyrinth of the Demon King feels less like a cohesive game and more like a collection of the developer’s personal favorites. I know indie devs might not like to hear this, but not every game needs a parry system. And not every horror title needs to mimic Silent Hill 2’s "endless staircase." I know, I know, YouTube essayists fellate that scene, but doing it once was enough. That said, the game is fun, especially in the first tower. Unfortunately, the other two towers fall short and feel noticeably less polished. The sound design is a bit all over the place. The door-opening sound effect is inexplicably loud sometimes. Boss introduction videos are also far louder than the rest of the game; so much hype for an enemy you can easily demolish with a few hits while strafing in one direction. Bugs were also an issue. For instance, I didn't receive the achievement for defeating the final boss on my first attempt and had to do it again. Also, after saving the female servant I tried interacting with her while she was disappearing and ended up getting stuck on the conversation screen unable to do anything, I had to restart the game. Still, the game has a really cool atmosphere, especially in the first half which I enjoyed a lot. There's nothing original in Labyrinth Of The Demon King, but what it does have is pretty entertaining for people who love PS1-style aesthetics. It is also a good opportunity for the armada of King's Field fans who never played King's Field to finally try a game partially inspired by it.

VERY MIXED,, on one hand the first 1-2 hours of this game are amazing when you're learning how to play // encountering enemies and unlocking doors for the first time in the labyrinth;; The story was simple and to the point which I enjoyed and the side cast were also fun to talk to. Finding secret rooms or weapons also hit like crack. But once you get past the "first area" of the game that's when it turns into chaos. The next areas right after are just endless backtracking with semi-unkillable enemies. Horror games having a Nemesis type enemy are awesome!! But adding more than one in the same room is just silly imo. Combat is great when you're in a 1v1 or even 1v2 scenario but it does get very repetitive after a bit and the enemies never mix up their combos or have any real difficulty to them. Hit, Block, Hit, Block ~ Enemies needed more depth overall. Equipment management feels "messy". You get showered in a multitude of weapons and you can upgrade them alongside your armor which is nice BUT the game is short. If you know what you're doing you can probably beat this in 4-5 hours, by the time you unlock or get enough items to properly upgrade your weapons the game is over. I don't feel like the weapons were properly distributed throughout the game at all since a bulk of your equipment comes from the end areas. The armor is also "odd",, you can upgrade it but at the same time it doesn't tell you how much more defense it has compared to previously or even to other armor sets so you have to use your best judgement when deciding what to wear and upgrade. The bosses are also pretty bad. A majority of them just summon adds and that's it. The combat isn't geared towards you fighting multiple enemies at a time since the combat is slower paced and since stamina is VERY limited. So most boss fights require you to just run around the room while regathering stamina only to slap the boss once and do it all over again until they die. Enemies also respawn randomly every time you load into a new area (which is alot since every door and stairway triggers a reload) which is "good" for a high tension horror game but also awful since resources are VERY limited and the enemies don't drop much. They have a 10% chance to drop money and that's it. By the end of the game I just stopped killing enemies because it was pointless. They became a waste of time and resources which is not good design imo. Overall, despite all my cons I still like the game and I am very mixed on it simply because they were aiming for PSX styled game and most games back then were actually this bad. I still had fun with it but idk if it's worth 20 bucks. I would be way more forgiving if it was 5 but not 20.

Well, after seeing the developer's post about this game, including teaser trailers, on their Twitter about 1-2 years ago, and keeping up with the game since then, I have to say, it was worth the wait. This has become one of my favorite horror games. I love the PS1 retro aesthetics, and this is one of the games where I enjoy the film grain because it adds to the low-quality, grimy, and dirty feel of the game because the setting you are in is old, decrepit, and long-forgotten. Also, the aspect ratio the game uses fits nicely as well. Makes navigating even open areas feel claustrophobic! The game runs great (pretty obvious there), and capping the frames at 60 is recommended by the dev and also adds to the aesthetics of the game. The combat is pretty straightforward. You attack, you parry attacks, retaliate after the parry, and throw in some kicks and heavy attacks here and there. There are two range weapons in the game, the bow and the Tanegashima, but I will get to these when I talk about the bosses. There are plenty of melee to choose from. Each has different/multiple attack types, the ability to cause bleed/poison damage, and some are better for certain enemies like weapons that do blunt damage or have a move that does blunt damage is better against the skeleton enemies in the game or that crawling enemy where you must stomp their head or use blunt damage. Although the naginata has multiple versions, from what I can tell, they are different only in appearance so choose that is your preference. There are 3 sets of armor and a helmet you can find and wear in the game. As for the enemies, I like their design and how weird and grotesque they look. I hate fighting the little enemy with the knife and lantern. Those ones always give me trouble. The two bug-type enemies are also annoying too as they can inflict poison and hide in boxes and barrels when you go and destroy them. Now as for the bosses, while I also like their design and the intro videos that play when you first fight one, they are all pretty easy. The first boss I was able to simply parry all of her attacks and retaliate, but she does this thing where I am sure her A.I. just does not know what to do and briefly looks at me, and does nothing before resuming to attack me. The rest of the bosses can easily be killed with the two range weapons in the game that I mentioned with the third boss taking just five shots from the Tanegashima. The Spider boss was really the only boss that gave me a challenge, but then I discovered you can get it stuck on things in its own arena which then made the rest of the boss fight easy as I simply shot it with arrows. I know the dev wants to add NG+ in a future update which would be great as it'll add some replayability to the game as it stands right now, there isn't much content after finishing the game. The game's achievements are easy to get to so an easy 100%. I hope with NG+, we'll get new weapons and armor to mess around with. Even new puzzles as well. Oh yeah! The talismans!!! I rarely use them besides the one you get that takes you back to the tea house and the one that heals you. I know using them is the only way to kill that enemy that floats in the Tower of Crushing Assembly. Overall, it's a great horror that I recommend who is a fan of PS1-style horror! 8.5/10! I would bump this to even a 9.5 once we get the NG+ update!

A very cute game about helping a nekomata and a kappa settle their marriage problems.

Great game, has more than enough of its own thing going on, very far from being a creatively bankrupt re/sh clone, and the homages to both are really well done. Music/atmosphere was incredible. I really suck at parrying.

it's my favorite indie horror game, I don’t think anything will ever top it. - i highly recommend it for silent hill fans.

I have to give this a thumbs down. The pillbox effect feels overly aggressive, and the screen effects are just too much. I understand it's aiming for a retro '90s film vibe, but it would be so much better if there were an option to disable all the visual effects.

Amazing game, hands down. I loved it. This was for me, like if KF and ST had a baby. I liked everything about it and I would love to see more games in the same style. Big W game

Retro survival horror set in the sengoku era. This game is genuinely creepy, they totally nailed the atmosphere. It features some cool Japanese folklore too. Some things I didn't like: [list][*]Too short, only 7 hours. [*]Dying has no downside, you lose nothing on death. In fact, in many cases it's beneficial, as you just respawn with full health, so it allows you to save your consumables. [*]Every time you switch areas, all the monsters respawn. My solution would be to introduce a respawn timer, or only respawn enemies when you die, which would also fix dying being too lenient. [*]Cutscenes are stupidly loud, and there's one enemy type who's way louder than everything else. [/list]

Simple, mindbending, oppressive game. Scary as hell. These people know how to make a goddamn video game. Excellent experience and would recommend to any fans of horror. The only thing I'll say is the game can be pretty easy once you get the hang of it and the consumables are very generous so don't expect a super hardcore challenge from this one. Still, it definitely doesn't hold your hand and you have to pay attention in order to succeed so don't sleep on it. Very good game

Excellent PS1 style game in a feudal japanese setting. Overall an extremely good experience with the only downsides being that the first tower is by far the most fleshed out one and the bosses being a bit too easy. Definitely recommended for every Silent Hill, Resident Evil, etc. fan.

I want to start by saying that these retro games aren't usually my cup of tea (pun intended) but this game does the aesthetic VERY well. In a way, despite being different games, it reminded me of my childhood playing Tenchu. I am not sure what it is about PS1-era graphics creating an iconic and distinct feel with these Japanese aesthetic but the developer absolutely nailed it. In any case, the review... I, unlike some here, was not one of the people eagerly awaiting this game. In fact, I hadn't really heard about it until after it released. I didn't play the demo but the Steam page was enough to win over my interest. I was very intrigued by the art choice, time period location, and subject matter. In that regard, the game caters specifically to my interests, the feudal Japan backdrop mixed with deep Japanese folklore is blended beautifully in this title. All of the Yokai in the game are legitimate demons from Japanese legend. Moreover, the castle and it's layout is something you'd likely see in this time period. All of the weapons and armor share this trait as well. It really sells the idea that you are in Japanese purgatory. Continuing from the last point on the Yokai, there are a handful of mobs, some slightly more difficult to fight than others. You have enemies that require certain weapons to defeat and others that attack quicker than you can breathe. It changes up the pace just enough for this short adventure. The main combat revolves around a basic combo mechanic; you can light attack, heavy attack, parry, dodge, and kick. It is really simple to grasp and you get the hang of it fairly quickly. In addition, the parry mechanic gives you plenty of opportunity, this game isn't Sekiro. Speaking of combat, the game features several bosses and a Mr. X type villain that chases you and is unkillable. The bosses, while distinct looking, are nothing to write home about, they are easily the most forgettable part of the game, they are simply too easy to deal with. In essence, they can all be defeated in the exact same fashion. Some variety here would have breathed life into these fights. The unkillable enemy is also pretty easy to circumnavigate and in a pinch, he can be (temporarily) banished using a spell. I only used the banish spell once to test out the mechanic but he really isn't as tyrannical (see what I did there?) as Mr. X to be frank. I think where the game shines is the three distinct towers, with the first being my personal favorite. You have a traditional castle tower, it has everything you would imagine in the main fortress (tea room, war planning, mess hall, etc.), a bathhouse (with a fun pool draining puzzle), and the brig (the jail). While the first two were great, the last one is different in its approach and I can see the criticism. It is by far the most convoluted area to navigate, its really dark, and it harbors the worst enemies. I guess all of those things would be expected in a jail house. All of the locations feature a level-spanning puzzle in order to progress the story and advance to the next tower. The puzzles are pretty straightforward and none had me scratching my head. I still believe them to be fine, not everything has to be quantum mechanics to figure out. Lastly on locations, there is a neat little hub area where a few NPCs gather, you have a vendor, and a blacksmith that can upgrade your gear. You can even brew your own tea in a misty tea house while relaxingly-suspenseful music (think Resident Evil safe room music) plays. One area where the game really comes together and shines is the ambiance and the immersion that comes with that. While I wouldn't say that game is terrifying, it is eerie. The soundtrack makes your adrenaline pump and the ambient noises makes you want to peel you skin off. It utilizes the best sound design from something like Dead Space, you can hear evil occurring all around you but you cannot pinpoint from where it originates. This creates tension. And it is helped by the fact that they aren't throwing swarms of enemies at you so when something does appears, its like a release valve of emotions. Moreover, some environments are very dark or misty, so when navigating these types of places and something rushes at you from the darkness, it can lead to scares. I do want to mention that the game does not rely on cheap scares whatsoever, it all feels very organic. Overall, I felt compelled to write this review. This type of game is normally not up my alley, I don't typically play indie games. This game however, had me thinking about it even when I went to bed. I've shared it with friends and my partner and I really hope to see more of this, whether an expansion or a different title from the developer, this shows promise. I wish him the best, it was money well spent.

Nice tense dungeon crawler with good polish and a great hauntingly grungy yet still beautiful at times Japanese fantasy world. Thoroughly enjoyed it, reminds me somewhat of Lunacid in some regards. But it does its own thing, in a good way.

Amazing game overall and I want to list my likes and dislikes in the hopes of providing constructive feedback. Likes -Definitely inspired by the old school classics like silent hill and resident evil. Combat feels like it was inspired by souls-like -Enemy spawning pattern always kept me engaged in combat and made it feel like I wasn't playing a walking simulator -Enemy ambush both corner and rear attack made me feel like I was never safe and had to be observant. ( I will say I would have liked to see this expanded upon because this is what stuck out to me) -The stalker enemy solidified the feeling of constant danger -The atmosphere had me on edge the entire play-through. -Matcha ( preparing tea was always satisfying. great animations) Dislikes -inventory clutter once all weapons were collected. ( I would have liked to have had a way to reduce/organize my inventory whether that would have been possible by selling weapons, storing them in a chest, having similar weapons be upgrade variations stemming from one item etc...) -Ranged Weapons OP (I was able to take down the last two bosses without having to engage in melee once with them) -Doors not easily distinguishable in the first area ( This might just definitely be a me problem, but I felt like I was hugging the walls at times just trying to navigate my way through the level) I want to end on a good note and say this game is a love letter to the survival horror classics while also creating its own identity with its amazing setting and visual design. P.S. I only encountered one bug and it was after rescuing an npc and then talking to them as they teleported away. I was stuck in a dialogue state from which I couldn't exit and had to restart my game ( maybe this is also a me problem ;] )

It's everything it needed to be without overstaying its welcome or trying something it didn't have to. The only nitpick I could have is that it didn't go as completely bombast as I expected from a name like "Demon King" but instead it went for the more haunted house route in Japanese horror. I'll be playing this again as a comfy romp through a well-made game.

A great first person action-horror style game that doesn't overstay it's welcome. Highly recommend!

Not far yet, but very good so far. Vibes are immaculate. Probably the most accurate attempt at making a modern game genuinely look like a PS1 Silent Hill spiritual successor. Nowadays indie studios often over use the "PS1" visual style (especially with horror games) and if you grew up with the actual PS1 like I did you can easily tell how little effort most projects put in to faithfully recreate a game that looks like its actually from that era (Crow Country is the most recent and worst example of this imo). Normally we just get dithering and a pixel filter and the devs call it retro aesthetic to nostalgia bait old people like me to buy it, fortunately that's not what this game does. A good question to ask one's self when judging the effective use of this retro aesthetic is "could this game function independent of this artistic direction or was the PS1 aesthetic simply an after thought for this low-poly game?" In this game's case they absolutey went the full mile and it makes some of the best use of the aesthetic I've ever seen. The cut-scenes are VERY silent hill as is the music and the UI feels like it could've been taken directly from the first RE game. Enemies are detailed enough to be disgusting, yet low-poly enough to let your imagination fill in the blanks (a difficult balance to strike). Combat is surprisingly much closer to Condemned than anything else I've played including Butcher's Creek (Dusk creators new game which was specifically meant to be a spiritual successor to Condemned Criminal Origins). This is all GOOD. The game IS GOOD. BUY THIS GOOD GAME.....or I'll live in your walls.

Amazing game. I think the combat is pretty fun and it definitely is tense. Great art direction and sound. Can't wait to play more

I don't like to start on a negative but since finishing my play-through of Labyrinth Of The Demon King, I've been trying to figure out how to explain my relative disappointment despite the fact I'd still wholly recommend it. It's something original and an interesting genre blend, it packs immense atmosphere and cool set-pieces, but sadly the crux of the aforementioned let-down is in how it's primary gameplay elements: combat and exploration undermine it's atmosphere and mood. Balancing can be quite difficult for a game like this and generally speaking I think what is there is enjoyable, there is a solid flow of back and forth combat amongst common enemies throughout the title with a satisfying arsenal that has real bite and grit. Stuff that you can really feel the weight of. Similarly, exploration was still engaging despite upcoming setbacks and a particular strength of this game is it's mythology, there is a world worth exploring here. The small aesthetic touches and flourishes are the biggest thing for me that carries the title and I enjoyed it's dedication to creating a particular look. The music is also fantastic really invoking intrigue, fear and raw panic, with a specific highlight being the build-up sequence to the showdown with the titular King. However, I can't shake off that during the latter half both of those major gameplay elements really begin to show their flaws, in that the game may be overall too forgiving for something like this and for someone (such as myself) desiring a more hardcore survival horror (or dungeon crawler) challenge similar to games it's hankering back to. Be that the original Silent Hill or King's Field 3 or 4. Most fights, be that common enemies or the major bosses can be reduced very simply by the abundance of consumables and particular shop acquired ranged weapons, even as much as making the final boss a relative cake walk. Additionally while it's not a particular fault of the game on it's own or it's control scheme, having more degree of control via first-person mouse and keyboard movement without the type of friction those previously compared games have (being tied to their specific 'clunky' control schemes) creates a disconnected feeling of being overtly powerful, nimble, and capable in opposition to it's narrative and enemy attributes. This inhibits exploration as well throughout moments as certain enemies become annoyances rather than threats, especially during the latter half of the game, moreover exploration suffers by fairly repetitive puzzling with the whole bathhouse area being a bit of a slog going to and from the same area for minor environmental changes and progression. There isn't much variance in puzzle type or complexity either and ended up feeling partly means to an end. I think the game overall excels during it's first tower but feels a tad rushed during it's latter half, with said bathhouse and adjacent prison dungeon feeling smaller and less engaging overall. The games' use of a 'nemesis like' pursuer enemy whilst most likely a point of contention for some was something I actually really enjoyed the inclusion of in that first half but similarly to regular combat, his encounters can be trivialised later on. Being able to get rid of it entirely but also simply by it's encounter rate being much lower. Despite desiring more from this enemy though I can also appreciate the choice of restraint as to prevent it becoming a potential frustration. Which all in all, goes for my general thoughts on the game in that I still absolutely adored what I played but it left me kinda wanting more out of it. Whats here is solid but there is a major disconnect between it's oppressive setting, engaging, unrelenting and punishing world in contrast with the overwhelming power and control you end up possessing making it more of a good entry-level horror game than something for a more seasoned player.

What an amazing game. A great blend of Silent Hill/Lunacid/Kings Field/Siren/Resident Evil/Hollow Cocoon's atmosphere and PS1 gameplay. My only problem with the game was that it was too short & the bosses are a bit easy. The puzzles were simple but challenging enough to make you think. I hope this developer makes more games.

This is very much a call back to older PS1 survival horror game and very intuitive ! If you enjoyed parasite eve and games like elden ring / dark souls this game will be enjoyable . 10 out of 10 would recommend .

For how clunky and repetitive it is, it's actually pretty nice. The PS1 horror vibe is done really well. Especially in the cutscenes, that mostly introduce new enemies or NPCs, with those uncomfortable shots and weird camera angles. It's a little too short and simple, but I feel like there's a good base here that can be expanded upon. The bosses are a bit lacking as well and there aren't really any puzzles to speak of either. The combat is, again, simple and repetitive, but there's a certain rhythm to it that changes depending on the weapon you use and the enemy you face, so it still is nice in general. The atmosphere truly is king here, however.

It does have the PSX vibe with the perfect amount of jankyness, a no brainer for those who like the retro horror games

Disclaimer: I've made it past the first boss, then got to the first rest stop before the rest of the game so far. If you're into Yokai, especially in the context of horror, this game is very good. Atmosphere is great, and this game mentions the practice of Hitobashira (which I will not elaborate on, if you want to know what it is, google it). There is a chaser enemy that is more of an annoyance than anything, as instead of letting you soak in the atmosphere, which is the biggest thing the game has going for it, you have to focus on either sidestepping him, or rush blindly into the level to avoid him. That being said you are forewarned as to what will make him appear, so if you don't do that very early on like me it may be less frustrating. If you can't handle (intentionally?) clunky combat, then this game is not for you. There's a fair bit of fighting that is essentially mandatory if you want a moment to explore properly, and some enemies respawn if you leave an area and return. Fortunately, crates and barrels seem to respawn, and the drop rate on healing items is high enough that I've yet to run completely out of healing when I needed it. The puzzles are pretty standard fare for a Silent Hill-styled game, with the expected grim overtone. Though this isn't a puzzle-focused game, I found the ones that exist are enjoyable enough that they don't feel frustrating with the required knowledge being kept to a single note each. Overall, a good game. I paid $25 CAD, HowLongToBeat says I've got about 5.5 hrs to go, and if that's true, then it will hopefully land comfortably in the "Lasted long enough to feel worth the price, but not so long as to overstay its welcome" range.

Amazing game, Gripping atmosphere. Couldn't recommend enough.

I don't play horror games that much but this one caught my attention ever since I saw the trailer for it. There's just something about the aesthetics/style of the game that made me want to play it. The atmosphere is really fantastic combined with the really unsettling and creepy music/sounds. The combat is simple but good, I love the weight and the crunchy sound effect of each weapons every time it hits an enemy. The bosses design-wise look so creepy and mechanics-wise I kinda think if the devs are going to make additional content for the game that revolves around new bosses they should add a little bit more complexity to them so that they can be a bit more challenging. If you're into games like Silent Hill I think you'll probably love this game.

Silent Hill atmosphere and resident evil mechanic (Mr.X equivalent and items merchant) in first person feudal Japan background

An interesting game. The graphics, atmosphere, sound design and music are all fantastic. The game delivers on the feeling that you're trudging through a demon infested castle with things lurking around every corner. For these reasons alone, I am glad I played this game. I enjoyed the attention to details with all the Japanese culture and I think the Tearoom is one of my favourite spots since Firelink Shrine. I liked the option to fight in lots of different styles, being able to upgrade your gear and the combat generally felt responsive. Speaking of combat, it wasn't the best, bosses are a breeze and everything can be countered easily. This doesn't mean I didn't have fun with it though. The story is very simple and the characters you meet aren't very deep either. But its serviceable enough that it gives you a reason to go on the adventure and see it through to the end. Traversing the labyrinth was quite difficult (I guess the name gives that away). There is very little in the way of conveyance in this game, which I think its sorely lacking and needs. The player needs to be given little hints on direction to figure out where they're supposed to be going. This is something which the game does fail at and it does cause frustration. I don't think it should add map markers or such, but something to give the player a little direction would really really help. Unfortunately the game does get a lot less impressive after the first tower. There is far less content in the following two towers. They're not bad, but blowing all your earth, wind and fire at the start of the game does make you feel like there is way more to the game. When in actual fact, once you've done the first tower, you're already half way through the game. All in all, I did enjoy my time with this game. Which is why I've given it a Yes. I really hope the devs do more with this game and make a sequel atleast. I think the potential here hasn't been fully realised yet.

Highly recommend, saw Tomato play it and bought it immediately! Not too long and really fun to explore!

Im torn on this one, I wished there was neutral score on Steams review for games like this one. Its not bad, but not good either. Lets start with good. Many people compare it to King’s Field, which was a prototype for Demons/Dark Souls games, and it shows. Game is hard, doesnt hold players hand, is cryptic. Souls DNA is here no doubt. Atmosphere in this game is unsettling, this is a horror game, you meet flesh eating demons at every corner, you are curious to go further, but feel alone and afraid, this is awesome- really the strongest point of this game. Sound and graphical design are perfect here, game looks like from PS1 times, which I love. One tiny flaw here- black bars on the screen, as game is in 4:3 ratio, and most people use 16:9 monitors. Its a little annoying, but nothing terrible, I can live with that. What I cant live with though is combat and level design, which are main flaws of this game. Areas in which Souls games deliver, this one does not. Combat is super clunky, not responsive and kinda random. Sometimes you can one shot enemy, sometimes you need multiple hits. Enemies are faster than you, which leads to really annoying situations, for example you parry a dude, but when you attack you miss because your starting sword is too short and you literally have to kiss enemy to kill with it. Ok so you parry and move step ahead, and at this point enemy is not staggered any more, you attack but his attack is faster. This is a mess. Or enemies without weapons that are more dangerous than with swords, because they are more aggresive and faster, kick and punch you constantly, and when you attack (slooowly) they just block (with bare arms lol). I dont even start with stamina, that is gone after 2 hits and takes forever to replenish. In souls managing stamina made sense, here you are constantly out of it, and enemies are just relentless and attack, attack, attack. These tiny guys with lanterns and knives can literally stun lock you to death, block or no block they will take yor health away with barrage of attacks. And you never know how many hits they require to die, sometimes 1-2, sometimes 5-6, I dont really understand logic behind it. Add to this clunkiness of movement and we have a disastrous combat mechanics. I understand this is horror game, so you need to feel powerless, but this is just too much. It could really use some modernization. Another great flaw is level design (if you can call it that), because it is just a bunch of the same looking corridors in every direction. Its very easy to get lost or just miss the correct way to progress story. There is a map but its pretty useless. Forget about level design from Souls games, where you didnt need a map at all, and you could easily remember places, because they were distinct and memorable, and exploration had flow to it. In this one everything looks the same, and levels have maze-like structure. So I dont know, I wanted to love this game, but I cant. Atmosphere is great and I would really like to continue, but just cant force myself to play it. At its core its a dungeon crawler, but two main areas of dungeon crawlers (combat and dungeon design) are just poorly done here. Its not super bad, great game is hidden somewhere here under this unpolished mess, but imo it has more flaws and annoyances than good things, so thats why I decided to refund it and give negative score. Try it if you like games made by From, but dont expect the same quality.

Generally excellent - I love me a game with such a strong direction, such a well defined identity. It's not the scariest game but it's extremelly captivating and exciting - it hooked me in and i beat it in 2 sittings. It does a fantastic job at doing what it intended to do - crafting this brutal, disgusting world where everyone is screwed and all the walls are covered in slime and guts and all of your gear is battered and broken and these primal, demonic, impossible to understand beasts want to do nothing but rip all they see apart, jumping out at you from any direction at any second. As if all peace in the world was completely gone. It does, fully and completely, feel like a feudal Japan hell. I love the feel, especially noticable during the combat - getting hit and hitting feel like such a big deal. Who will break first - you, or the shambling, twitching freak trying to break your skull open with a hatchet? It is slow and methodical, with each hit having weight and consequence. The biggest flaw with the game is the fact that after the first dungeon - which is this incredible, sprawling, intertwined maze that feels like it's collapsing on itself - there is a very noticable drop in quality, as if the developers were running out of steam. The other 3 (or rather 2) dungeons are still great, and made with care and with their own identities and ideas, but they're just sooo much simpler and shorter. Despite this, the game's originality and great execution absolutely make it worth your time and money.

Incredible game. Very memorable. Some slight frustrations with combat are all the things I can poke holes in. The staircase....PTSD

It's a very good game, with Silent Hill-esque sound design, a Condemned-like combat and a PS1 inspired amazing setting. As others have mentioned, the first tower is the more polished one whereas the rest lack a bit more depth. Even so, this is an indie horror gem.

Incredible vibes. It allllmost feels like a forgotten game from the early ps2 era. Very reminiscent of King's Field but set in a spooky medieval japanese castle. The combat is challenging at first. As you get more experience, it becomes second nature. Navigation and progression walks a fine line between mysterious and frustrating. Like older games, it doesn't hold your hand. Nothing prevents you from exploring more difficult areas before you're ready. I definitely got to a few points where it was unclear where to go next. Wandering the confusing hallways eventually got me there, but this isn't for everyone. Don't expect a polished game that holds your hand, but there's truly something special here.

Great ps1 style horror game/dungeon crawler. Nails the aesthetic and vibe of something like Silent Hill, but does its own thing.

Awesome KingsField like, combat is methodical and punishing but overtime can be mastered. Environment and atmosphere is where this game stands out above the rest.

Very dark and oppressive atmospheric game with some really gorey scenes. Loved the game despite some of the tedious puzzles.

This game was really really fun, it had a silent hill vibe, with fromsoft like combat in a way. The horror aspect dwindled the farther you got, but the atmosphere itself was still immaculate. I think on a first playthrough this game was about 9-10 hours long, but the ending felt a little lackluster, regardless I really enjoyed this, even more so for the price tag. Very much worth! It is a little slow on the combat aspect of things, but if you have a soft spot for nostalgia PS1 like games, definitely worth a purchase. If I have any complaints, it was that the inventory. If you saved before a boss fight, and go into the fight with a bunch of items that you use during the fight, you don't get them back after a reload. I had to grind a bit to get money, but honestly it wasn't anything that was overbearing or game breaking

Would recommend. If you're a fan of the PS1 Resident Evil games, Silent Hill, or Tenchu this is definitely up your alley. Great atmosphere, simple but satisfying combat, and some good ambient sounds and music. None of the bosses or enemies are particularly challenging but I don't feel it detracts from the experience too significantly. Would love to see what these developers could create with a more ambitious scope in future projects. This game really made me wish it was three times as long as it is. But for it's reasonable price tag I'd say I'm willing to compromise. Only cons I'd really say is the menu's are a little awkward to navigate and I think the achievements were somewhat of a missed opportunity to present incentive for multiple runs. Challenge runs like completing the game within a certain time frame or completing it using only the broken katana. Good game if you're looking for something to play over a weekend, or potentially a single sitting depending on how thorough you are.

Kingsfield Messiah of Might and Honor [i] Samurai Edition [/i] Look the first 15 minutes of the game you're introduced to a talking demon cat who doesn't? want to eat your flesh? You go outside and the game basically tells you, you forgot to escape Dharma again and now sh*ts f**ked up. The game perfectly captures that eerie universal hopelessness I've felt in Dark Souls games. You can feel the tragedy of the world dying around you and even inside you, I mean from looking at your armor you can just feel the rot creeping inside you already. It gives you this feeling that you are less mortal than the tortured souls you have to fight. The combat is uncomfortable and punishing. Some enemies it's just best to avoid and there is a decent flow to most combat if you can get it down, very similar feeling to Dark Messiah and Oblivion, I just wish I could pick up crates and barrels and throw them... There are "friendly" characters to talk to but with every one of them something just isn't right and every encounter you're not sure if this npc wants to eat your face off or lead you down a dangerous path or if they're just there to sell you some goods lol. Best to assume the latter that ALL the NPCs want to eat your face off because they probably do... The art direction is amazing There are moments where I forget I'm playing something that came out in 2025 and I feel like I found some weird old game from 2003. I'm actually considering buying an old CRT because the game would honestly look so good on it lol. Older horror games [i] were [/i] scarier back then I think mainly because of the lower pixel density, your mind can't fully comprehend what it's seeing so it tries to fill in the blanks generating pure nightmare fuel. This game takes that concept to a whole new level. Don't even get me started on the musical scores... The soundtrack is PEAK HORROR ascending beyond even Silent Hill level imo. The soundtrack is 90% of the experience but the experience is 100% of the experience so we're looking at a total of 190% If you turn the music off the ambiance of the game is just as creepy. There are so many layers at work here lol Horror Game Of the Year until proven otherwise by something like the game ILL

A very atmospheric game with visuals and design reminiscent of early PS2 horror games like Siren/Forbidden Siren 1 & 2. The monster intros and overall ambience is the stand out. The game play feels similar to Kings Field or other first person dungeon crawler games, with attacking & parrying being important. You need to respond properly to what the enemy is doing to stand a chance. The puzzles are not to complex but interesting enough. Spoilers for the later half of the game. [spoiler] Sadly the game seems to lose steam after the first half and after you get a good weapon and stock up on supplies you can kind of breeze through the latter half. The newer enemies and some of the later bosses don't seem to follow the Attack/Parry/Dodge system and only seem to attack making them pretty easy if you just block then follow up attack. You have to explore 4 towers in the game and the final two feel a bit rushed, especially the last one as it is just a chase followed by the final boss. There also doesn't seem to be any penalty for dying, even your progress is kept so if your low on health you can just die without having to waste resources. I know it is thematic to the overall story, but still. [/spoiler] Overall a good experience and I hope to see more from the developer.

While the game can be incredible frustrating at times the game oozes with personality and vibes. The comparisons to Kingsfield and Silent Hill are certainly correct. I do wish there was a little better direction on where to go next at times along with a difficulty slider of some kind. Definitely one of my fav games of this year though.

Absolutely loving Condemned 3: Tokyo Drift, give it a try. Pro tip, don't wear white pants while playing.

Japanese Horror at its Most Finest, Beutiful and Grotesque. Silent Hill in the Edo Period. This is a must play for Survival Horror fans. Now we need a Sequel.

Short but sweet game, enjoyed every second of it. The cutscenes and the soundtrack are incredibly well done. Guy should make a movie ;)

Great game. Really needs new game+ or a hard mode with like faster enemies or both.

Great game, looking forward to what the devs do in the future. I played it after a massive bug fixing and didn't notice any glaring issues besides the boss battles being a bit too easy. The backtracking in the bathhouse was annoying. I also thought there were too many locked rooms especially in the prison. After I got the warden's key I thought those would be able to be unlocked but they weren't.