If there’s one genre of Experience known, it’s the first-person dungeon crawling genre. It worked with them for many years. One of its first titles to come out was Staring at the devil. Good, now it’s back! Demon Gaze Extra is a remastered and expanded version of the original for Switch and PS4. The good news is that those who played the game that came out on Vita around the world in 2014 will still be able to experience everything good about it once again. The better news is, some quality-of-life tweaks make it all the more appealing.
You wake up alone in a dungeon. That is a serious situation. A demon is loose. You manage to find your way, only to find out that you are a Demon Gazer. You can defeat these demons, trap them, then use them later to support your cause. Although it has been said that the devil can also rampage out of control. After successful, you will be granted a seat at Dragon Princess Inn. Your new goal is to visit the areas around it to fight off the demons there. In doing so, you’ll add them to your list, as well as the opportunity to create custom members of the group that will join your activity. While it may initially seem like it could be about money and peace, eventually players will learn the secrets of their avatar, the demons, the world, and the residents of the Dragon Princess Inn.
Demon Gaze Extra follows the same kind of recipe as Experience’s other party-based, first-person dungeon crawlers. Every region of the world has its own gimmick. This means certain looks and hazards. Dungeons have summoning circles, you can lure monsters in with certain gems. Doing so will give you special gear after the battle, which you can use or sell. You start with a Demon Gazer avatar, a custom ally of your choice, and a Support Evil named Comet. Your party can eventually consist of five allies, with eight class types and six races available. (Note: New class is locked to a new race.) When a battle occurs, it is a turn-based affair. You dictate your avatar and the actions of your team members. If you summon a demon, they will act on their own. Characters can gain new abilities as they level up. Although you can also get Artifacts that provide various benefits and abilities.
The demon element is the unique feature here. Demons appear as masters in the world. If you defeat them, you will get a “key” to them. While at the Dragon Princess Inn, you can equip up to three of them. Just being around, they can grant access to certain abilities. For example, Comet will help you find secret doors in a dungeon, and Kronos’ Iron Feet protects you from floor hazards that can derail the party. Each demon also has certain tendencies in a fight. The Hermes Wind Act allows you to take priority over your enemies. If you bring someone like Neptune, Heal Shower can be used as a skill to restore health just because that character comes along. When summoned, they can act in certain ways. The comet will heal. Mars is great for pure damage when open.
All of that sounds familiar. They were back from the first game. Though I mean, things will look a bit sharper and clearer than on the Vita. That’s the whole “retouch” privilege. But there’s new content there too! Which, given the age of the original game, may not immediately appear to a returning player. However, there are still new events. This can lead to new story segments and perks if you take the time to find them. For example, Grimodar castle offers new events leading up to one of the other fascinating events Demon Gaze Extra—New Machina job. What’s great is how equalization is handled. Once you get the Machina class, it will automatically level 20. This means you can use it without feeling the need to sharpen. It’s not obvious when using classes like Fighter, Healer or Wizard. However, there is a lot of freedom with what you can do as it depends on the Artifacts and their bonus effects.
As for the other additions, they mainly make it easier for you to play. Did you die in a battle? You will not finish the game. Instead, you’ll get an option to retry the fight from scratch. Know you still have a lot of work to do? Press the X button and fast-forward through those battles. (You can also press X to automatically repeat actions from the previous turn.) You won’t 100% completely map and explore an area the first time you enter it. You will have to get in and out at a suitable time to become stronger. There is an option to set up autopilot to quickly follow certain roads. It feels more efficient.
All of that is good because Demon Gaze Extra can get the challenge! This is the kind of game where you get out of it what you put in it. There will be some bosses that will most likely let one down. I don’t want to spoil it for everyone, but pretty much can be annoying! A boss is too fast so if you don’t have a character that can reduce its dodge, you won’t hit it. There’s another that will heal and possibly do things like rearrange the way you set up your party so that your weak mages are within fire range, preventing you from summoning demons and dealing massive damage. It is a lot. New features help! But I still need to ruminate and I hope I’m not the only one.
If someone is heading to Demon Gaze Extra on Switch or PS4, I think they know exactly what to expect. These types of dungeon crawlers are usually designed to test you. It will do it! However, it will be in an attractive and good way. The new additions also help make it a bit more user-friendly for both new and old players. Those unfamiliar with the genre might want to go with something a little more forgiving. (Perhaps one of the Persona Q entry or maybe even Ray Gigant.) However, those who know what Experience is known for will partake in good times.
Demon Gaze Extra available for Nintendo Switch and PS4.
