- Jun 30, 2003
- 32,886
- 12,165
- 136
I just picked up Book of Demons as part of the Humble Bundle (which also had Frostpunk and Pathfinder: Kingmaker, which I also wanted) and it's the artwork of Paper Mario meets the gameplay of Diablo 1
www.humblebundle.com
The game plays exactly like Diablo 1 - from the starting classes (warrior, rogue, mage) to the town setup (healer, inkeeper, witch, old man by a well saying to listen and stay a while) to the dungeon layout (church, catacombs....hell), the game copies D1 in what I consider to be a flattering manner, rather than being devoid of originality. Even the dungeon environment and music remind me of D1. Not quite as creepy, but I could totally see Matt Uelmen(sp?) having done the music.
The various cards you can equip function as persistent gear, consumable items, and spells. "Gear" cards are passive, reduce available mana but provide constant bonus. Consumable items are just that, with a limited number of uses unless refilled, and spells spells consume mana just like any other game on the planet.
The dungeons are fun with a variety of monsters and layouts. Movement isn't as free form as Diablo or other ARPGs, there's essentially different "tracks" you can follow, but it's not to the game's detriment. My only complaint is that sometimes the game will get stuck on what the character is trying to do. After a few seconds, the game will figure it out and you can control your character again. I haven't died to this.....yet.
Combat involves clicking or clicking and holding, just like other ARPGs. Be prepared to click furiously while having your left hand on trigger finger settings to mash potions and spells at just the right time. The gameplay speed is somewhere between Diablo 1 and 2. No diablo 3 screen full of monsters and explosions here.
One mechanic that was not clear to me initially was that returning to town - before getting the all important town portal spell - will reset the dungeons.
My character is level 12 and I've maybe played for 3 hours. I'm not sure what is required to beat the game, but I have to say - if you're looking for a fresh take on an ARPG, this is a great candidate.
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www.humblebundle.com
The game plays exactly like Diablo 1 - from the starting classes (warrior, rogue, mage) to the town setup (healer, inkeeper, witch, old man by a well saying to listen and stay a while) to the dungeon layout (church, catacombs....hell), the game copies D1 in what I consider to be a flattering manner, rather than being devoid of originality. Even the dungeon environment and music remind me of D1. Not quite as creepy, but I could totally see Matt Uelmen(sp?) having done the music.
The various cards you can equip function as persistent gear, consumable items, and spells. "Gear" cards are passive, reduce available mana but provide constant bonus. Consumable items are just that, with a limited number of uses unless refilled, and spells spells consume mana just like any other game on the planet.
The dungeons are fun with a variety of monsters and layouts. Movement isn't as free form as Diablo or other ARPGs, there's essentially different "tracks" you can follow, but it's not to the game's detriment. My only complaint is that sometimes the game will get stuck on what the character is trying to do. After a few seconds, the game will figure it out and you can control your character again. I haven't died to this.....yet.
Combat involves clicking or clicking and holding, just like other ARPGs. Be prepared to click furiously while having your left hand on trigger finger settings to mash potions and spells at just the right time. The gameplay speed is somewhere between Diablo 1 and 2. No diablo 3 screen full of monsters and explosions here.
One mechanic that was not clear to me initially was that returning to town - before getting the all important town portal spell - will reset the dungeons.
My character is level 12 and I've maybe played for 3 hours. I'm not sure what is required to beat the game, but I have to say - if you're looking for a fresh take on an ARPG, this is a great candidate.
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