Do you like acting like an all powerful being?
Do you want to take over the world and rule all?
If you answered yes to either of these questions
then Gas Powered Games latest offering to the PC world has just you are looking
for. Their latest creation is entitled Demigod and it allows players to dish out
devastating damage with god-like powers to any enemy who comes in their way.
Demigod is classified as a real time strategy game, but it is extremely fast
paced, and players will love every minute of it.
The developers at Gas Powered Games came up with
a decent story and mythology for this game, even though it really doesn’t play
that big of a role. The "All Father" has vanished, and all of the Demigods from
around the world are waging war with one another to fill in the role that the
All Father left. The winner of this war will be proclaimed as ‘god’, and that is
what everyone is striving to become. The question remains: do players have what
it takes to defeat all the other Demigods and become the most powerful one?
There are two categories of Demigods: Assassins
and Generals. Assassins are extremely powerful beings who can deal and take lots
of damage. On the other hand, while the Generals are strong, their main strength
comes from calling and ordering unique troops called minions. These minions can
be summoned through scrolls purchased at the item shop, or by the individual
skills of the Demigod. They will help dish out damage to anything that comes
their way so players main character will not take as much damage.
Two Demigods going at it
Before each battle, players have the opportunity
to choose between the eight demigods, and each has their own strengths and
weakness. The general breakout is split between melee, ranged, spell caster, and
healer types of fighters. For instance Rook is a huge walking castle that can
endure and dish out massive damage, but as a tradeoff he is extremely slow and
most enemies can run away before he has a chance to strike. On the other hand
Regulus is a master with the crossbow and can hit enemies from very far away,
but has very little health. The developers did a wonderful job of balancing
these eight units from each other so no single unit has the advantage in any
given game.
One of the biggest complaints people will have is
the true lack of a tutorial mode in Demigod, so it takes a while to actually
understand what to do. When players load this game for the first time they will
see two options: Single Player and Multiplayer. In single player mode gamers can
either play a skirmish mode that allows them to play against the computer and
choose from various options, such as area type, rules, and allies. The
tournament which allows players to choose a Demigod and play with them in a
series of battles to win favor points to ascend to godhood. Since there is no
campaign, the single player mode is best used as a tutorial for jumping online
with other players.
To expand these modes even more there are four
different game options to choose from: Conquest, Dominate, Slaughter, and
Fortress. In conquest it is a player’s goal to destroy the enemy Citadel to win,
which takes a long time since players have to cross the entire map to get access
to it. In order to win in Dominate gamers have to control a set number of flags
for a period of time. The shortest mode is Slaughter because players gain
victory by killing a set number of enemies and Demigods. Finally in Fortress
gamers win by destroying all of the enemies’ fortresses, which is hard because
they are scattered all throughout the map.
Look at the pretty flower
If players choose multiplayer they can either
play over a local area network (LAN) or over the Internet; both have the same
options. The first option is a custom game, which offers the same options as the
skirmish mode from single player. Another mode is skirmish which the game
automatically finds players a good match to play with/against over the Internet.
The Pantheon is a persistent on-line universe where players choose a side (Light
or Dark) and compete for favor points.
One great thing about this game is the developer
support. Since this game is new, players can login anytime to the forums and
they will see actual posts by the President of the company saying that they are
playing the game with gamers from around the world. They are trying to do all
they can to ensure the best possible gameplay allowed. It is also stated that
additional arenas are in the works, and depending on player feedback: new
Demigods as well. It is always a great thing to see an active community with
developer support as it shows that the developers are trying to do all they can
to ensure this game will be out for the long haul.
The graphics are really well done. Players will
be amazed at how much is going on at any given time, with no slowdown. Even
playing online there is no slowdown caused by the game (only the lag from gamers
Internet connections.) One thing that makes the graphics so great is that the
game can run on lower end systems while still maintaining the look of the higher
end machines. There are also a lot of special effects that this game has going
at any given time, from explosions, poison toxic clouds, and more. Players will
be so enticed by the special effects they might forget they are actually in a
battle for survival.
That will leave a mark
The character models for the game are really
unique from one another, and it is always amazing to see the high level of
detail. Going back to character Rook, players can actually view the archers on
one of his shoulders firing the arrows and even the catapult on his head. It is
a marvel to gaze upon. The area’s are also varied from each other and look
great. Each has its own look and feel as well as subtle animations that make it
a blast to play in.
The musical score is also really good. It helps
players get in the state of mind to destroy anything in their path. The sound
effects are also a "blast" to hear during the game. Players will love hearing
all of the explosions during the course of the game. The voice work is decent in
the game, but there are too many cheesy one liners that almost ruin it.
The Demigod Collector’s Edition has a few
extras that will make gamers very happy. Included is a huge poster of Rook that
players can hang on any wall to display their love for Demigod. Another
really cool item is a die cast of Rook. The cast is small and can be
placed anywhere. It is very detailed and players will be proud to display
it on their desks. The best addition to the Collector’s Edition is the
soundtrack which will let players hear the wonderfully crafted music anywhere
they may travel. The Demigod Collector’s Edition extras are a real treat and
completely worth the additional $10 cost.
Demigod is rated Teen.
The system requirements are:
Windows XP SP3 / Vista SP1
2.4 GHz Processor
512 MB Available System Memory
8 GB Available Hard Drive Space
128 MB 3D Video Card
Sound Card
Broadband Internet Connection for Multiplayer
Stardock’s Impulse Required for Updates/Digital Download
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Review Scoring Details for Demigod |
Gameplay 9.1
Even though Demigod can be viewed as a very basic game, with very little
offerings, once players actually dive into the game they will find it to be so
much more. With a variety of units to choose from, arenas to do battle in, and
even game modes to play. Gamers will have a blast as they try to become the next
"All Father".
Graphics: 9.3
This game looks great, even on lower end systems. Players will not
believe all of the action going on at once without any hint of slowdown.
Sound: 9.2
The music and sound effects will rock your socks off. The explosions
and sounds of war are great to hear. The music will sooth players whether they
are suffering a mighty defeat or a great victory. The voice acting is good, but
the cheesy one-liners drag it down a bit.
Difficulty: Medium
This game is easy to learn but it will take plenty of time to master its many
facets.
Concept: 8.9
Demigod is a really nice spin on the RTS genre which it hails from.
Players will love the instant action yet deep gameplay this game offers.
Multiplayer 8.8
This is where this game really shines. The numerous options and the
ability to start and end a game in less then twenty minutes will appeal to many
gamers. Gamers will lose many hours of sleep (and even work if you can sneak it
in during your lunch time) playing this game. The only issue players will have
is actually trying to get a decent connection to the server.
Overall: 8.7
The main problem with this game is that it is extremely unreliable when
players try to connect to the multiplayer service. This is a shame because this
is where the majority of player’s time will be spent. Hopefully this flaw will
be fixed as this game is a blast to play!
