Developer: Cuddle Monster Games
Publisher: Kongregate
Platform: PC, Mac, Switch
Tested on: PC
Hell is Other Demons – Review
Retro games really do seem to be all the rage right now. They are appearing in stores almost faster than your average gamer can keep up with, across all genres. Of course, they are also generally very well-liked, so it isn’t hard to wonder why devs keep making them. Sadly the natural consequence is that retro games need to try harder and harder to stand out amongst the crowd. Luckily, Hell is Other Demons is fairly successful in accomplishing that.
Story
The game starts with a short cutscene, but sadly it does little to explain the story. What we can gather mainly has to do with hell and demons, as the title of the game already gave away. You play as a recently resurrected demon, who died of unknown causes and is now brought back to life by black magic to carve a messy, death-filled path through hell, fighting any other demon you meet on your way. Clearly, a comprehensive storyline wasn’t the main priority of the game, but we are hard-pressed to hold it against them when this title is all about addictive gameplay and good old boss fights.
Graphics
Like we mentioned at the start of the review, Hell is Other Demons has a very retro style when it comes to its graphics and utilizes pixel art as we should describe it. Which doesn’t mean the art is one-dimensional, on the contrary, especially cutscenes manage to look very cool even with such a simple approach. The enemy designs are also very diverse. The bosses often look intimidating and like they come straight out of a nightmare, which is only fitting considering the game takes place in the literal underworld. The colors are another asset of this game: mostly monochromatic with a few different pops of color which change depending on which area of hell you visit.
Sound
The soundtrack of Hell is Other Demons is pretty standard for games in this genre. Neither impressively good, but not bad by a long shot. Expect a lot of intense, fast-paced synthwave that is definitely pleasing to listen to, even for long stretches of time, but nothing that stands out as extraordinary. It suits the mood of the game and really that is all you can ask.
Gameplay
Hell is Other Demons is a bullet hell (no pun intended) platformer. The game has you make your way through hell, which is divided into several areas each consisting of a whole bunch of levels. This creates a sort of map and you are able to decide where you want to go yourself, allowing for some freedom. Each level is different, and here you will find the main bulk of the gameplay: defeating waves of enemies. To do this you can use either your gun, or simply jump on top of the enemies like in some other old-school platformers. You can also jump around, double jump, or use a simple dash which allows you to faze through enemies and their projectiles. And you’re going to need this, because the enemies are hell-bent on killing you. Once in a while you will be able to unleash a deadly special attack.
The top of the screen will let you know on which wave you are, allowing you to keep track of how many more demons you will need to fend off before the level ends. Killing enemies will sometimes make them drop health, which you will need to survive the ever-increasing number of hell spawns, but also little red gems which are the in-game currency you will desperately need to survive. There are shops scattered around the map, and here you can go to spend your hard earned cash and get yourself new weapons and new special attacks, optimizing your gear. But also general upgrades for your character like more health or a longer dash are available here.
Once in a while you will find yourself facing a boss, a dangerous creature of the Underworld with significantly more health than your average demon. Facing them will be a lot harder than the normal hoard, but of course the reward will also be much greater.
Besides the campaign there is also an arcade mode, a type of endless mode where you can try to survive for as long as possible and gather up as many points as you possibly can. If you’re good at this you might even earn yourself a spot on the leaderboards.
Conclusion
Some games are fine for a relaxing time or some unwinding after a long work week, but others will really test your patience with hard gameplay and challenging level design. Hell is Other Demons definitely falls under that second category, the kind of game that you can really lose yourself in. There might not be a complicated narrative experience to enjoy here, but if you’re looking for fun you will have one hell of a time (pun definitely intended).
Hell is Other Demons - Review,
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