Apple has been making a concerted effort to draw gamers to its Apple Arcade subscription service, which is essentially like Xbox Game Pass for iOS devices. The difference, though, is that there are legitimateApple Arcade exclusivesthat players can only access by signing up, which have proven to be fairly high profile mobile games. Apple recently added a slew of new exclusive titles to Apple Arcade, with one of the most notable additions beingWorld of Demonsfrom PlatinumGames.
World of Demonsis a hack-and-slash action game where players battle demons called Oni and spirits called Yokai as four different samurai characters. The game successfully translates Platinum’s style of action game to a touchscreen, with players able to dish out a variety of attacks dependent on how quickly they tap the touchscreen and how long there is between each tap. For example, if players tap once and then quickly tap and hold, they will use a different attack than if they did two quick taps and a hold.
World of Demons' combat is simple on the surface, yet has a ton of depth to it. Players can get by with “button mashing,” but they will have a lot more fun if they learn the different combos and master the dodge mechanic. Similar toother PlatinumGames' titles likeBayonetta,World of Demonsrewards players for performing a dodge right before an enemy attack by boosting their special meter and letting them get a free, powerful hit in.
While the flashy combat should be immediately familiar toBayonettafans,World of Demonsalso takes clear inspiration fromOkami.Okamiwas developed by Capcom’s now-defunct Clover Studio, with many of the key talent from that studio going on to form PlatinumGames.World of Demonsuses anOkami-like cel-shaded art style, as well as some music and sound effects that sound like they were lifted directly from the 2006 classic.
World of Demonslooks great when playing on an iPad and the core combat is entertaining enough. The big problem with the game, though, is that it zeroes in on the combat and doesn’t do much else. Each stage is a linear progression from one fight to the next. Even thoughWorld of Demons' combat is fun, it can also get old quick, and so the game is best played in short bursts.
The lack of variety can makeWorld of Demonsfeel repetitive before too long, with players having experienced everything that the game has to offer by the end of Chapter 1. The levels sometimes have simplistic puzzles to complete, but they don’t break up the fighting or add to the game in any meaningful way. For instance, one puzzle may be figuring out how to access a chest that’s sitting on top of a gate. The solution is to shoot at it with aYokai spiritthat has a ranged attack, but trying to make some of the precise movements required to do this can be frustrating as the game likes to dramatically swing the cursor around.
Collecting and using Yokai in the game world and battles is the other key gameplay mechanic inWorld of Demons.World of Demonshas over 100 Yokai to collect, and each one has its own unique look and ability. ThisPokemon-style monster collectingis an interesting idea and it’s fun to see all of the monster designs, but when actually using them in battle, the Yokai fail to shake things up all that much.
Eachsamurai characterplayers have is able to keep two Yokai in their deck at all times, while also collecting single-use Yokai throughout the stage. While the Yokai have different moves, they all boil down to either a single tap on their icon or “button mash” tapping. Collecting the Yokai can be an entertaining endeavor, but using them in combat isn’t very exciting.
At its core, there’s still a lot to like aboutWorld of Demons' combat system despite its repetitive nature, but there is certainly room for improvement. In particular, the camera needs work, as it will often position itself in a way where players can’t clearly see what they’re fighting, and the lock-on system doesn’t help matters. Players are able to manually swap between targets, but they will likely find themselves accidentally doing so while trying to move their character around the battlefield. The lock-on system also has an annoying habit of fixating on things players may not need to worry about, like environmental hazards or breakable boxes.
Because of these issues, those who try to barrel throughWorld of Demonswill likely not have a great time, but those who play in short bursts will avoid getting burnt out by the combat and will likely enjoy themselves much more.World of Demonsalso deserves credit for being stuffed with content, with players having a decently long story mode to complete (for a mobile game), plenty of side quests to conquer, multiple difficulty levels, and achievements to unlock.
World of Demonshas no microtransactionseither, so unlike many other mobile games, none of its content is trapped behind an annoying paywall. Anyone with an Apple Arcade subscription can play through everything thatWorld of Demonshas to offer, and while it’s not without its flaws, the core gameplay can still be plenty of fun.
World of Demons' progression system will also help to keep players engaged. Each of the four samurai characters that players can use in the game has its own level, along with specific weapons that only they can use. The weapons have elements attached to them, as do all of the yokai inWorld of Demons. This rock-paper-scissors mechanic also harkens back to thePokemoninspiration, and adds a nice layer of strategy to the game that makes it worthwhile to invest gold and gems into upgrading specific weapons and yokai.
WhileWorld of Demonsplayers are hacking and slashing their way through the game, they will experience a fairly engaging story along the way. The dialogue between the main characters and the yokai is oftentimes funny (and sometimes disturbing), and even though it’s all told through static cutscenes, the plot itself has some interesting twists and turns. The downside is that there is sometimes a disconnect between what’s happening in the story and what’s happening gameplay-wise.
For example, there is a point in the story where one of the playable characters leaves the party. The story then becomes focused on reuniting with this character and making amends, yet players are still able to play as them in missions as though they never left. This greatly hurts the impact something like that would have had otherwise, and it robs the story of one of its more emotional moments.
However, it’s safe to say that most people playingWorld of Demonsaren’t doing so for the deep storytelling anyway. Anyone wanting a basic hack-and-slash game with great graphics for their iOS devices can’t go wrong withWorld of Demonson Apple Arcade, though fans should keep in mind that it falls quite short of PlatinumGames' best efforts.
