Hell is Other Demons Review

You had me at Hell…o.

Hell is Other Demons is a lightning-fast, bullet-hell arcade shooter where you take on the role of a gun-toting demon tasked with exterminating other demons. Are you sold yet? It also happens to rock a neon-tastic color scheme and is set to a synthwave score that is guaranteed to rock your earballs off. Still not convinced? Let’s take a little trip into Hell together then, and see exactly why you need to get your hands on Hell is Other Demons when it launches on April 18th for the Nintendo Switch.

Hell is Other Demons is as retro as it gets. From the aesthetic and soundtrack, to the gameplay and platforming mechanics, the game bleeds throwback out of each and every one of its pixelated pores. As an adorable demon – of which there are several to choose from with their own unique stats and abilities – you will jump/double-jump, dash, and shoot/slash. While you will very likely equip your demon with some sort of firearm – again, of which there are many – you also have access to some short-range melee weapons. As you shoot and slice the faces off of hell-spawn after cuddly hell-spawn (seriously, you almost feel bad for murdering something so cute…almost), an Ultimate Attack Meter will slowly begin to fill up. Knowing when to use this is key as it really helps with crowd-control when things get out of hand – and it will get out of hand. Fortunately, your tiny demon avatar is quite the little acrobat, as the aforementioned jumping/dashing mechanics will help you bob and weave through incoming enemy fire.

Control-wise Hell is Other Demons is ultra-responsive. From jumping to double-jumping, to dash through calamitous laser beams and blobs and bullets, you will feel like you are in complete control the entire time. Even as things get progressively nutty and culminate to one of many over-the-top boss fights, you can trust the controls to work with you rather than against you. Platforming gurus will feel right at home and will quickly adapt to how your little demon guy darts and dashes about the screen. It’s as if all your years of playing NES games were building up to this moment. You’ll find yourself testing those skills you so painstakingly honed in either one of the game’s two modes: Campaign and Arcade.

In Campaign Mode, the goal is to get through a stretch of levels and fight a screen-filling boss that is pixel-perfect to the point of distraction. When you gather your jaw from off the floor, you will find these boss fights as equally challenging as they are nice to gawk at. These fights are no laughing matter, however, and it will take an abundance of patience and precision in order to best them. Fortunately, you can upgrade your demon with a myriad of weapon and stat augments. Not digging you default blaster? Then why not buy something with a little more oomph – like a laser rifle or a rocket launcher. Is that double-jump not good enough? Then purchase a triple-jump! Best of all, weapons and passive upgrades can be swapped out before each run so you can customize your little demon guy however and whenever you want.

Arcade Mode, on the other hand, is all about that high score. This is where you will keep coming back for more as procedurally generated action and endless replayability awaits. It is frightfully addictive and I honestly could not put it down. Those who have played the ridiculously awesome Downwell should feel right at home here. After a stage is cleared, your accumulated gems are used as experience points rather than currency. After you level up, you can choose one of four upgrade options before you move on. Your decision here has the potential to make or break a run so choose wisely.

The one minor issue Hell is Other Demons has the occasional frame-rate drop or ‘sprite-slowdown’ old farts like me refer to it as. Sometimes the on-screen action can get so intense that there is some noticeable slowdown. This is especially true during the massive boss fights where a million and one pixels are being hurled at you from every which direction. It didn’t hamper the experience to the point of frustration, but for a game that demands a certain amount of accuracy, I sincerely hope it gets resolved before or soon after launch.

There is something so remarkably zen about Hell is Other Demons that I can’t quite put my trigger finger on. Blasting demons with a laser cannon and squashing them under your itty-bitty hooves is just so undeniable meditative. Perhaps it’s the way each precious pixel just pops off the screen, or how the head-bopping score pulses its way throughout every fiber of your being. Maybe its how chunks of sprites explode off of each enemy in spectacular fashion. Whatever the reason, I was completely and utterly beguiled by Hell is Other Demons. Cuddle Monster Games developer Hannes Rahm has created a sinfully delicious title, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. For now, Hell is Other Demons proudly joins my shortlist of ‘go-to’ games – the ones that only give you joy, and will always manage to surprise you. If you don’t like this game, you have no soul.

A review key was provided by Kongregate for the Nintendo Switch.