Demon Turf

If you’re looking for a new video game to get you hyped during the late months of 2021, Demon Turf could be what you need!

Demon Turf is an underworld adventure with a unique graphic style, is one of the many exciting 3D platformers emerging from the indie industry, and it's heading home soon. Developer Fabraz, who you may remember from Slime-San, has teamed up with Playtonic Friends for a title that (spoiler alert!) is sure to be an exciting new take on platforming adventures. Available on the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Story

A punchy adventure to the core, you'll explore the environment and combat foes as a thousand-year-old demon named Beebz (who nevertheless comes off as a cocky child). The 3D platforming is mixed with 2D scenes of Beebz herself. But, before you can get there, you must first explore the globe and overcome several platforming difficulties. I'd describe the feeling as "comfortable" for platformer fans like me.

The transformations, the moody-looking setting, and the checkpoint system pique my attention the most. Instead of simply being convenient checkpoints with some player flexibility, the checkpoint flags may also be used for speedy transit so that Beebz can teleport between them.

Gameplay in Demon Turf

Each Demon Turf level is a platforming challenge that requires players to leap, wall-jump, glide, and battle their way to the finish line. There's nothing here that hasn't been done in 3D platform games since the late 1990s in games like Banjo-Kazooie, but it's cleverly presented, with a few original concepts tossed in. One great feature of Demon Turf that we've already discovered is the ability to create your own checkpoints. Have you just jumped over a particularly difficult section? Place a flag, and you'll respawn right there, saving you from having to do it again. Similar to what we have in titles like Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order you don't have an endless number of checkpoint flags, so you have to be careful where you position them.

Exploration and Discovery

Demon Turf, like any decent platformer, offers a variety of treasures to find in each level. These are cakes – or'sweets,' as the game calls them – but they seem a lot like gateaux to us! These are frequently buried behind corners or along perilous paths, but for players who want to obtain the highest possible score on each level, it's an additional challenge to take on.

Verdict

There's a hub world to explore outside of Demon Turf's levels. We haven't seen much of what it has to offer yet, but there are a plethora of personalities to interact with and a plethora of objectives to do, providing some variation to gameplay. We strolled inside a photography business, where a pleasant "devil" charged us with photographing NPCs, and there's a "demon soccer golf" stand that we're curious about.

Pros

• Fun platforming
• Great art
• Awesome soundtrack

Cons

• Weak combat
• Doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel