I would sum this game up with what my 30 year old friend said about it in 2018: "It makes me get up early on saturday so I can play. It is adventurous, it feels like when I was little and games were exciting." As of February 2020, I haven't encountered any severe bugs during my extensive playthrough (I don't recall seeing any at all). There is a strong emphasis on roleplaying. Action comes second. The written script feels real, dialogues are not "over the top" power fantasy nonsense. Some quests may require no killing at all and can be extensively narrative. Like when there's an accident at a monastery being built and the quarry is blamed for providing low quality stone, you're sent in for investigation and it feels like a small Sherlock Holmes episode, and this is an optional quest! Later in the game, you have to become a monk and take the wov to find an undercover bandit among the monks, and while you can break in with a sword and kill everyone, the proposed way is to stay in the monastery and adhere to the daily schedule (wake up at 4, pray, breakfast with the bros, copy books, work the garden, pray, sleep), and if you're found wandering around the hallways or doing something illegal, you're gonna get locked for a day! It takes a while to pull this off, and many people find this quest tedious, but I loved it! But if you're looking for a casual experience, you may get very frustrated. The combat can be very hard until you learn it. Both as a player, and as Henry. Remember you start out as a peasant? You are given a sword, but you can only swing it and pray. You have to spend time training. When I first met a random Cuman in a forest, I felt so vulnerable, I just turned and bolted away. Some things I would point out: you build reputation with different classes in different cities; people react to you in a way that makes sense; you have to eat, but no too often; you have to earn your first horse; you can level up your horse riding. Get the Woman's lot DLC!
This is not a hack&slash game! Don't expect Diablo! Book of Demons is a casual roguelike dungeon crawler with unique mechanics and gameplay. Pick one of three classes: warrior, rogue (archer) or mage. At all times, a town is available for you to visit and get "geared up". Well, there isn't really any traditional equipment, all the personalization of your character stems from your equiped cards. These cards are placed in what is essentially an action bar where you would expect skills (1-9). The cards actually can be active skills like arrow storm or fiery jump, or they may represent equipment with passive bonuses - boots (floor effects don't harm you), shield (chance to block arrows), health potion etc. These cards are found in the dungeon and can be noticably upgraded. In the style of Diablo 1 (so many references!), there is only one dungeon, aka the cathedral. You move down from floor to floor with the end goal being the demon at the bottom. If you decide to return to town, you can return to any dungeon floor you've already visited (you don't have to re-clear). On a dungeon floor, you move on set pathways that intersect in a 90 degree fashion (all movement is limited to 4 directions) - again: you can only walk on the pathways, meaning there's a very linear movement through corridors. If you look at any gameplay, you will understand. Thanks to this movement mechanic, this game is not too dynamic or frantic like D2. There are many different types of enemies with unique traits that require different approach (also depending on the class you're playing). Some have shields that require precise targeting of shield icon on the enemy, some monsters go berserk if you attack them too fast etc. And there are mini bosses on some floors. This game tries many "new" things at once, and it's very refreshing. But I also feel that from design's perspective, it's missing an identity. That's why I give 4 stars. But I highly recommend anyone interested to try it!
