Daemonica has an engaging and intense storyline balanced by a very simple and relaxed style of gameplay.
Point-and-click adventures are a genre that is still alive and "clicking", and Daemonica is a very good example of that.
The story takes place in a medieval setting, where players step into the shoes of Nicholas Farepoynt, a hunter, alchemist and detective. He is also the Haresh-al-Dorem, one who can speak to the dead in the Daemonica language. If it sounds interesting it’s because it is.
Nicholas arrives to the apparently cursed town of Cavorn to investigate the murder of a girl and the disappearance of a couple. What follows is a tale of mystery and gothic horror as you struggle with unfriendly locals to piece evidence together in order to perform the ritual correctly and talk to the deceased victims. As you attempt to solve the murder of the girl, yet more strange deaths take place.
Daemonica is a 3D isometric view point-and-click adventure that has an RPG feel to it. You do a lot of running around talking to people to find useful information, you do even more running around gathering herbs which you need to create potions, and you do a little bit of fighting (although not as much as I would expect).
The puzzle component of the game resides in interpreting riddles or putting evidence together in order to perform the rituals correctly, to communicate with the soul of the deceased. This was probably by far my favorite part of the game. A ritual begins by obtaining the body of a victim, preparing a Soulgreep Potion and drinking it. Nicholas then recites a few words in Daemonica and is taken away to the realm of the dead. In the Temple of Sacrifice, you must first observe how your victim has died and approach the correct door. In the room with the altars, you must decide what the victim's life was driven by, what was their birth sign and which demon will you call. What really made my delight (so to speak) was how Nicholas used the altars. A sacrifice of blood is required to operate the altars, so each altar has two spikes where he places his palms to bleed into the basin. For some reason, I thought that was extremely well done, and I was really impressed by that small detail.
Graphically, although it may not seem very elaborated at first glance, when you're actually playing the game you realize how detailed the textures are: murals in the Temple, bricks on the monastery walls, engravings in stone walls, the flowers on the herbs you pick for your potions. The lighting effects also add greatly to the atmosphere.
The sound effects are appropriate, and I especially liked the environmental sounds. Birds, footsteps, rain falling, the river waters running, the blacksmith working, they all sound very realistic and they pull you right into the story. There is nearly no voice acting aside from Nicholas' monologues, which are very well done and tie in the events perfectly, and his words in Daemonica, which I particularly enjoyed.
The soundtrack is just amazing, very well executed and it's not overwhelming. It blends in medieval melodies and church choirs and helps set the mood throughout the game, be it a grave tone that inspires fear or mystery or a more light-hearted atmosphere suitable for an inn.
The game world is fairly small (there's the town, a little bit of the outskirts, a very small mine, the underground tunnels of a crypt to explore) and I do wish it was larger, but it is just enough to house the plot and relevant characters. There are a few side-quests (if you can call them that) that are completely optional but only add to the main story, for example, finding the injured landlord and clear the way to his house or save the inkeeper from a zombie attack.
The only major downfall is the short duration. If you do all that you can, you’re probably aiming at 12-15 hours of gameplay. There are three different endings, but they are only affected by one final choice.
Daemonica has an engaging and intense storyline balanced by a very simple and relaxed style of gameplay, which makes it accessible to anyone. The medieval gothic horror theme may not be enjoyed by everyone, but murders, demons and zombies never make for uninteresting adventures. I sincerely hope there will be more of Nicholas Farepoynt's adventures in the future. Daemonica does leave you wanting more.
Review text part of Grrlgamer.com. Full review and screenshots at:
http://www.grrlgamer.com/review.php?g=daemonica
Walkthrough at:
http://www.grrlgamer.com/guide.php?g=daemonica