“If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the no’s on their vacancy signs. If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I’ll follow you into the dark.” The song “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie kept playing in our head during our PAX EAST 2019 Devil’s Hunt hands-on preview. What if the person you loved most was taken away from you? What if the forces of Heaven and Hell fought over and against you? In Devil’s Hunt, Desmond must face the forces of heaven and hell to save the world.
Devil’s Hunt is the Story of Desmond, a human born with the powers of a demon. Devil’s Hunt is a visual representation of Paweł Leśniak’s novel Equilibrium currently being developed by Layopi Games and is being published by 1C Entertainment. This is Layopi Games’ first game, taking place across Jerusalem, Miami, Hell, and more, and it looks beautiful.
In our PAX East hands-on preview, we took the reigns of Desmond as he reached the Hellish Prison. Upon arrival, he must search for Agares, a demon that has been imprisoned for millennia. The game then promptly informed us how to parry, soul drain, and attack through light and heavy combinations. Desmond has four different fighting styles depending on the situation; the player will have to become proficient with the standard fighting style while mastering Demon, Weapon, and Riding style. Coupled with those styles are spells with various effects. Through the soul drain mechanic, players gain a soul token that can be used to upgrade Desmond’s abilities. Combat is a mix of prioritizing targets with the ability to execute smaller foes and unleash brutal combos.
As the demo progressed, Desmond is guided by notes that provide helpful hints and lore. Desmond also shows a disdain towards glass and tends to break it when possible but we were not explained as to the reason why. We also had to wrap our heads around warp locations through various gates. In the final battle of the demo, Desmond summoned his full form to take on the level’s boss. Sadly, as we were defeating the boss, the demo bugged out and refused to launch the final cinematic.The level was beautifully designed, utilizing the Unreal Engine, with lighting playing a significant role in how the player views the world.
On the flip side, the character model of Desmond moves sluggishly out of combat which made walking feel like a task rather than a fluent part of the game. The character’s dash ability also feels rather lackluster due to its slow speed. The game could benefit from increasing the character’s movement.
Overall Devil’s Hunt looks beautiful and should provide an interesting story. Check out a video of the PAX East Demo from YouTube channel GamersPrey.
For more PAX East 2019 coverage, check out our preview of Bless Unleashed, an ambitious action MMO coming to Xbox or our take on Rad from Double Fine of Psychonauts and Brutal Legend fame.
