REVIEW: Demeo (PS VR2)

With the PlayStation VR2 finally out in the wild, VR game developers and publishers are ramping up production and offering a sizeable launch library for early adopters. Demeo is one such title and is easily one of the more interesting games to launch alongside the new headset – but does it stand out from what is already fast becoming a crowded launch window for PS VR2 owners to choose from? Here is our review of Demeo on PS VR2.

For people who played Demeo when it launched originally on the Oculus (now Meta) Quest in 2021, things have improved quite a bit. Instead of one or two adventures for players to experience, you now get five fully-fleshed-out stories. To get through these five stories, select your class for your adventure. You can pick from hunter, sorcerer, assassin, guardian, bard, warlock, or barbarian, who all come with their own abilities and skills.

In some of the levels, the objective is to fight your way through the enemies and find the key that will open the way to the centre of the labyrinth, where you find the final boss, surrounded by smaller, less intimidating henchmen. Both heroes and enemies are represented by pawns that move in turn like on a board; you can hit the monsters in close combat by physically moving your miniature onto that of an enemy, or by using one of the available cards. These are an integral part of the game mechanics and there are different types: some are of universal use, such as strength or vitality potions, while others are class-specific.

In most cases there is a small element of chance, you need to roll a 12-sided die with several different outcomes — one side for a critical hit, one side for a critical miss, and all the sides represent a normal hit. It doesn’t happen often but rolling a critical is always satisfying.

Instead of spending magic, you’ll spend one of the two actions available to complete your turn, making it not always viable when and how to use your turn. In many cases it happens that you might be facing a swarm of enemies, either because we always end up being outnumbered or because our heroes have very few life points; moving carelessly and finding yourself surrounded can very quickly lead to being knocked down.

This doesn’t mean direct game over, however, because if your allies catch up within a couple of turns, they can get you back on your feet. Some actions may require both points to deliver a powerful follow-up and sometimes this is the best path forward.

The best part about all of this is you freely pick and place your character in a corresponding place on the map. Enemies also follow suit and so do treasure chests, barricades, and doors. It’s a smartly implemented way to interact with these pieces in front of you and it’s all so responsive with some incredible tactile feedback. Maps are dynamically generated and will often challenge the player to stay engaged with the events unfolding in front of them.

I should mention that while Demeo is playable solo, you’ll appreciate it a lot more with friends. Teamwork is crucial, often requiring you to socialize and plan with the other players on what tactics to adopt for each fight.

I found all most classes to be enjoyable, and they lend themselves to styles of play that are as unique as they are traditional. I’ve always preferred playing as the tank because it really has one task — cover the team and reinforce your armour every turn to absorb as many hits as possible. The assassin begins to present some interesting tactical aspects, as hitting a monster from behind grants extra damage; the mage and his spells, require careful planning regarding when to utilize your arsenal of spells. Choosing the assassin or hunter might be a tougher choice because they have a lower damage output than a mage, and to be effective rely on skills and environmental elements.

Given this is a port of a Quest title to the PS VR2Demeo, Resolution Games have done a fantastic job of bringing the title to a new platform. The PS VR2 (with the PS5 powering the whole thing) not only handles it extremely well, but it offers a simple and entertaining implementation of its systems. Many of the gestures you’ll be using are intuitive like using the new Sense VR controllers to zoom into the map, offering you a way to see things from a new perspective.

Conclusion

Demeo is a great addition to the PSVR2 launch window and one that I’m thankful for as it allows me to experience a hobby I’ve never really gotten into in the ‘physical’ world. There’s some great level design, fun action cards, seven classes to experiment with, and a solid social game to experience. While I don’t think this is a game for everyone, Demeo is a solid starting point for tabletop RPGs and it comes in an engaging and interactive format.

Demeo Pricing & Availability

Demeo is available on the PlayStation Store for €39.99.