PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

Demonschool works because it trusts you. It doesn’t over-explain or lean too hard on creaky nostalgia. You solve the weirdness and enjoy the ride. Strategic, puzzle-like combat replaces grinding, and seeing multiple endings is devilish fun. The only scary thing is how fun it is.

I loved Demonschool. The tactical JRPG combat system will likely be the make-or-break component for most players. The lack of emphasis on stats is a bold choice that sometimes makes Demonschool feel more like a puzzle game than a strategy JRPG. The battle system won’t be for everyone. But the story, aesthetics, and vibes make Demonschool a real treat for longtime Shin Megami Tensei fans.

Demonschool from developer Necrosoft Games is a wonderful tactical turn-based fighting game that will entertain players thanks to a strong story, good strategy-led map designs, and enough characters to create multiple paths to approach fights. While it needed to be a bit less linear and more user-controlled on the story side of the tracks, it’s a fantastic experience from beginning to end.

Demonschoolhas left me conflicted. I eye rolled past the story and found its characters one note. The combat is a slog to get through. It’s overly designed and under explained. I am not having a good time, but I also cannot stop playing it. Those who love puzzle strategy and a throwaway supernatural story will likely love it, but tread carefully if you are new to puzzle tactics games.

Demonschool has a quirky charm. I initially enjoyed its battle system, but I grew bored with it before long. Even though I had to push myself to finish it, I walked away with a satisfying experience. The characters, the witty and snappy script, and the story development kept me hooked. It's not a groundbreaking game, but for those who enjoy over-the-top humor, puzzle-like gameplay, and demonic themes, it might be a good pick.

Demonschool serves up a delightfully random story full of dry humor and tight combat, though the overall package can feel a bit stretched at times. The technical execution lacks some polish, but if you can look past that, a devilishly entertaining time awaits.

You can't go wrong with Demonschool if you're looking for a school experience that's a bit like Persona and a bit like a GBA Fire Emblem game.

It fails to deliver a compelling group of characters or a plot with any interesting hook, and doesn’t live up to the games that it’s clearly inspired by. It is a lot like The World Ends with You, which I also felt failed to give its characters any real depth, but it is not Persona 3, for example, that delves deep into its characters and their motivations to the point you feel you know them. All I knew, even after many hours with Demonschool’s cast, was that they were snarky and annoying, and they couldn’t accept plainly obvious things for hours on end.

Demonschool is unapologetically an unofficial indie take on Persona. Its colourful pixel art and well-designed battle system give it plenty of charm, fast, simple, and consistently enjoyable, but the developers may have aimed a bit too high. Although it aspires to be a 30–40 hour epic, it simply lacks the mystery, character depth, and overall variety needed to support that length, causing the experience to drag about halfway through.