Feature review: Demigod

So, with all of the basics out of the way – just how fun is Demigod? Damn fun, to be perfectly honest. While there may not be as much content as in DotA, the game itself is highly entertaining. Battles range from fast and mad, finishing in less than 15 minutes, to strategic tug-of-war epics that cruise over the one hour mark. The demigods are well balanced, but it has to be said that taking too many knocks in the early game tends to leave you pretty much buggered in the catch-up, especially when playing against the (damn sneaky) computer AI. Thankfully, the game is flexible enough to give you the power to bunker down, grind some grunts for XP, and slowly push the frontline closer to the enemy base. The game continues its own flavour with the ability to spend your hard-earned cash on passive bonuses for your army, defensive structures, and gold income – meaning no player is left feeling completely helpless (a large part of newcomers’ fears when playing DotA).

If you’re a sucker for good looks, Demigod is sure to please. Some of the best-looking maps I’ve ever seen make their way into the game, and while there are only eight maps in total, each is varied and interesting enough to stand on its own as a balanced and enjoyable tournament-capable map, although the maps which feature multiple entry-points for the bases do tend to be more entertaining and help players avoid grinding too much in the final push. The battles that ensue aren’t short in the visual department, either: gorgeous spell and skill effects combine with flurries of arrows, flying debris, and crumbling buildings to create a frantic playing environment that requires loads of concentration to keep under control.

How well Demigod performs in this market is dependent on a couple of things. At the moment, international games played across the Internet are almost impossible to get into or stay in due to high pings, even on a high-end connection. Therefore, local games and LAN play will make or break this game – and this requires players. It’s a bit of a ‘chicken or egg’ situation: the more people who play this excellent game, the more fun it’ll be. As it is right now, the game can’t stand on its own as a replacement for DotA, but the potential is there. As more content pours out of developer Gas Powered Games’ studio (which is happening already with two new demigods on their way soon), Demigod will go from being an excellent game to a great one. In order for that to happen, however, people need to start playing it now and showing their support.

It’s well-balanced, varied and allows for deep levels of strategy, but DotA‘s deeply entrenched influence might be a bit too much for Demigod to rival. Still, if you don’t really care about professional or tournament gaming and are simply looking for an arena-style tactical RTS/RPG that’s great both online and off, you can’t really go wrong with Demigod.