Don’t Judge A Maze By Its Cover
HIGH The Tower of No Interval.
LOW The final encounter.
WTF Not sure a broken sword is the weapon of choice entering a Demon King’s maze.
Presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio with grainy polygonal art, Labyrinth of the Demon King is a near-perfect evocation of dark corners last seen since the mid-90’s. Played from the first-person perspective, players will hack, slash and puzzle their way through dungeons and towers as a samurai on a quest to avenge their fallen lord by slaying the titular monarch.
Caked in muddy earth tones, monsters shiver through hazy, pixelated halls. The occasional flash of red viscera gives depth to their dismembered, barely human figures as they limp and stumble after the player. Their howls cut through fuzzy rain-patter, creating a world that is threatening and immediate despite its ostensible lack of visual fidelity.
A dungeon crawler with a dash of survival horror, the Labyrinth of the Demon King is not a happy place, and respite is all but non-existent. As I slowly progressed through the foreboding castle, I found my senses more important than a steady sword hand. A foot peeking out from a corner, or a shuffling in the darkness can tip off observant players to an imminent bushwhack. While combat is generally fair and balanced, being caught unawares by a group of enemies will quickly exhaust even the most robust health bar.
When it comes to crossing blades with the labyrinth’s demonic denizens, combat is a rhythmic affair. A slow-motion dance of thrusts and ripostes, even the quickest weapons feel heavy and sluggish. Frantic, panicked swings, while instinctive given the macabre trappings, will result in rapid defeat as the samurai’s stamina is easily depleted. Victory, then, becomes a matter of patience rather than reflex.
Most attacks can be parried, and with long wind ups, enemy blows are effectively telegraphed. A surprisingly accommodating parry window kept most of my frustration at bay — even when I hit the block button too quickly, I often had time to reset and try again before the monster’s claws made contact. That’s not to say navigating the Labyrinth of the Demon King is easy, but so long as I didn’t panic, I generally felt well equipped to handle whatever the sinister overlord could dish out.
For those moments where I overreached my ability, I was pleased to find the Demon King’s rebukes to be lenient. Falling in battle means resurrecting at the last shrine players rested at. Enemies respawn, and any resources expended in the fight are forfeit, but beyond that all progress is retained. That being said, the final battle didn’t feel quite as well tuned as the rest of the fights. With a more diverse moveset and stronger emphasis on reaction time, the climactic encounter is suitably dramatic. However, with a dozen or so retries, my eventual triumph wasn’t without some exasperation.
Light RPG elements further balance the scales with character progression tied to two primary attributes — strength and stamina. Weapons can also be improved to stand up to the hardier members of the Demon King’s army, and while the selection of armaments is probably too wide given Labyrinth of the Demon King’s brevity, I’m not one to complain about too many choices.
Martial prowess alone is not sufficient for navigating the Labyrinth of the Demon King, though, and careful exploration plays a large part in the player’s survival.
As the title implies, each of the main areas is a complex interweaving of rooms, halls and courtyards — losing one’s way is an inevitability. While maps can be found for each floor, these handy aids are imperfect — passages that appear clear on the map are, in fact, obstructed while hidden paths and outdoor areas go unmarked altogether. This setup results in a keen straddling of discovery and handholding. Players are forced to learn levels by landmark, making mental notes of unlocked shortcuts with the map acting as a flawed safety net.
Forgoing punitive mechanics, Labyrinth of the Demon King builds tension through atmosphere and narrative. While the overarching tale of revenge is standard fare, I found the flavor text throughout the world to be quite affecting. One highlight is a note describing, in detail, the grisly consequences of defiling a Buddhist altar. Shortly after finding this note, I encountered a character in possession of a key I needed to progress. They agreed to help, but only after I desecrated the very altar I had been warned about. I won’t spoil the outcome, but the author of that note could not be accused of understatement. This kind of foreshadowing is found throughout Labyrinth of the Demon King and adds dreadful depth to its nasty, grimy styling.
Ultimately, Labyrinth of the Demon King is a canny mixture of aggressive posturing and subtly accessible mechanics. I was surprised at how tense my experience was, despite the relative ease with which I traversed its halls. Labyrinth of the Demon King manages to capture the abrasive essence of titles like Shadow Tower and Silent Hill but in a compact, easily digestible package. The developer’s ability to achieve this balance is commendable and, as the samurai sits drinking matcha tea in the labyrinth’s one refuge, I am filled with a familiar warmth.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Buy Labyrinth of the Demon King – PC – PS – XB – SW
Disclosures: This game is developed by J.R. Hudepohl and published by Top Hat Studios. It is currently available on PC, PS4/5, XBO/X/S, and Switch. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 8 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood and Gore, Suggestive Themes, and Violence. This is a horror game and most enemies are monsters or disfigured humans. The player attacks enemies with weapons such as swords, clubs and guns. Enemies bleed when struck, staining walls and floors and can be dismembered. Certain enemies require the player to stomp on their head repeatedly to kill them. Disturbing and creepy imagery is found throughout this game. Beyond the violence, there are references to sexual abuse in text notes found in the game.
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: There is no vocalized dialogue in this game, and all character interactions are shown in text boxes. This text cannot be resized. This game makes use of audio to signal enemy presence, often when that enemy is not visible on screen. One particularly dangerous enemy often spawns behind the player or outside of their field of view and is signaled through a specific auditory jingle. None of these audio signals have accompanying visual cues, and I found myself taking damage more often when playing without sound. This game is not fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.
Following this introduction, Ryan dove headlong into the 16 and 64-bit eras, culminating in the year 2000 with a fateful visit to the local game shop.On the recommendation of a saintly store clerk, Ryan picked up a copy of Deus Ex and, shortly thereafter, embarked on the vain quest to find a game that tops it.
This journey has led Ryan to GameCritics where he attempts to articulate why he still finds this medium so compelling.When not playing or writing about games, Ryan can be found watching competition reality television with his wife, their dog, and three cats.
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