Demeo Review

ign.com:

Pen-and-paper gaming works a little like Murphy’s law: as young hobbyists get old enough to fully grasp the intricate rules of Dungeons & Dragons or other, similarly complex tabletop RPGs like Cyberpunk 2020, it’s almost inevitable that age and wisdom give way to hectic work schedules and busy personal lives, making it grueling to stay consistent with any RPG. By stark contrast, Demeo takes many of the most enjoyable conventions of D&D – including its strategic turn-based combat, deep character classes, and an extensive bestiary of goblins and ghouls – and juices them into a digital formula that’s condensed to be immediately engaging. The result is an infinitely replayable, widely accessible, easy-to-learn (yet difficult to master) tabletop-inspired game that feels just as good in a VR headset – such as the brand-new PlayStation VR2 or the portable Meta Quest 2 – as it does on any gaming PC.

Up to four players can pop into the same session at any time, and thanks to wide crossplay support extends across a number of VR and non-VR platforms (notably absent: Nintendo Switch and Xbox), and aside from a few bugs – like characters getting stuck in geometry and refusing to move in some of the worst instances – it’s all pretty seamless. Even when things aren’t going well, Demeo’s versatility makes it just as much fun to play whether you choose to head online with up to four strangers in Quickplay mode, gather your established tabletop buddies in a private room, or go it completely alone in Skirmish mode.

Five visually-diverse campaigns are broken down into three floors apiece, each more difficult than the last until you face the area boss – like the macabre Elven Queen or the deadly Serpent Lord – on the third and final floor. For