Demonschool tweaks the strategy genre in a subtle but important way

digitaltrends.com:

Most people think of Fire Emblem as the strategy RPG standard, but Demonschool turns the typical chess-like combat expectation on its head. Add some flair from Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, and Italian horror and it transforms into its own unique young adult adventure.

I went hands-on with a demo of Demonschool at PAX West and was impressed with its fast-paced approach to battles. It makes subtle changes to the strategy formula, but ones that make a meaningful difference when it comes to the pace of battles.

Demonschool stars four college kids investigating supernatural mysteries on their island college town in the 90s. Creative Director Brandon Sheffield notes that it’s a specific choice that felt right for the game, considering how modern times have more of an emphasis on technology. You play as Faye, the last living heir in a demon-hunting legacy family, and fight alongside her friends Nanako, Dustin, and Knute to take down cult leaders, demons, and more. 

The typical SRPG unit can move a limited number of spaces in any direction depending on its speed. In Demonschool, characters can move one direction vertically or diagonally with an optional “sidestep” that lets them move one space horizontally for free. You can keep moving characters so long as you have “skill points” to do so. The first turn for each character costs one point, and the second one costs two. Each turn starts with a “Planning Phase” that determines where your character will move and who they will heal or hurt.

Demonschool encourages you to strategically stack these abilities so that you can one-hit KO enemies, like debuffing them and then buffing yourself to do three times the damage. If you don’t remember your characters’ abilities, don’t worry. You