PixelCommando

Looking at the screenshots and description of the game, I had no idea what it was all about. It was only like $4 though, so I picked it up anyway. So far I've put about 3 hours into it and have seen enough of the story and gameplay to judge the game fairly, I'd say. So, here we go: Gameplay: Demon King Box is a cross between the games Ni No Kuni (PS3) and Glory Days 2 (DS), with the visual aesthetic of the Disgaea series. I see that it's like Ni No Kuni in that you acquire monsters to fight for you, and you can level them up by feeding them food. You can also level up "Hero's" by feeding them, which takes longer but is more rewarding in that heroes have skills that can be activated throughout a battle. Now, monsters are basically minions that you send down three lanes on the battlefield. They cost a certain amount of "souls" to put on the battlefield and have a cooldown timer. This is the aspect that is similar to the game Glory Days.Each battle will have you trying to take down a certain number of enemy monsters, or an enemy hero. Hero battles are tough, since the enemy hero can use skills, just like you can. At first, the battle are pretty easy, and it seems like you're just spamming units onto whatever lane. However, as the game progressed, battles started to get a little more challenging, when monsters with skills started to emerge. This made me think more about when to place what monsters, and in what order they should be placed. For example: one favorite combo of mine is to put the really large monsters (that take up two lanes!) on the forefront, and spam archer/spellcaster monsters. The battle don't require much thought, but they are fun. Story: Okay, I'm going to be honest here, I have no idea what the hell is going on. Between the broken English text translations and the absurd story, it's just hard to tell what's happening. I know that I'm some Demon King trying to reclaim my broken kingdom after humans came and messed it all up, but that's about it. After defeating enemy heroes, they join my cause. However, in the dialogue between my heroes and the enemy after the battle is so broken, that I can barely tell why that hero is joining me. Most of the dialogue just left me saying "huh?" From what I can understand though, there are the occasional funny lines. I'm sure I would find the game funnier if it was translated properly. Graphics: I mentioned earlier that the game looked a bit like Disgaea, meaning to see that it's got the anime style art with vibrant colors and ridiculous characters. The hero and monster sprites are very well done, but it's sometimes hard to see the smaller monsters. The bigger monsters and hero characters look great, however. Character portraits and other art carry's the same style flawlessly and it also looks pretty good. I love the vibe that the game gives with the wacky colors and characters, it's just fun. Music: The soundtrack is pretty limited, so there's not much to say. Right now I can only recall there being like, 3 different songs at most. The songs that are their are pretty nice though, and they add to the wacky anime vibe of it all. I just wish there was a little more variety, but it's not a deal-breaker. Summary: All in all, Demon King Box is a fun, good looking title that I believe you should pick up, if you've got four bucks to blow. The gameplay isn't too hard to pick up or master, but it's interesting and the level mechanics will make you want to grind a bit each more before the next level. For the cost, I'd say you're looking at a good amount of play-time here. If you're a fan of any of the games that I mentioned earlier (Glory Days, Ni No Kuni, Disgaea), then you might want to give this a try. Don't go into this looking for a profound story, because you'll be disappointed. It's not about the story though, so get over it. It's a nice title to just pick up while you're hanging around or taking a bathroom break. Just buy it, it's four bucks. TL;DR: It's an absurd anime strategy game that has a bad story but fun gameplay. Buy it because it's 4 bucks. 7/10