Away Game Special: Cryamore's Demo

Cryamore's playable demo is something that the developers put together under extreme pressure. I'd like to say that this shows, but what the demo offers in terms of gameplay, though lacking the polish of no doubt to-be-added-features (like a levelling system), is quite good.

Not being used to the WASD format of PC gaming, I was frustratingly frequently overwhelmed by the demo's dim rooms full of laser-shooting enemies, but that's got to be part of the game's Mega Man inspiration shining through.

What the demo showed of the game's puzzles was decent, if a little bit of an artificial extension. Though, to the developers' credit, once you adjust to the game and have a feel for where things are, the backtracking that the demo demands can be easily breezed through.

Ending the demo with the opening scene of what will undoubtedly be a super cool boss battle is also a good move on their part. The game's quick cut to a piece of concept art of a soot smeared Esmy and Brax returning home to an aghast Bliss just before the beast shows itself is especially effective. The demo's able to generate such an effect in so short a time because the heavily dragon-themed landmarks of its its only area make it clear that said area's boss will be a dragon.

Leaving the boss unplayable, but making its identity pretty obvious establishes expectations, and along with showcasing core mechanics setting expectations is essential for a decent demo.