Away Game Special: Full-on Melodia

HarmoKnight's demo definitely does its job. After having played a bit of the full version of the game, the demo lays out everything you need to know about it. It also gives a clear feel of how the full game plays while showcasing most of the full game's modes and mechanics.

The two major differences between the demo and the full version are the bonus stages (an obvious difference) and the appearance of other playable characters.

What makes the bonus stages relevant to the demo of the game is that they are the Pokemon related stages, of which "Bike" is playable in the demo. Having been made by Game Freak, it's no surprise that there are five Pokemon-inspired stages. Though it's a wonder that there aren't more. Perhaps, though, Game Freak intended for HarmoKnight to be a mostly fresh new IP, the references to its megahit franchise being nothing more than Easter eggs.

Along with the full game's having more stages, different characters appear as you progress. These characters join you on your travels and each brings a different weapon to the adventure. For example, in Marching Hills, you meet the warrior of the realm, Lyra. She, of course, uses a lyre. However, rather than using it to produce sound waves or some such, she uses it as a bow and opens up areas that resemble sidescrolling shooting galleries.

On the whole, it looks like a great game. Plus, HarmoKnight, though still tricky for those with two left thumbs (myself included), is fun enough that replaying stages hardly ever becomes a chore.