DEMIGOD

GAME DETAILS :-

Developer : Gas Powered Games

Publisher : Stardock

Engine : Not Revealed

Genre : Real-Time Strategy

Release Date : April 14 , 2009

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :-

Operating System : Windows XP / Windows Vista

CPU : AMD Athlon XP 3000+ / Intel Pentium 4 Processor

Memory (RAM) : 1 GB

Graphics Hardware : DirectX 10.0 Compatible Video Card with Memory 256 MB

[NVIDIA : GeForce 7600 Series
ATI : Radeon X800 Series]

Hard Disk Space : 8 GB

GAME FEATURES :-

Demigod is an action role-playing/real-time strategy hybrid that is notable for both what it does--and what it doesn't do. It does offers an addictive, click-happy gameplay model that combines elements of two genres into an appealing, competition-focused package. As one of eight demigods, you join either the forces of light or the forces of darkness and exert your hammer-swinging, spellcasting prowess, all while streams of AI-controlled reinforcements rush at each other on predetermined paths. Demigod doesn't offer what you would expect from a full retail product. Without any story-based single-player campaign, the intriguing backstory and heaven-gone-haywire atmosphere go disappointingly unexplored. Worse yet, online connection issues may alienate the game's target audience of competitive tacticians. It's too bad, because Demigod is a good-looking, great-sounding game that has all the right ingredients; it just can't quite combine them into a complete meal. On the surface, Demigod plays simply: you choose from one of eight hero characters called demigods, and you and your fellow deities attack the opposition in a mouse-centric scheme. Additionally, you might cast elemental attack spells, perform healing buffs, summon minions to do your bidding, swipe at enemies with your sharp demon claws, and more, all depending on which demigod you select. There are two types of demigods. Assassins are solo warriors, geared toward direct damage, while generals can summon troops to aid them in their cause. Because you manage only one unit, playing as an assassin is akin to playing an action RPG, though each assassin plays quite differently from the others and offers even more variety within its own skill tree. Playing as a general requires a bit more battlefield strategy, allowing you to summon minions to aid your cause. This entails more micromanagement, and it also makes these demigods more flexible. To summon minions, you equip idols, though you can possess only three at a time. There are multiple idols available, so you can choose which minions will accompany you in battle. As with assassins, each general brings various nuances to the battlefield, which in turn leads to more variety than you might perceive at first glance. The paladin called Oak can place a flag on the battlefield that summons the ghosts of defeated reinforcements in its radius to rise and fight, while the healer Sedna can conjure trolls. At your team's base, you can purchase a variety of gear and items that let you further tailor your strengths or assuage your weaknesses--and even apply universal upgrades that benefit your entire team. As you play, you earn gold by killing other demigods and capturing flags that control nearby gold nodes. In turn, you purchase equipment that improves armor stats, health regeneration, movement speed, and so on; consumables like teleport scrolls and health items; more expensive damage and buff items called artifacts; and fortress upgrades that, for example, increase the amount of experience team members receive or that improve the amount of damage defensive towers do.

A semipersistent multiplayer mode called The Pantheon lets you earn favor points for your faction, and you can participate in one-off skirmishes with others. Online play was barely functional at the game's launch, apparently due to the peer-to-peer networking mechanism that drives it. Connecting to other players takes an inordinately long time, if it happens at all. A connection dialogue window indicates which player is connected to whom, and there are invariably multiple players who cannot connect to others. As a result, the larger the match, the less likely you are to actually play. If you look for solace in Demigod's single-player offering, be aware that there is no story campaign to get lost in, only skirmishes and a tournament mode, which is essentially a series of ranked matches against the AI. Granted, the gameplay is intrinsically fun, the various demigods offer variety, and the number of options you can tweak help keep offline battles fresh. Yet with only eight maps to explore, you will soon long for a real campaign to flesh out the game's god-versus-god mythology, which is absolutely brimming with possibilities. The colorful visuals and fantastic sound effects merge wonderfully and make the battles between minor deities seem oddly authentic. The pounding of drums, the calls of wood flutes, and even the strum you hear when mousing over the game menus contribute to the atmosphere of polytheistic bloodlust. In Demigod, the moment-to-moment gameplay is relatively simple. However, the varying play styles of each demigod, as well as the numerous tactical upgrades and items, offer fulfilling strategic breadth. Nevertheless, this is an overly streamlined package that doesn't hit all of the marks it should. Newcomers to this type of gameplay will bemoan its limited single-player options; competition-focused tacticians will be frustrated by crippling connection difficulties and will long for more arenas. Online connection issues and a dearth of content keep this fun hybrid game from reigning supreme.

GAME REVIEW :-

6.5/10

Demigod Trailer :-