Of all the Demonheart titles, this one is by far the weakest.
To start with the upsides, mystique, tension, and simmering abound. The novel brims with intrigue and scheming. As such, guessing characters’ intentions is fun, as is trying to figure out what is about to happen next. Is everyone about to die? Or is it all going to end in a church?
What I especially appreciate is the way J. Kujović built upon previously established lore, expanding the world she'd created in a way that makes sense. It is admirable she devised varying, compatible endings with the other Demonheart titles.
That said, my expectations were unmet. Some endings lacked an emotional payoff; in other words, they fell flat. Nissa's ending, for instance, happens entirely out of the blue. What reason is there for Nissa to give up on the love of her life in order to be with someone she back-stabs without provocation in another route? While I agree one could simply argue with “C’est la vie, things like that happen.”, this scenario comes across as contrived and irrespective of Nissa’s psychology. Her character is too inconsistent and frankly, pornographically poor.
Another great disappointment is the main character herself. She simply shows no personality. Even the choices presented to the player feel lacking, emotionless. They are not nearly as distinct or interesting as those of the previous titles. This decline in quality is sharp and noticeable; options presented often remind of ads for Android games. There are also anachronisms which make the fantasy a tough sell. “Order food”, “I guess”, “brain-dead” are commonplace phrases of the 21st century—as such, they misfit a medieval fantasy. Moreover, there are times when the protagonist is so polite and artificial she might as well be citing an Oxford-English schoolbook.
Regarding the art style, it is, on the whole, garish and incoherent. Some of the backgrounds impressed me, particularly the ones depicting Inferno. Others, however, look as if they were from a decades-old game. Most sceneries’ lighting is wrong and unnatural, which results in an uncanny, off-colour juxtaposition.
And then, there are the sprites. Men especially look like ornated, walking wardrobes: they have colossal, statuesque muscles. At the same time, they have dainty, bishōnen faces bedecked with jewellery. Everyone shines as though freshly oiled. It's simply gaudy. This flashy, overly rendered style sticks out like a sore thumb.
Seeing praise for this new direction, I feel compelled to raise these issues. If I could, I would urge Mrs. Kujović to remember what makes Demonheart unique, what lends it its soul: coherent art style, quality storylines, player agency, varied choices.
