Overview – developed by Fabraz and published by Playtonic Friends, Demon Turf: Queens Edition is the ultimate version of the 3D platformer with a charming comedic attitude. Play Through three adventures starring Beebz, a demon who wants to claim all of the turf, take down the rulers of the realms and become the Demon Queen. This version of the game is exclusive to the Steam platform, with a link to get it at the bottom of the review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Playtonic Friends for providing the copy of Demon Turf: Queens Edition that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. As this is a collection of games, I will be discussing the general plot, gameplay and experience of each part of the set, then cover the overall package.
Demon Turf
The Demon World is made up of different realms, inhabited by a variety of nasty beasts that are split into gangs, battling for territory and led by their own overlord. However, even these powerful beings are no match for the Demon King. One night, Beebz, a hot headed demon girl has her dreams invaded by the Demon King. After this she vows to take down the Demon King, by defeating each territories leader and claiming their turf, aiming to become the Demon King.
This adventure is a unique platforming adventure, combining flat 2D sprites and vibrant 3D environments. As Beebz, the player is tasked with clearing the stages of the four worlds, called Turfs, split into challenging platform focused stages. The main objective for all levels is to reach the goal, stealing the batter for that stage. In order to make it to the goal, the player needs to avoid deadly traps, enemies and hazards.
While travelling through the area on the way to the goal gate, the player can use a variety of skills. The basic moves include a jump, double jump and a hover spin, which can be combined to create spectacular acrobatic manoeuvres. One of the unique actions that can be performed is the Super Jump, which will launch Beebz forward a significant distance. As the player progresses, they will unlock new moves and skills to their repertoire.
As well as the platforming challenges, there will be additional sub-objectives. These include combat challenges, where enemies have to be defeated by Beebz a projectile power. Then there are race challenges, where set checkpoints much be reached within a time limit, or else they will fail and need to try again. last are the puzzle challenges, where the player needs to perform actions to open gates, which include hitting switches and using weights.
Many of these challenges will require the player to use Beebz demon power, the most basic of these skills are her demon blast projectiles. These are split into light and heavy blasts, with the light shots achieved by tapping the button, whereas the heavy attacks require charging. When holding down the button, the player will be able Beebz will concentrate her power, glowing when fully charged. This will unleash a large hand shaped blast.
In many of the areas, there will be buildings that Beebz can enter, with many of them being needed to get further into the stages. Some of these buildings will have locked doors, needing to be unlocked to progress to the next area. There will also be underwater zones, where Beebz will turn into an octopus. While underwater, Beebz will be able to swim freely and use Rocket Dash, travelling quickly through the water and navigate underwater dangers.
There are many hazards and death traps that will harm Beebz, including spikes, lava and bottomless pits. If Beebz suffers damage, she will be sent back to a checkpoint. In each of the stages, there will be a single designated checkpoint, which will be the starting point of the stage. However, the player will be able to set their own checkpoints by planting flags. These additional flags are limited, so placing them must be strategic and planned.
For those looking to explore and take on the trickier challenges, there will be sweets for players to collect in each stage. These treats are Beebz favourite cake, with three pieces to find in each of the stages. Some of the sweets will be in fairly easy to reach places, whereas others will require the player to go off the beaten path. To help players find the hidden desserts, Beebz has a special power, showing an arrow to the closest piece of cake.
Upon completing the stage, the player will be given a results screen, showing the time taken to beat the stage and a target clear time. If the player is able to beat the target time, they will be awarded a trophy for that stage. The player will also be shown the number of deaths, how many jumps used and the number of enemy knock outs. There are also leaderboards, where players can compete for the best time, adding further replay value to stages.
When all of the batteries for a stage have been collected, the boss stage will open up. These stages will have unique multi-phase challenges, where the player must overcome the unique gimmick for that boss. These stages will also introduce new mechanics, like the grappling hook, which will allow the players to glide through the air and hook objects. With the addition of these new skills, the player will be able to explore stages in more interesting ways.
Upon defeating the boss, the turf will be claimed and transform with fire and brimstone. This gives the player a whole new challenge, with new stages and batteries to claim. With this there is double the action in each of the turfs. The first version of a stage is called the First Trip, the second time through is called the Return Trip. When the Beebz makes a Return Trip, the cake is replaced with lollipops, with 50 of them to collect in these alternate zones.
Outside of the stages the player will be able to explore a mini hub world for each of the turfs, letting players challenge stages in any order they wish. This gives flexibility to the approach that players want to take. The turfs that Beebz must conquer are connected to Forktown, which is Beebz home and the largest of the spaces to explore. Within her home town, there are several facilities and challenges that can be accessed within this area.
While in the town, the player will be able to access the special shops. There are two shops that can be visited, with the first being the color shop, where Beebz can buy hair and outfit colors for Lollipops. Then there are the special mods enhancing Beebz powers, like speed increases, additional double jumps and more. These cost Cake pieces and must be equipped, with different upgrades having different points, so only a few can be equipped at once.
Alongside the shops, there are challenges that players can take on, including special trial stages, a coliseum for combat stages and even a photography challenge. As the player progresses, there will be more challenges, missions and areas to explore within Forktown. There is even an Arcade, where players can find special cartridges, which contain unique challenges inspired by other games. So there is plenty of content to explore away from the main stages.
Demon Turf: Neon Splash
This is a standalone adventure, following on from the events of Demon Turf, Beebz and her friends are pulled into a surreal painted world. Within this colorful world, they are trapped and must find a way to escape this bright neon prison. In this adventure, the player is tasked with clearing 10 stages filled with precise and challenging platforming. As this is a mini sequel to the first adventure, there are adjustments to the general gameplay experience.
Within this adventure, there are no combat challenges, with the focus being purely on platforming and reaching the goal of each stage. In order to clear these challenges, Beebz has a preset move list that can be used. These consist of powers that are carried over from the first game, with the standard jump and double jump, hover glide and the super jump. But she also has a special dash glide and snake boost skill, which are available from the start.
These skills will all be needed, as the player will face tough challenges, hazards and deadly pitfalls across the neon soaked world. The objective for each stage is simple, get to the goal as fast as possible. During the stages, players will need to maintain their momentum, jumping from ledges, moving platforms and more as they try to get to the end. There will be three target times for players to get, with gold, silver and bronze challenge times to meet.
Players will also be able to collect lollipops, which are scattered through each of the stages, adding further depth to the challenges. These Lollipops are important as they are used to purchase mods, with 6 special mods to select from. Unlocking the modifications will give Beebz more skills and options in stages, offering players more ways to play through the stages. These alter Beebz look when equipped, changing her hair and outfit depending on the item.
There are 10 stages in total, offering various challenges. But there are also special bonus stages that can be unlocked, with vinyl records that are hidden in the main stages. When these are collected, players will be able to challenge the Remix stages, which are significantly harder. These will really push the player to the limits of their skills, with even more devilish platforming to challenge. Thankfully, in all stages, players can place checkpoints frequently.
For those who want to have some fun and experiment between stages, or to refresh themselves on the controls, players will be able to access the playground. A special sandbox world with platforms and features designed to just have fun with, exploring and experimenting with the skill set. This can be very hand for getting back to the game, or to test the limitations and combinations of skills that can be used. So take full advantage of this feature.
Demon Turf Tower
The final part of the Demon Turf trilogy of adventures, with Beebz enjoying a peaceful time at home, when she is suddenly interrupted by the Jester. This menace suddenly steals all of Beebz powers, leaving her unable to use her special abilities. So she sets off to reclaim her powers and defeat the Jester, heading to his tower. On her way, she meets an unusual being who is imprisoned in a well, offering to help Beebz in her quest.
This adventure is unique from the other experiences in the pack, offering a challenge that players must clear in a single run. The objective for this entry is to get to the top of the Jesters tower, climbing the 50 floors of tower. Sadly Beebz has been hexed, leading to her powers being sealed, preventing her from using anything other than her basic jump skills. However, she is able to regain her powers with a little help from the man in the well.
As Beebz reaches milestone heights on her journey, she will be able to obtain new powers. These include her double jump, spin and even a single use checkpoint flag. These new skills will be incredibly important as this tower can be treacherous, with one mistake leading to significant loss of progress. The player has a single life, so if Beebz is killed, she will be returned to the start. Players can also fall, losing a progress as they plummet to the floors below.
There is a loadout system that the game uses, which will allow the player to modify their skills. There are two variants for each skill that can be used, with a heart and spade version of the ability. The two skill variants will have their own unique functions, which change the way that they are used. By effectively planning out the approach to each floor, players will be able to work through the tower. If they die, their progress is recorded in the post run screen.
The player must make it to the top of the tower to succeed, but it will be a tough challenge. Luckily all of the floor layouts are preset, meaning that they can be learned with enough practice and patience. As the player unlocks skills, there will be shortcuts, tricks and more that can be used to reach the top faster. But until that point, there will be many failures, with each one starting right back at the bottom.
For those who have been able to conquer the tower, they will have their times recorded in the global leaderboards. This allows players to challenge others from across the world, letting them compete for the top spot. As new strategies are found, new skills are unlocked and players discover shortcuts, they will be able to shave more and more time off their run. But not everyone may be able to climb to the top of the tower.
Now with the gameplay details covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – for all of the games in this release, they use twin stick 3D movement, being able to control Beebz and the camera independently. There is a camera input, which will switch between automatic and manual camera movement. The platforming and skills are easy to use, spread between the face buttons and triggers/shoulders. For Demon Turf and Neon Splash, there are move lists that players can use to reference their skills and abilities.
There will also be prompts on screen for quick reference. Throughout the games, there will be special tutorials that will show the player how to use mechanics. These are very handy, as there are a lot of skills that players need to learn. The recommended way to play the game is with a controller, but it is possible to play through the game using a keyboard. All of the inputs can be remapped to fit each play style and input method of choice.
Difficulty – when it comes to challenge, Demon Turf and Neon Splash are approachable and a lot of fun to play. Offering a balanced and approachable challenge that everyone can play, with stages that may take some time to overcome but don’t feel punishing. This cannot be said about Demon Turf Tower, as the challenge is brutally tough. It is possible that some players may not even be able to beat it, but it is worth a shot to see what happens.
Presentation – all of the games use the same visual style, which is a charming mix of Flat 2D sprites that move within a 3D space. This gives the game a unique appeal, which lets it stand out from the other games in the platforming genre. The different worlds and environments make great use of color, creating a unique identity that is capped off with a great soundtrack. There is also some voice acting, which further builds on the quirky charm of the games.
Final Thoughts – I am a fan of platformers, the 2D, the 3D and all of the weird and wacky combos inbetween, so this was an interesting experience. The games in this pack are fun and distinct experiences, with the large scale adventure of Demon Turf, the simplicity of Neon Splash and the brutal challenge of Tower. There is a lot on offer in this pack of games, with plenty of fun to be had. But it does have a couple of awkward flaws.
Being 3D platformers, there are some issues with depth perception at times, leading to mistakes being made when trying to be precise. Then there is the unfortunate slippy movement, which is most prevalent in Demon Turf Tower, leading to falls and even death. These issues can be adjusted to, but are frustrating at times. These games are fun and well made, with references to other classics, and I can happily recommend this to all platforming fans.
In the end, I give Demon Turf Queens Edition a final score of 4.5/5. This is a solid and fun triple pack of adventures, offering a lot of fun and a brutal challenge for those who seek it. The games in this pack are oozing with charm, and the characters are quirky and entertaining. If you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to it will be available below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
W.Kohaku Media 