Demonschool Hands On Preview – Persona of a Different Kind

Demonschool by Necrosoft Games made more than a few heads turn when it was revealed in 2022, and for good reasons. Combining gorgeous old-school visuals with a unique atmosphere reminiscent of Italian horror movies and an evident classic Persona influence, the game looked like the one to keep track of for fans of the ATLUS series who prefer the classic first entry in the franchise as well as Persona 2 Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment.

Following two years of almost complete silence, which made people fear the worst, a Demonschool playable demo is available as part of this year's Steam Next Fest, giving players the chance to experience a week in the life of Faye, the final heir of a legendary family of demon hunters, as she attempts to uncover the mystery of an island university together with some friends, an island where demons have started appearing, and the boundary between worlds, started getting thinner and thinner. While the demo drops players a few hours into the adventure and lacks all of the mechanics that will be available in the final release, I feel it does a great job showcasing some of the most unique features of the experience.

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The story of Demonschool is probably the hardest feature to evaluate from the demo. From what can be gleaned, Faye's investigation will go hand-in-hand with university life, and an occult theme seems to permeate everything. For example, the demo begins after Faye and her companions have successfully investigated some sort of possessed VHS tape and have been rewarded for it with school credits that can be used to learn new abilities. The week that can be experienced in the demo is centered around finding a demonic paintbrush, and during the investigation, the party will meet all sorts of wacky characters, such as an amnesiac woman who thinks random people are actually her husband who seems to be the main focus of a longer subquest. Thankfully, it