I am very new to twin-stick shooters; most of my experience with them comes from arcades or the often brief times when a game like Call of Duty included them in the package. I never hated this genre, but I was never jumping at the chance to play more. When I started DAMON and BABY, I did not know what to expect, but what I found was a charming game with gameplay that constantly kept me coming back for more.
Arc System Works is mainly known for developing a wide variety of fantastic fighting games, but every so often, the company develops games outside the genre. Last year, executive director Daisuke Ishiwatari revealed they want to expand into releasing more kinds of action games, which led to DAMON and BABY, and hopefully all kinds of exciting future games if the quality of this first title is the standard.
Bound by Fate
The game stars the titular Damon, a demon bound to a mysterious young child who must journey to heaven to free them both from this curse while a demon army pursues them. At first, the premise wasn’t too interesting, but as the game progressed, I began to get invested to the point that when the finale started, I was smiling after seeing how far the two and their friends had gone. Damon can interact with a variety of characters across the many maps in the game; some sell upgrades or food for Damon to cook. Others join him on his adventure and provide some fun moments in between the action.
Damon, at the beginning of the game, is very closed off and wary of the people he is forced to interact with, and his relationship with the child is the backbone of the whole game. While I think it’s solid, this storyline could’ve been better executed. He bounces off everyone nicely, but the impact he holds with Manjumaru, for example, is one I wish were better fleshed out. Damon is told how great a demon slayer he is, but once he is defeated, he sorta just hangs around. I am glad he is a part of the group and is a fun character, but I wish he had more to do with the main plot.
A Demon-Filled World
DAMON and BABY had me mowing down all sorts of demons with its twin stick gameplay. Damon at first only holds a handgun, but as you progress through the game, a few more weapons are added to his arsenal. At first, I found myself using weapons like the machine gun and shotgun more often. Eventually, once I unlocked the unique upgrades for the handgun, both weapons became pointless, with the machine gun and shotgun only beating it in damage output. Each time Damon levels up, he gains points that can be used when sleeping in a bed. Points can be spent to upgrade his health or defense, as well as to make his weapons stronger. Bosses are sprinkled throughout DAMON and BABY, and at first, I struggled because I was fairly new to this genre, but once I got used to both the game and the controls, it felt all natural. Most bosses will go down to Damon’s arsenal, but a few require a different approach, such as using physical attacks or even maneuvering up floating debris to hit them.
Damon also gains abilities that increase both his combat and traversal. Ultimates are special moves that, after being used, require a small cooldown window. The game explains early on that Damon can hold only two at a time and can be swapped out, but I only ever unlocked two, making their explanation and usage feel very odd. There were also minor ultimates scattered across the world that unlocked the ability to swim or dash, but those weren’t tied to the two-at-a-time mechanic. A mechanic I found better fleshed out was the rings mechanic. Damon can unlock the ability to hold rings that affect gameplay; some summon a spirit to fight alongside you, others grant improvements to the gunplay. Damon can use only one finger at first, but more can be unlocked as certain rings require more fingers to use. This was one of the most important parts of the whole game, as almost every time I sat down, I strategized on which rings would work best for which dungeon, finding the perfect ones to defeat bosses with.
There are collectibles sprinkled throughout the world of DAMON and BABY, each offering a variety of unique items or upgrades, with the most important during my playtime being charms. Charms give Damon stat boosts to either his guns or defense, and some even increase his movement speed. Charms differ from rings as they take up space in the inventory. While most at the beginning of the game are small, others are huge and take up massive amounts of space. It led me to strategize about either making room or adding a new charm, or picking up ingredients to make new kinds of food.
Lost in the Fog
While I didn’t come across any major bugs throughout my time with DAMON and BABY, one of the main shortcomings I experienced was how easily I got lost. Some areas are small enough for this not to be the case, but when it came to the second-to-final level, I wasn’t so lucky. I spent hours trying to find my way around, going in circles and not finding a way forward. The quest tab in the menu was of little to no help, as no matter how many bosses I defeated, it would not help. While map markers can be placed, they have to be purchased. It wasn’t until I randomly stumbled into the correct room and opened the way that I could advance.
One other issue was that when I died, it sent me back to the title screen with all the data up to that point lost. There were some points where I forgot to save, which meant I lost a few minutes of progress; other times, I died before I could save after defeating a boss, so I was forced to redo the encounter. While frustrating, it also made me more cautious and led me to save every single time I came across a save point.
A minor complaint that I had while playing was the importance of certain enemies. Early on, you come across bogeymen, a type of enemy that is unique from other demons as they’re actually able to steal the child from Damon if he gets hit by one, giving Damon a limited time to defeat them or get a game over. When you meet them, they feel like a real threat; no other demon before could do this, and I didn’t want to get game over. However, after maybe one or two more encounters, they stop showing up. The game led me to believe that this type of enemy would be a mainstay, but they disappear, which is a shame because they are such a unique enemy in this world.
The End of the Journey
DAMON and BABY was an absolute highlight from beginning to end. The story and music, while not the best, had me thoroughly invested and made exploring worth it. The mechanics of the game made for a unique experience in a genre that I am very new to.
While there were some issues, the overall package was a great journey. It’s easy to get lost and lose your progress if not careful; thankfully, the gameplay and characters were able to mostly overshadow any major complaints. DAMON and BABY had me smiling by the end of the journey, and I, for one, am glad this journey was well worth it.
Disclaimer: Arc System Works provided a PC (Steam) copy of DAMON and BABY for review purposes.
