Hyper Demon is Surreal Perfection! (Review)

[@SuperLlama42]

It does look like a game that's an absolute nightmare to understand from an outside perspective but things probably make more sense when you actually play.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

yes but it's not actually that complicated, it's just unique. So if you sit in the training mode and go over the lessons, you'll have the feel for it in about an hour or so.

[@maxkeegan2462]

Never even heard of this game (or any of the games you've mentioned in this, never got into shoot em ups) but this looks phenomenal and a truly artistic vision this is sick

[@artursjoblom5142]

Hyper Demon is a masterpiece of a game. What more modern games should strive to be. Gameplay density as you talk about is a perfect way to "categorize" games like this. I hope that we can look for game in the future and along the genres find not only "FPS", "MMORPG" etc but also "Gameplay Density". As time passes some of these games will reach the masses, and then the successful games will expose people to other "Gameplay Density" games within the same search tag, such as Shmups!

[@ChillyUK77]

Fantastic game and your point about how dense it is is well observed. Theres 0 downtime just full engagement with a scoring system that folds back on the game and incentivises tearing through enemies as fast and strategically as possible. It also challenged some of my pre conceptions about games. Like a lot of enemies arent very aggressive and will just go about their own thing or only attack when engaged by the player. Sure some swarm you like the skulls from spawners but it just goes to show that you dont neccesarily need super aggressive enemies to be a fast paced game. Then theres the visuals which at first seem un parsable but when actually playing become second nature, the rear view visual is also such a cool feature.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

We absolutely have similar thoughts on the game for sure! I do end up covering the visuals a lot in the review because I love them so much. And yes, they become totally coherent once you understand the game!

[@grodycoyote]

I remember really loving the sound design of DD too! DD was one of my favorites because of its elegance, but I’m definitely down for something more complex in the same vein. This channel is the only reason I know about the sequel, more people need to talk about this!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh yeah the sounds is great! Very brooding

[@FRAMEofMINDbe]

I agree the sound in this game is epic in style and execution

[@boghogSTG]

Gonna have to play this cause by the sound of it, it fixes every single issue I had with Devil Daggers like the slow start + long runs + a little barebones mechanics. The visuals are kinda nuts though, FPS are hard on my eyeballs already, hopefully it won't be too straining in practice.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I really like the visuals a lot, I find the amount of stimulation delightful. One idea you could try Bog is go into your monitor settings and change your monitor color to be more monochromatic ha.

[@salmonconnections]

The movement system upgrades over devil daggers are looking real nice.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

they are gorgeous! Being able to control yourself in the air and do the dashing and ground slams is really engaging.

[@ShapeyFiend]

Sweet I played the hell out of Devil Daggers but I didn't know this was out. More freedom of movement ala Dusk is something I think I'll really enjoy. A little freeform Battle Garegga type room for improvision sounds dope as well.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

if you are a devil daggers fan, it's a must play. Just remember it's a bit more complicated than DD so look at that training mode.

[@Fantacide8821]

There it is! Glad you enjoyed it

[@TheElectricUnderground]

yes it was really fun to play and review

[@kleber7982]

Game names? 0:42 and 5:50

[@thibaudbousquet6406]

The one at 0:42 is Sin and Punishment

[@kleber7982]

@@thibaudbousquet6406 Thank You

[@jadedbreadncircus9159]

I just saw a trailer of a game called Squad 51 vs the Flying Saucers. Idk how crazy the mechanics are or anything, but it has a 1950's black & white space movie aesthetic. I can't believe nobody's thought to develop a game in that style yet cuz it looks great. Came out Sept 21st of 22.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That sounds like a cool concept! Yeah I wonder why no one has done something like that before, visually

[@life_is_gr8]

Check out Trek to Yomi, similar style

[@foxstomp4016]

Really fantastic review as usual. This is right up my alley, but had never heard of it. Great stuff!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Thank you my friend! For some reason Hyper Demon slipped under the radar more than Devil Daggers did. I can only assume there has been a bit of a shift in game coverage where a lot of the types that covered Devil Daggers, like mathewmatosis, just aren't around anymore.

[@vidyergaemenjoyer447]

Just bought it thanks to this review, so I'll be putting some time into it soon. I enjoyed DD fine, though I wasn't fully into it due mostly to me being very picky with movement systems in FPS games. I think Quake movement is not only the pinnacle of FPS movement, but also one of the greatest mechanics in any video game genre ever made, so I always have that longing in the back of my mind whenever I play any fps that doesn't have that ridiculously deep movement. (Thankfully there's almost bottomless Quake DeFrag content for me to play forever) I will say that we seem to be in a really good era for great indie FPS games, as Hyper Demon, Ultrakill, Turbo Overkill, and a bunch of others are some of the best FPS games released since the glory days of Quake 3 and UT.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I'm glad you checked the game out! Yeah it's really cool how many great fps seem to be coming out. I think this is because the indie scene is finally starting to make its way into the 3d space, which was a big barrier before.

[@DUBSDADEVILL]

Your enthusiasm reminds me of myself talking about SF3 third strike in the 90s .Heavily in love with something literally NOBODY knows about lol.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

It does seem really similar ha! Also shout out to 3rd strike!

[@j.l.9689]

Ive been playing Devil Daggers for a couple years so I was very very hyped when Hyper Demon dropped. It's a better game in almost every way, I couldn't have asked for more.

[@Squalid]

always support the most bizarre and interesting ideas

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That's what I like to hear! check this game out, gonna cover it soon: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l52uqH1th7-Inbc

[@MikeAKAm1ke]

15:07 Just wondering if you've ever used the controller's gyroscope to aim, like in Splatoon or CS:GO on the Steam Deck. I've played Doom total conversion mods such as Memoirs of Magic and Shrine II using a DualSense and Steam Controller respectively, and I've found each experience to be quite fun, although the initial setup is a bit of a hassle each time, regardless of whether I use JoyShockMapper or Steam's controller configurator. The most convenient experience of gyro aim on PC I've found thus far is Portal 2, and even then the sensitivity settings are hard to calibrate right. I've played a bit of Devil Daggers both with KBM and gyro aim controller, although the most I've managed with either of them is 105.1, even with a bit of calibrating between rounds.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I have before! It s kinda cool but I don't think it's super precise or accurate like a mouse

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

Off topic here: I found some games you might be interested on atleast trying. This one is called Noitu Love Devolution. Its a weird 2d platformer where attacks and some actions are triggered by clicking but the phasing and movement is similar to Gunstar Heroes.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh wow that does look like gunstar heroes!

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

@Junpei gotta see that. I love 2d platformer games but I want something less methodical metroidvania kind of games.

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

@Junpei ok I've seen Bleed 2, it looks pretty nice in my opinion. So far we got Xenogunners, Noitu and Bleed for twin stick run n gun that ain't treasure

[@JapaneseModernist]

Can't wait to try this game! Have you played Post Void?

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I haven't! I'll have to check it out :-D

[@KewieCRC420]

Cool looking game. Will check it out later. Furi is on sale now on Sony PS4/5 for $6.00. Hope you can check it out soon. It’s pretty silky 60fps on consoles. Thanks for the review and take it easy.

[@AdamCHowell]

I bought devil daggers years ago and never got around to booting it up. It did seem interesting

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh fire it up today!! Devil Daggers is such a well made game. Engaging and brutal.

[@rallyrobx7604]

Excellent review! I think I have pick up Devil Daggers too. I am digging that low polygon style.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I'm a real fan of that era of 3d graphics. Razer sharp polygons are my jam. Every time I see a ps1 game get some bland pixar looking "remaster" I'm bummed.

[@wolfiewoo3371]

Underdogs is a VR mech game that seems to be doing well. It's not really a sim but I hope it inspires more developers to make VR mech games.

[@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77]

Being totally honest, between being an FPS and having a lot of complicated mechanics, I probably wouldn't have normally given this a second look. But anything with the Electric Underground imprimatur I'm interested in giving a try.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That s awesome! It s def a beast of it s own, not just some generic shooter which I can't sit through either ha

[@ronnygranados2433]

great review, please let us know when this is coming to switch & ps4/5 if you can.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I don't think it is, just based on devil daggers being on pc only.

[@zuffin1864]

I thought i was the only one that prefers Starcraft brood war over 2! In America at least. South korea still has thousands playing, which i think goes to show how timeless it is, as well as how a good game doesn't need updates to feel new and exciting each time you play

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Brood war is much better than 2 :-)

[@kirkcavenaugh758]

Reminds me of a dxm trip

[@TheElectricUnderground]

both are dream-like experiences I would imagine ha.

[@jack_crawford]

bro i've used that dual wield strat before; it's hilarious and weirdly satisfying. also love the shit out of Hyper Demon and agree with all your positive remarks. i will say, despite the scoring system and all, the early game got a bit too repetitive for my tastes after i reached a certain level of consistency. lots of triple lasering in the first 30 seconds or so if you're playing optimally. 30 seconds may not sound like much but it's something like a quarter of a full run, and of course often you'll die before the end. still got a gold dagger and 50ish hours of ultra-dense enjoyment out of it though, great game.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Great minds think alike my friend! XD Yeah I came up with the idea of dual wielding when playing sin and punishment 2 on dolphin, and then I realized this is boss and I should do it for all fps lol. Also I get what you are saying about the early game, and I think this is an issue that arises in all heavy scoreplay games, even my favorites like Dodonpachi. This is why I thought the game also having an additional survival mode would be a great addition because when you do hit that top tier of skill, it'll be a nice complimenting mode.

[@jack_crawford]

@@TheElectricUnderground true, survival mode would ensure that things get completely chaotic eventually. i also think it would be interesting to see a game like this with a scoring system that demands variety from you like in some character action games (not sure which ones off the top of my head but pretty sure this is a thing), to encourage more improvisational use of all the different tools instead of just triple lasering whenever possible. for example there's wacky stuff you can do with the bombs in this game, like jumping off them if i recall correctly, but because that's never optimal for score you never see it in replays and probably only do it by accident. it feels like wasted potential to me.

[@DanchiMJ]

I've never played Devil Daggers, but this game looks wild, definitely giving it a try.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely! Nothing wrong with jumping straight into Hyper Demon :-)

[@scottmichaelhedge5055]

Devil Daggers is on sale now for $4, would you recommend a noob to start with that one, or jump straight into Hyper Demon? Thanks.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I'd say so yes, starting with devil daggers is going to be really helpful :-) still a fantastic game anyway!

[@jonathanlisowski5618]

Looks Friggin'Trippy! Thank you again for an in depth review that dives deep into the mechanics. I was curious if you already did that second run of shirts for the ❄️ winter?

[@TheElectricUnderground]

This weekend my friend!!

[@Mingodough]

How do you play fps games, keyboard and mouse or controller? For me I love mouse but I hate keyboard so I take a controller with back paddles and play with that to move, and the mouse to aim and shoot. Best of both worlds

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I talked about it at the end, I dual wield lol. I have a pad on my left hand and mouse in my right

[@Mingodough]

I just got to that part lol, I started playing the same way today

[@magicjohnson3121]

Talking about confusing. Have you played Nights into Dreams? Had to look up how to play that game at first.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I haven't! That game looks pretty crazy ha

[@Coreagrus]

Not much to say, as I haven't played Hyper Demon, but I certainly look forward to playing it even more than I did Devil Daggers.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Thank you for the comment :-) yes, if you liked DD you have to play Hyper Demon, it's taking that formula to the next level. It's sad that this time around the game didn't get as much coverage as DD, but times have changed.

[@Coreagrus]

@@TheElectricUnderground Yeah. At least I'm sure my man Matthewmatosis really likes it. He had so much faith left over from Devil Daggers that he defaulted to supporting Hyper Demon before even playing it. "Keep an open mind. I'm sure there's a good design reason for the FoV of Hyper Demon." - He said on stream more than once, and he was freaking right from what I can tell. Might be paraphrasing him there, but it was something to that effect.

[@AdsOfSteelGaming]

Have you played any Neon White? It really impressed me. Unique fps with high gameplay density (if you skip the story)

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I ve seen some footage! It looks interesting

[@AdsOfSteelGaming]

@@TheElectricUnderground Totally not my style but it hooked me hard. I think you might dig it brah!

[@RichieRich0101]

This is cool. Can do Ultrakill next please?

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Definitely a possibility!

[@kbxthegamemaster06]

might be the wrong video to comment this but, is it okay to use autofire in beat em ups???

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I 💯 percent think so

[@donkler5476]

Just curious; do you still play this game at all? Also; in the video are you using max FOV? Great video by the way. I just picked up this game yesterday.

[@HighLanderPonyYT]

*here comes the algo-demon! rawr*

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Thank you pony :-)

[@magicjohnson3121]

Are you a Metroid Prime fan? Or just a fan of the music?

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I like Metroid prime! It s a bit slower paced than I would like, but I like the game a lot and I think it was more influential than people realize

[@mokaandboudica]

I need to check this out - I was put off initially by the visuals perhaps being too much, but now seeing this in motion again, I'm intrigued enough to put it into the wishlist. BTW, what was the game you showed around the 5 to 6 minute mark to illustrate caravan more - it looks like one of the Star Soldiers, but somehow I just can't place it.

[@Psych0boost]

Oh snap, didn’t know they made a sequel

[@deus_nsf]

Oh nice! And yeah Devil Daggers is fascinating!

[@Heavymetalspirit710]

The review I have been waiting for

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I am glad to hear that my friend! Most of the other reviews for the game didn't really talk about the gameplay much

[@Heavymetalspirit710]

@@TheElectricUnderground They probs did not play it enough to truly fall into the unbelivable flow it offers, After 300 hours its the best FPS ive ever damn well tried lol.

[@SylvesterInk]

I had followed Devil Daggers since its initial release, but only got around to purchasing it last year. However, I haven't been able to get into the gameplay. It's not that the game is too fast or anything, as I'm a longtime AFPS player, and I especially enjoy those that are fast and have complex movement (such as CPMA, Warfork, and currently Quakeworld). It's just that Devil Daggers hasn't clicked with me yet. That said, as soon as Hyper Demon comes to Linux, it will be a day-one buy for me. I like to see developers innovating with fresh ideas, especially since the larger FPS industry as a whole has gotten stale, with focus more on spectacle than gameplay. And perhaps I may have finally gotten into Devil Daggers by then... :P

[@TheElectricUnderground]

oh yeah if you are looking for that complex movement, hyper demon has it. The added dashing and jumping really gives the game a more free form feel.

[@windup13ird60]

Hyper Demon is so crazy looking. Would it actually help me to play Devil Daggers first because it seems to have a little more visual clarity/simplicity to it, or is Hyper Demon just the better game? I know I'll suck because I never learned to aim (Medic/Mercy main), but a cool single player FPS experience is something that might give me incentive to try, rather than getting yelled at by randos on my team.

[@anaxe4370]

i like shooting skulls 😍

[@Amiherre]

Agreed

[@TheElectricUnderground]

They are really fun enemy types! The whole style of the game is really appealing to me. Finally something with a bit of an edge to it ha

[@morphtek]

what a gem ive missed

[@BBrecht]

This looks like it would be exactly my kind of game from a design perspective, but I know I won't be able to play it because I'm sensitive to strobing.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh yeah light sensitivity could be a barrier. You know what you could maybe try is like mess around with the color settings on your monitor to make the game monochromatic?

[@J4k3_Ry4n]

This is some Lawnmower Man shit lol. I love it.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

It is awesome!

[@diwajerebation4077]

commenting for the algorithm gods

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I thank you and the gods thank you :-)

[@jonichai5816]

Striker 1999 review please sir

[@atomicskull6405]

This needs to support VR headsets (not VR controls just the headset)

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh man your head might explode lol. I'd love to try it though!

[@atomicskull6405]

@@TheElectricUnderground GRIP: Combat Racing with VR support is amazing. It just uses the headset as a 360 degree 3D display, you still control the game with a gamepad. I really wish more games did this, or just use it as a giant 3D screen like the Gungrave VR games do. I don't like VR controls but VR games that are controlled like traditional video games with a controller are great.

[@SilentIsles]

A year later but I bet a gamepad could keep up with this game with gyro aiming

[@jmbmntis]

malevolent iridescence is how i would describe the graphics

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

Rewatching this again and I feel like this kind of game aren't for me.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That's all good! Sometimes even great games aren't a match for everyone :-)

[@swaghuh]

Love this Game. rich on gameplay backed up by fantastic visuals

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I know right! The whole package

[@julianseph842gamez5]

I don't even have a fvcking idea what's that game about...

[@TheElectricUnderground]

you shall learn from the review!

[@HotPocketHPE]

Yeah this game is great overall, had a lot of fun improving at it. Sadly the final boss is awful which is an FPS staple.

[@PedroFerreira-sx2gd]

Unfortunaly i AM not fan of fps. Gives me headhicks , specially now that i getting older. A friend of me is completely Addicted to hyper demon and showed me.the cheerful number of moves was quite amazing and at the same time hard to process. The game is quite unique And original. Would love to know what type of gamepad you use considering you are grabbing it only with One hand. i always hated playing fast paced games with mousse as i fell is not confortáble for the shoulders. I Also hád a Control scheme that i made in the past for fps but would only work with games that don t Need to look up and down. I had in the past an awful x arcade dual stick. And used to play Doom in newer engines. One stick doing the same as the keys wasd and the other stick with left and right moves to look to the sides , up to shoot and down to Open Doors. It looked awkard but it was very prátical and tons of fun. The butons of the stock would serve to Change weapons.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh so when I play most FPS (not just devil daggers) I have an xbox 360 pad. That pad is still a beast in my opinion and is easy to hold with one hand. I also love the triggers on it.

[@jan-niklashoffmann4683]

My eyes are bleeding now

[@TheElectricUnderground]

shedding bloody tears of joy :-)

[@zuffin1864]

Also, this game looks sick and makes me think we could have a third person version of this with intense aiming but also more 3d movement and a sword Sin & punishment vibes

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I talked to the dev and he said he was heavily inspired by sin and punishment, what a legend.

[@zuffin1864]

@@TheElectricUnderground BASED

[@seraph8293]

Play ultrakill pls

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I will have to later this year yes :-) Or something along those lines. One boomer shooter I love and probably will cover soon is Turok lol

[@seraph8293]

@@TheElectricUnderground if it isn't too difficult can you throw in hotline miami as well

[@jhonayo4887]

F me bro this should have won art design of the year or something! Awards are so rigged!

[@BrandonRealLilB]

I was gonna let it slide the first time you said it but then you said it again, homie what do you consider "level-design"???Because I assure you that both DD and HD have none 😂😂 they are both empty circle arenas!!! Great video otherwise glad you enjoy the game

[@boghogSTG]

Level design is a blanket term. Level design in DD, HD and basically every other game with no or simplified terrain (vertical shmups, beat em ups, arena shooters) means encounter design. Basically the way enemies/items spawn in, their overall sequence, even the procgen algorithm design if there is any - all that sort of stuff. Games like this are the polar opposite of walking sims in terms of level design, instead of *only* using environmental design, they use almost none of it.

[@BrandonRealLilB]

@@boghogSTG I've been alive 29 years and a gamer for 26 I've never once heard the term used that. That would be game design, or enemy design. A level is the environment or map that all of the things you mentioned take place on. Doesn't matter either way you can call it what you want I just might think it's a little weird 😅

[@boghogSTG]

@@BrandonRealLilB Depends on the crowd I guess, I've noticed that FPS players use "level design" just to mean the layouts and seldom anything else. It's common that arcade games drop that sorta level design in favor of encounter design, so arcade players don't make the distinction. "Game design" is too broad, while "enemy design" is too narrow, "level design" hits the spot 👌

[@BrandonRealLilB]

@@boghogSTG I play plenty of arcade games and to me if you say "level-design" I'm literally going to think you're talking about the background environment the game takes place in, even if it doesn't change the gameplay at all. If you want to say HYPER DEMON has level-design, well what are the different levels? Pre-deity spawn and fighting the deity? Otherwise the game is literally just a blend of spawns that variate depending on how fast you go through them. Hell, even blue and gold power-ups spawn at different times depending on how fast your PB is. If we can't even definitively label different levels, why are we pretending there is level-design?

[@boghogSTG]

@@BrandonRealLilB But that definition of level design is completely useless for analyzing shmups, some games have interactive elements but a lot of the backgrounds are straight up interchangeable. "Enemy design" wouldn't cut it either because enemy types can exist separately without ever being matched up, and spawns can also be separate. Not sure about HD yet, but in DD the spawns *are* the level design : 1.) The way enemies are mixed in each spawn - do the combinations compliment each other? Do they get you to play differently? Are they challenging? Are they dynamic? 2.) The overall pacing & sequence of enemies - does the game have a lot of downtime? What does it use to fill up parts between spawns, if there are any? Do the spawns overlap in ways that are interesting & snowball into each other? Do they create a sense of flow where the end of one encounter sets you up for another, or maybe disrupt it by forcing you to be in a shitty spot to deal with the next threat? How does the spawn pacing make you play? You can then say that DD's level design is lacking because a lot of the early encounters are spaced out too much and don't flow into each other, leaving massive gaps and feeling separate. This isn't entirely correct because the early parts encourage milking enemy spawners, but it's still a conclusion you can make when thinking about the level design itself. That's why using the term is useful here

[@Error_4x5]

I love reading the reviews from the white bread pure as baby tears players who think this game is like being on acid, lol. Their overly exaggerated reviews will boost it sells far beyond Devil's Daggers.

[@magicjohnson3121]

From an outsiders perspective this has to be the most confusing looking game.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

It is ha, but once you play it comes together :-)

[@inertia_dagger]

it popped up in my recommended tab on release, watched the trailer, saw who made it, purchased instantly

[@HeatIIEXTEND]

less face moar game JCDenton.jpg

[@BamdTheBamd]

common game awards L

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha the fact that they had no FPS category, but had a mobile category tells all.

[@Epicasfuk]

Devs if your reading this : Some of us 30 year old boomer gamers have burnt out there eyes the past 15 years of playing games and get motion sickness from graphics styles like this . Please add and option that normalizes the color pallet to look more like OG Devil Daggers w/ cleaner colors. (i can't play this atm because of this issue. )

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I think that is a good suggestion, for people more sensitive to colors. One trick you could try is play the game on a crt (that's how I play it) and then change your CRT color settings to be more monochromatic ha.

[@e_ighth]

you should look into a program called "ReShade" :D