RPGM - Completed - Demons Roots [v1.02] [Quick nail Aristocrat]

Excellent story with great graphic which make me confused that H-game plot can be this good. "Hopelessness" is the main theme of this game. which is similiar to Nier automata. Although the combat is repetitive and tedious.

I'm not really sure how to convey how much I enjoyed this game in words, each of the main cast members are so interesting but hit those cliches that you'd expect in anime.

The story went to places I did not see and made me care about the characters more than I thought possible, after finishing the game I couldn't hold back the tears and had to let it out. The end run is so good and emotional, leaving me with that post-game depression you get after finishing something with a really good and meaningful story.

The lewds were alright, at least the consensual ones, I had no interest in the bad end mode, especially not after seeing how wholesome and sweet the main characters are, especially Polca and Lily.

Man, this game is a roller-coaster. I have never seen such a game that has a refined story yet. The game-play might feel a bit lackluster and a bit repetitive but it doesn't hinder the overall experience. Everything fit as well as a Lego block. The ending had me. Although this game is called Eroge, the lewd elements were not the main focus and this game feels fine with it.

overall I give 5/5 stars for a game long enough to be enjoyable but not too long to feel it grind y or boring. The only other hope that I have is this game should be remade into a 3D Action adventure RPG game with AA quality. A lot of people including me would be willing to pay for it.

An eroge game so good it made me buy the game legally through steam.
One of the rare cases where the story is a lot better than the porn, hell throughout my 50 hour playtime i didn't fap at all to the hentai scenes.

My god this game is good, it's the first time i play a rpgm game with a story like that. I know it's not perfect but it's better than most of the other rpgm game i played. And the H part of the game is really good too even if it's mostly bad end.

Sorry if my english is broken,i don't speak english very well.

Demon Roots is a high production rpg maker game that has a very good anime artstyle. Sadly that is the only praise this game is allowed to have. You play as a girl demon that desires to bring demons back to earth, kill everyone and exact revenge on humanity. To do this you will slowly and single handed conquer nation after nation. The entire core of this game is its length story, its very long texts and the many, many fights you will get into. At no point whatsoever in this game the main genre marketed is properly used. After a tortuous one hour tutorial followed by two hours of story and boring, repetitive fights that abuse the most basic of rpgm elements, I saw only one miserable scene. A pathetic static image that had almost no relation to the story and was about a random npc. I strongly believe this game was not made with intent to be a hentai game, but used this as a crutch to farm attention, proven when you reach the nonsensical carnival. Nothing in the gameplay is remotely enticing or sensual with the exception of one or two character designs. It is so detached from the main genre marketed that you have the option to turn it off and will affect absolutely nothing. This game was designed to be a very pretentious story about the evil of men and the not so evil of demons that were actually the decent guys all along. Again, the only positive factor is some parts of the artstyle, nothing more. I dropped after two chapters because it is a bland, repetitive, obnoxious, game with amateur level storytelling without a single memorable character.

I can't point to a game here that does the rpg gameplay as good as this one (main complaint is money was completely useless to me after an hour or 2 of gameplay, there are incredibly expensive items from very early on, when you have enough money to buy them you already have better items... Also Ange+evasion is ridiculous, but without her I would've died x1000 times more so it's cool with me)
The story is incredible, again, VERY FEW games in here compare to it.
The lenght, it's probably not accurate since I've let it be in my computer in stand by, but definitely 25h+.
The H part is nothing crazy, but the art is great, it mantains the 5 stars.
One of my favorite h-games, despite it not hitting any of my fetishes, which is sick. More of a game than a H-game for sure. I'm here for H-games, but this one I had to play, and so do you, you'll get invested, trust me.

The 18+ side of the game is cool and all, but I'm so glad you can turn it off. This game is a masterpiece with the most heartbreaking story I've see in a long time.

The story is a long one, with so much suffering, struggling and heartbreak that the fact that it ends the way it does is just tragic. It actually drove me to tears, that's rare for a game, especially a game on this site...

Great Amazing Wonderful Game, THROW THE GLAZING I CAN EVER GIVE, DR is one of the top-tier Hentai games I played, came for the porn stayed for the story, and made me cry on the Princess Lily backstory cutscene, I love Kudan and Diablo, they're everything the Emperor is not.

I'm just upset that Polca's victory is bittersweet and real Diana died, Overall, Fuck the Emperor blessing curse bastard.

Overall 5/5. A mediocre game packed with an amazing story, an absolutely amazing story.

Gameplay 1.5/5. Very basic RPGM gameplay with a few tweaks, the experience however, is boring, tedious, and grindy. The gameplay / combat is the worst part about this game and you only bear with it for the story

Story 5/5. A basic premise of "Demons fighting for survival", that is just extremely well made. The writing leads to a story that kept me hooked throughout, i felt happy, sad, scared, angry, and curious but always wanting more. The world and its different regions, people, and culture are quite detailed which really compliments the plot

Characters 5/5. A cast of characters with well written personality, background, and motivations. By the end I just wished the game could be longer so I can spend more time with them

Art 3/5. Its fine, its more than enough to serve the game

H content 3.5/5. This is a game first, porn second. H content has 3 parts Doremi, Main Story, and Bad End. Doremi is side stories which are happy and vanilla, Main Story is few and plot heavy, and bad end, which is the really messed up shit.

I'm conflicted on this game. I've played first on the idea of a Hgame, but at the end I've stayed for the plot. Nearly all CG is tied on losing combats and being send to the Bad end Dungeon, something you will do a lot on the 2nd part of the game if you surrender. Problem is, plot is simple but effective, revolving around enslavement and racism, and enemies are so little charismatic and so wicked you don't want to lose to them. This takes you to the most frustrating part: Combat. This is so boring and makes you grind a lot so at the end it made me use a savegame editor to bypass that.

Plot, as said, is straightforward and simple. May be too simple, but at least everybody is evil with demons the less ones thanks to the main character and some colleagues. It fails to deliver any conflict on the conquest as humans are retarded and rotted. Plot have some twist/wtf at the middle and some twist at the end, leaving you with the promise of a second game. How they will do it, I don't know.

There's nearly zero secondary missions, if you consider a secondary mission a country founded around sex (where you can grind for some bonuses) , some extra hard dungeons or some treasure hunting.

On the graphical aspect, game is good (for a RPGM game). I can't give my opinion on FX's and music as I play mute.

Final verdict: It's a good game if you forget about being a Hgame. Even more, the H scenes are not well integrated on the plot (you're a demon, FFS). It would have been easier if you created a plot where everyone is rotten and has a reason to be as it is.

I'm sorry, ok? I feel really bad about doing this. I don't want to be this person, but you guessed it... What the hell is up with everyone, who reviewed Demons Roots?

I'm blaming the Martians, and the Mandela effect, and the coming zombie apocalypse, and time travelers are real, and all the conspiracy theories are actually true.

Have you actually PLAYED Demons Roots?

Did you experience this abysmal combat system, where there are no exciting skills, no loot to look forward to, and every round gets you closer to dementia, cause enemies and party members are pretty much "chopping wood systematically". How do you tolerate combat encounters that last never-ending minutes, number in the hundreds, and proceed at a snail's pace?

Why are you not telling like it is?

This is not freaking Dragon's Dogma, where every terrible mechanic is outshined by a stroke of brilliance or genius. Don't give me any of that sass!

There's more though, you thought that was it? "Non non non, ma petite cherrie". There's "someone" else who needs to stand on trial, for crimes against all of the "videogame enjoyer population".

Your Honor, the defendant is: "The crappiest dungeon exploration since the 16 bit consoles become antiques". What. In. The. Actual. Hell?

How can you remove (not completely) random encounters from an RPG, and actually make things worse? What's the point of carefully placing enemies in narrow places, so that they can always catch you? The random encounters are there after all, you "sorry puppies" (it's the same feeling). Is this the end of the rant? Nope. Cause the sadism went further, and they decided that "noticeable, but hard to get secrets" are now "hip and fashionable".

So there I was, with a handful full of this, and another full of that... Hah! I wish! (...) So there I was going back and forth, trying to get the treasure, while being constantly caught by the enemy, like a headless chicken on the verge of a stroke. Give my back my random encounters and a (cheap, accessible) "repel system" any day of the weak.

This is not freaking Fallout New Vegas, where the initial, slow, boring pacing, is eventually replaced with an epic sense of discovery, exploration, and adventure. Don't try to be cheeky with me!

Ok, I feel better now. So here's the deal:

Yes, there is some good in Demons Roots, I'm not painting a complete picture. For instance, story, characters, worldbuilding, setting etc... The thing is, that this is not a VN, it's an RPG, with horrible RPG mechanics. That's the honest truth right there, I'd swear it in front of the executioner. I just had to come here, and try to put things into perspective, so that maybe at least one person, doesn't end up disillusioned like I was after playing this.

This is a 6/10, and it's one of less than a handful of JRPGs, where I just gave up and quitted. Remember that your existence in this world is not permanent. Add to that, the fact that I started with Golden Sun in the GBA, and make of that as you will.

- plays terrifying track, loud screeching sounds, and a distorted voice - You have been warned!!! (I wasn't)

This is my first ever time writing a review for a hentai game, but I feel like there's enough reason for me to do it here.

First and foremost, the hentai aspect of this game is kinda bad, the scenes are rare and far between, and the majority of them are in special areas of the game you have to intentionally want to access, and that's all those areas of the game do. However, if you're going into this expecting a good time, you're still going to get it.

Demon Roots is a fucking masterpiece. Best RPGMaker game I have ever played, erotica or not, and I've played my fair share of these types of games. I'm personally not much into the loli MC aspect of the game, but the story builds it's characters and world so well that you just forget on what website you actually got this shit on. It slaps.

However, it lacks a bit in the combat department. The encounters feel really grindy, and towards the end of the story I just started skipping and running away from optional encounters, because it just gets really tedious after a while. Genuinely, the only thing that kept me playing is the story, worldbuilding, and the interactions between characters, although at times these can be a bit cringey, the journey is all worth it to see the end.
Please, play this game, because you'll be doing yourself a favor

Porn is so-so.

Second best RPG I've played in 2023 behind Baldur's Gate 3- and you could get me drunk and change my mind.

Probably not worth it if you're not horny- but not a lot of porn games are of "play this RPG if you want to play an RPG, you eunuch" good and this one is.

If you want a genuinely touching and dark JRPG with most of the pro and contras of the genre, Demons Roots is the game for you.

If you want a game to fap to, you need to have either very specific tastes and/or tolerance.

I heavily recommend it, but in both directions it has elements that I'd say drag it down heavily.

I'm sure a lot of people have written extensively about the combat and story, and while the latter is fine, the former is indeed excellent, but I want to make a case for the heart of this game.
Yes, it is cheesy jrpg Bullshit. But the emotional core of the story, the two-three characters the story is fundamentally about, are genuinely great.
The game also has coherent and mostly well executed themes, for the most part.


Now to the big minus points.
Characters introduced in the second half are just a lot less good. I won't go as far as some others, I still enjoyed them both on their own and as group members, but the game may genuinely have been better if the two last introduced party members had been cut.

The hentai. It's sparse, except for two dedicated areas where like 95% of the scenes are. Content wise, they vary between a few more lighthearted ones, many creepy ones and many, mayn genuinely dark ones.
Unfortunately, there are also 2-4 characters (out of ) with way too childlike designs or behavior for me to feel comfortable with their scenes. By the time I'd reached them I was invested in the story and just skipped my way through them, but it has seriously worsened my experience, and I came close to dropping the game thrice.

The ending.
Unlike some reviews I've seen, my trouble is less with what happens and more with how it's executed. It needed more direct buildup and more time to stew. As it stood, it felt like a cheap gutpunch, after which the devs come back and say "jk, lol".
It didn't ruin game, story or even ending for me, but it certainly worsened the game in my eyes.

Overall, I give the game a clear recommendation. Just don't play it to for the porn, unless you enjoy loli content I guess.

Good game. Its strength is in the setup of its story. It held my attention for quite a while and I'd recommend playing it. There were some sore spots that I'm going to focus on in this review, but they didn't take too much away from the overall enjoyment. Basically, this is going to be critiquing the game rather than simply praising it.

1) It does have standard RPGmaker combat. Don't go into this game expecting some big formula change. While it's not done horribly, unique gameplay isn't a strong suit of this game. If standard RPGmaker combat is a dealbreaker for you, then don't be surprised if you end up getting bored when you play this. Truthfully, there were times in the game where I was getting sick of it as some areas they really lay the encounters on thick. They're often not single turn encounters either.

2) I praise the overall setup of the story. There's some real tearjerkers here and there along with some surprising reveals. However, there is some shit in this game that's entirely nonsensical and feels tacked on. The biggest offender happens mid-gameish. Japanese writers really just can't help themselves sometimes I suppose, but there is a fucking isekai section. This part and the character you gain from it feels completely out-of-place and out-of-tone for the entire game. It doesn't even integrate it very well either, it's just one of those things where you go "well that just happened I guess" and then its ignored. I feel like they felt compelled to include it just because its mainstream in glorious nippon land. Whatever. There's some other things about the setting that can be nitpicked , but probably the 2nd most bothersome thing about the game to me is the ending. A lot of the game is centered around overcoming insurmountable odds through friendship and sheer dumb luck. You know, typical shonen writing. Then it does a complete rug pull at the end. It's like Patrick Star sitting you down and telling you the story about The Ugly Barnacle. The good still outweighs the bad, but I couldn't even take things seriously anymore once I got to the end.

3) Full CG unlock on game completion only available on the easy difficulty. Somehow it feels like I've been punished for wanting to beat the game on normal difficulty without strictly following a guide on unlocking all CGs. Poor decision I feel because again I was getting sick of the RPGmaker combat enough that I felt no desire to do NG+.

4) Characters are far from created equally for combat and there is no real build variety. You either use characters the way they're intended or you just suck eggs.

What an awesome game. I really can't say anything that the other reviews haven't already covered, but the characters and the story is what these games should be all about. You will sympathize and suffer with them through the dark and sad twists of the story. It'll stay with you far longer than the 40-60h it will take you to complete it.

If you play it for the porn, you will be disappointed. It actually is meaningless to the story and feels tacked on most of the time. The bad ends are... great in their execution, but also really really dark.

There is also too much combat, even when playing on easy.

But all this isn't important, in light of one of the best stories told in RPGM in years.

Edit: Also, let me add this. I was concerned by all the people writing they didn't like the ending... but having seen it: How can you not like this? Yes, it's bittersweet. Yes, there's suffering and sacrifice, but it makes the success so much more profound.

So many games have poor, rushed (happy) endings. To me, this one was perfect.

I love an RPG where you spend hours and it's not all encounters but something I appreciate in hentai games is a story and characters who aren't just horny but have a personality and emotions. It made me hate the bad route and made me appreciate the good route because at some point I chose to feel good than to feel horny. If I could give any criticism is that the Hentai scenes are congested into two areas the bad end and park a bit more spread out ones would be good.

Just like many others, I can't believe that I randomly downloaded this h-game for the sexy scenes but soon realized that was just a facade, this game's incredible. 30 hours deep and I finally finished the story while not caring whatsoever about the the H-part of the game...

The writing is insanity, yes it's complex and there are many weird plot-lines at moments, but at it's core it's one of the best stories I've witnessed in years

Finished the game and I have no urge to even go back and re-visit the missed h-scenes in a bad end, it would be too painful after knowing the story...

Are you tired of furiously masturbating to mediocre MTL asset flips until it chafes? Do you want to play a game that actually makes you feel something? (Other than the feeling of your dick/pussy in your hands). Do you want to play a game that leaves you with that feeling of "what now?" after the credits roll? That makes you remember why playing obscure indie games is worth it? If yes, then put that bottle of lube down for a moment, and give Demons Roots a try. Keep the tissues with you however. You will still be needing those.

So, what makes Demons Roots worthy of the praise it's been getting over here? I played the game for around 50 hours until the credits rolled to find out. Lets start with the big guns:

Story:
Comparisons with Yoko Taro games are adept here. You can tell the creator has a fucking fetish for pulling at your heart strings. But you will let him, because you secretly enjoy it too. The thing is that the pacing is just right such that the comedic or wholesome parts actually manage to relieve the tension, and it does not feel cheap. Unfortunately it is hard to say too much here without spoilers, beyond what is already in the summary of the game. But I assure you that you will not see some of the plot twists coming. Another thing that drew me in is the fact that the game manages to be dark and raw in it's storytelling in a way only an H-game made by a single person can be. And it does this without falling into the pitfalls of endless misery porn, edginess or cucking by making use of it's good character writing, and the cast's optimistic outlook.

Character writing:
This is the bread and butter of the game, and what elevates the story even further. Every single party member is pretty lovable and has an interesting story line that is explored throughout the game. Your team will include an interdimensional police officer in search of her family, a futa prince fighting in the royal game of succession, a gladiator forced to do unspeakable acts for the cheering crowds, and a magic student in a school that makes 1984 look like a relaxing summer vacation. They all have one thing in common: They are essentially slaves, brought together as brothers (and sisters) in arms by their will to change their fates, and by the leadership of the main character: Deathpolca. What can I even say about her? I don't think there are any H games with a better written protagonist. (Yeah, that's a pretty low bar, I know). Even other games with otherwise great stories can still end up with the clueless "UwU, what are you doing goblin-san. Yamete kudasaaaai!" girl as MC. Either that or a dude with absolutely no personality beyond the desire of getting his dick wet at every opportunity and by any means necessary (looking at you, Rance). Yeah, sometimes they are funny, but I am sure Deathpolca's smugness and humour will get a good laugh out of you too.

The fact that the cast is so relatable, combined with the ever-present threat of the gruesome "Prison of Warning" (the Bad End mode) increases the stakes of the story and gives a weight to the character's struggles. It's not just implied: Should Deathpolca and her party lose a fight, you will see your beloved team experience what happens to those who oppose the empire, in around 20 or so different scenarios you can chose from. For example, being sent to the frontlines to live as cum-dumps for the rest of their lives. If you ask me, that is some pretty good motivation to not lose. The art here is also not as tame as my description makes it sound. I think most people will have trouble fapping to the bad end scenes, so that is not the intended purpose here (but who am I to judge, you crazy bastard!). Luckily the scenes are also not as cruel as to require immediate eye bleach and therapy either. No gore, severed body parts flying around, and that kind of stuff. Instead, the scenes kept me constantly hoping there would be a better end. A satisfying payoff, and a respite to Polca and her party's perils. I also know that these indie devs are crazy enough not to do that just to fuck with you. But you will have to see for yourself what happens. Just don't fall for the "fake ending" mid way through. Gotta see it all the way till the end.

Music:
Since I mentioned Rance before, I could also tell you that one of the composers of that game (Shade) also composed the key tracks of the Demons Roots OST. And they slap. Check it out:


How many games here even have the luxury of an OST that is at least decent? Furthermore, the tracks are used pretty well. They will play during the emotional moments, or the climaxes of the boss fights.

Art:
The character and H art is solid. (Of course it is, the author is a Doujin illustrator). There is also plenty of artwork beyond the H scenes for increased emotional damage. The style varies a bit here. Other than the regular anime art, some of the other drawings styles are perhaps references to the style of other "staples" in the genre.


Attention to details:
The game is very well polished. It's crazy to think it was done by a single person (over a couple of years I am sure). Each character's ultimate attack has a special cut-in animation. There are extra challenging side bosses, hidden puzzles that reward you with gear, and small side quests. I have not encountered any bugs, and the translation is great. With MTL games the impact of some scenes or the jokes can just not come through, which is thankfully not the case here. You also get a certificate png upon completing the game, with your total play time and party level. Small details all around to remind you that this is a labor of love.

H content:
Some scenes are sprinkled throughout the story. Most of the time they do not feel "forced", and help set the dark tone of the world. There is also the aforementioned Bad End mode, and a "theme park" where you can experience the more vanilla H content at your leisure.

The bad stuff:
- The story and characters might just not be your cup of tea. This could be the case if you really despise some or all of the following: RPG maker games, 1000 year-old loli demons, porn in your games, crying, or women.
- What am I supposed to play now? When will I find another little gem like this? Fuck.
- I know. I don't have much to say here. Yes, I'm pretty biased. I have a god-damn Deathpolca profile picture too so you could have honestly seen that coming. Check the other reviews if you want more details on this part, but hopefully from someone that at least finished the game and experienced the character's stories before writing their opinion about them.

TLDR: Big sadge