RPGM - Completed - Demons Roots [v1.03 + DLC] [Quick nail Aristocrat]

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

It is I! Vodka! I finished it. Unlike most people who left with reviews that called it mediocre, I ACTUALLY finished it.

First off, I wanna start by acknowledging that the general theme of the game doesn't actually get serious until the later parts of the game. The Story and the Plot is usually light-hearted and I appreciate it. I just finished the game, after 50+ hours and I'm still teary-eyed. Here's my review.

Demons Roots, in terms of actual porn is mediocre at best.
There's a country that's dedicated to sex, and the Bad End has some CG's as well. I've busted a nut on this game like 4 or 5 times. If you're looking to get horny, this isn't the game.

Art is good, nothing to write home about. Some CG's look a bit clunky on small occasions but it's hardly noticeable.

Gameplay is good. Fairly balanced, even. Though most strategies usually rely on the Purple-haired girl to tank all the damage. Nevertheless, it's not as if the game would be impossible to beat with other strategies as well.

HOWEVER!!!
Despite having mediocre porn, despite having average art and gameplay!!!
What really takes the cake here, gentlemen, is one of THE best stories I've witnessed in JRPG.

I'm sure a lot of people had been turned off because of the rather cliche introduction in the first two chapters. Which to summarize:
"Deathpolca's the BIG BAD Tsundere Villain!! But Oh! She's not so bad because she likes slaves!! World Domination!! But ALSO not REALLY!!!"
Believe me, I thought I was in for another generic shit.

Chapter 3 is the start of the gradual maturation of the story.
Some important people started dying off, the main cast started to get cornered. And a book from the future that writes the prophecy of demonkind foretells its destruction.

And there I was. Watching it all unfold. This story genuinely stresses me out. I feel like during the events of the Berserker Drug Incident, the writing team composed of middle schoolers were all fired, hanged, drawn, and quartered. They then got replaced by much more serious, solemn writers after. I'm not sure what to expect anymore, and I always have a deep feeling of unease when the Emperor is on-screen.

Hopelessness... Is a common theme on the final quarters.
The "Keep our Promise" ending was good. Deathpolca achieved her goal, one way or the other. As I said, I just finished the game.
As I write with conviction, my heart still hangs heavily.

With that said, I would've appreciated if the ending wasn't so abrupt. I wish they gave me more time to appreciate the game more. A proper sendoff, so to speak. It's cringe, but the journey I had on Demons Roots will forever remain with me. I sincerely thank the single developer who'd been developing this game for almost a decade for this experience.

Lastly, I just wanna give a quick shoutout to the best waifu on the game, yes Sarasa, it's you. You don't have the best porn, it'd probably be Kalinka on that regard. But as a character, you really stand out to me. It was an honor.

A lot of effort must've gone into making the game, but it mostly resulted in greater quantity with the quality remaining mediocre throughout.

Not my style to unreservedly insult writing. I prefer to go into excruciating detail that would bore most people, but here I'll just give my general impression: Demons Roots' story is like a 12 year old writing an epic story for a 7 year old. It's immature, shallow, and generally lacks self-awareness: e.g. characters being transparent mouthpieces for the writer, or cardboard cutouts made to the order of delivering exposition (which is also not a welcome sight).

With standard, unremarkable RPGM combat, I'd say the game serves no real purpose or accomplishes anything of note except, of course, the "game" is only part of its purpose--the rest being the porn.

As it's highly subjective, I'll simply say I thought the porn seemed to reflect the general sensibilities of the game's creators. Not my taste--but that's irrelevant. The blandness and superficiality of the characters, however, does serve to undermine the attempt to give the scenes emotional impact.

Can't knock the game too hard as it serves a niche and was, at least, a valiant attempt at something special. Ultimately, though, I feel the energy would've been better spent after 10 years or so of growing up for those involved.

To be honest, the start was kinda slow. But the more you play, the more you are attached with the characters furthermore the storyline is amazing.

Story : Masterpiece (5/5)
Characters : Stuck with me (5/5)
Art : Good, but not that amazing (3.5/5)
Gameplay : Typical RPG Maker gameplay but with appropriate difficulty (3/5)
Music : The music was great, made by hiring Shade the famous eroge music composer, the same one who made one of Rance Quest music. (5/5)

Final Verdict :
Game so good that I had to purchase a copy from dlsite just to support the author.

I seldom feel compelled to review a game but this one is different. So many aspects of the game is simply outstanding which forms an excellent game. To me, there are 4 main aspects of the game that makes it so good:
Music: There are some RPGMaker stock music in here but the soundtrack is unique in all of the important areas as well as hard-hitting areas of the plot (which I will get to)
Gameplay: I am typically not fond of games with grind, but I did not ever feel the need to grind the game and the level progression is quite natural. The gameplay is your typical RPGMaker mechanics, which to me is quite boring. If you are like me, make use of the "z" key as well as the "remember command" option within the settings so that you can hold down the Z key to make the same attacks/skills as last round. Besides that, all of the characters' utilities are unique and it does feel good to min/max a certain character to make them really good.
Art: The art is charming in its own way and it is unique, but after play for a while I couldnt help but notice how almost all of the characters have massive foreheads. Truth be told I did not like the H art content, especially stuff in the bad end but almost all of it is optional.
Plot: The writing in my opinion is where this game shines well above all other games, beyond even just H games. It has been a while since I've felt engaged with the plot and actually feel for characters within any media, and there were moments that made me actually tear up. There are moments where the writing takes a back seat and the game does not take itself too seriously, which I appreciated. Nonetheless, when the writing hits its stride, it really often does hit home for me.

This will certainly be one of the games I remember because of its story and writing, and I couldn't be happier for it. I hope the devs continue to produce games of such quality given that this is their second game.

Disclaimers:
1. This probably will be the second game on F95 I have ever rated 5 Stars (Karryn's Prison is the 1ST)
2. No TL;DR Review for this game (for reasons)
3. Unlike other reviews which didn't inform you SOMETHING important prior to buying/playing this game, this review will catch you up on every other minor details you might be considering before your final call on buying/playing the game
4. This is a PLOT-DRIVEN game with serious RPG elements and gimmicks. So for anyone who knows themselves very well, and especially those know their focuses are:
a. Visual Aspect (sexy waifus/shotas or arousing images)
b. Audio Aspect (VOs, SEs, and other erotic sounds)
c. Non-gore contents ONLY (there will be blood)
d. Easy-to-access H-contents (I'll explain...)
Please pick another game to play, this game is not made for you despite having a high rating
5. The following review will be spoiler-free
6. This is second volume of a series in term of release date, the first volume is "King Exit". In chronological order, this is the prequel before "King Exit"
7. FINALLY, 1 IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T TRIED "King Exit":
This is the 2nd product of the series. So in terms of overall, this game will be MUCH BETTER than "King Exit" from gameplay, mechanics, scenes, narrations, plot progressions and MANY OTHER ASPECTs. Playing THIS GAME first will definitely RUIN your experience for "King Exit". For anyone, especially ones who ENJOY PLOT AND STORY ABOVE ALL ELSE, please play "King Exit" first.

And one more for self-burn:
8. For adult/porn/hentai games of all genres, my personal core standard revolves around AUDIO-VISUAL aspect as top priority, SETTING and LORE as the 2nd, GAMEPLAY and MECHANICS as the baseline (pass or fail; it doesn't matter you have the best AUDIO-VISUALs, if a developer doesn't understand what RPG is, the RPG is bad regardlessly)

Spoiler-free Detailed Review:
Before the review begins, there are a few things to share that will save your time reading the core review:
a. On average, finishing the complete game takes about 50hrs+. If you want a cost-efficient game with plenty of replayability value and a ton of lore + setting contents, this one is probably the best buy of most of the recent releases
b. If you intend to play BLIND for all ACHIEVEMENTs, you may be spending beyond 100hrs+ eventually. So if you are dedicated to be a game achiever, just buy it
c. The whole series (currently 2 volumes) contains so much contents that it is on par to "Lord of the Ring" (book series, not the movie). If you are a big fan of reading, go ahead

So, first, the main appeal is the plot and setting. It will be including politics, wars, equality, slavery and more. Yes, when I put "Lord of the Ring" up there as a reference, you can definitely compare it to early seasons of "Game of Thrones". Again spoiler-free, in terms of depth and seriousness on various issues, it's just a game...it will touch those issues, but not really going all the way. Hence, don't worry the game going too intense to the point where it reaches an annoying level. It gets good and it goes into various directions based on your actions and choices.

As for Audio...the developer did hire someone for creating the BGMs. So be prepare to enjoy those nicely made music as you journey through the game. However...VOs, etc. get ready for hours of absence for those. It is difficult to give it a 5 Stars rating because of that, but, if you can get past that, you will enjoy the game in the end.

Visually, I wouldn't say the visual is a perfect 5/5 again. However, it does have special cut-ins for SPECIAL MOVES. And those, they are visually fine, and could go above your standard expectation for a regular RPGM game. For scenes and characters, they are decent enough than average, but not the top of the industry OFC...so don't get into this game if you are expecting top quality visuals beyond imagination.

For gameplay, it is a standard JRPG, however, GRINDING is not promoted...there is a mechanism in-game that makes up the lack of leveling and rewarding players for farming in specific ways...XD so whether you are one of those skillful players who bend the norms, or you are a standard kind-hearted grinder, you will get rewarded in both ways. You will be able to finish the game either way.

As for map design, enemies and hidden elements, the hidden elements are so hard to find, you will either have to be very patient or have to look it up a guide to locate those. Maps are generally easy to navigate to access the main events and plot, however feel free to explore for goodies and hidden elements. The other thing is backtracking is often minimized unless you are attempting for MAX achievements. Enemies are generally easy, you can easily find strategies on your own to defeat them.

FINALLY, the hidden gem of this game is that most people forgot about coding and programming. The numerous triggers and specific mechanisms implemented in the game for those specific events, achievements and hidden elements on the maps, all those show you how much dedication the developer has for this project. If there is nothing else out of the common elements we can identify and review on a regular basis, we should appreciate how much work the developer put in making sure those mechanics will be running smoothly under certain conditions with specific triggers. For any game developers on F95Zone, yes, where most reviews go hammer on audio-visual or plot elements completely, if you think no one will ever mention coding and programming, let me be one of those few that can appreciate your hardship in carefully fixing lines of codes just to get those complicated events running smoothly without bugging anything else in the background or when running the same standard map with so little and subtle alterations to cover those secrets.

Overall, this is a great game, I don't enjoy the audio-visual aspect totally, but I still gave it a 5 Stars. Simply, this game has a better than average plot; complex map mechanics but simple map layouts; minimal backtracking for main events; high quality coverups for SECRET ELEMENTs of the game; nice special cut-ins no other developers implemented; and that bold decision to go above all and hire someone for BGMs. Not to mention how carefully planned on designing those codings/programmings for all those secret elements on maps and achievements.

Thank you for reading this review, hopefully this spoiler-free review gives you everything for making the final decision on buying the game. Supporting outstanding developers on the market will give us better games and I wish this review does its magic trick for you.

Ratings:
Overall - 5/5
Visual - 4/5
Audio - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Gameplay - 5/5

Personal score:
Overall - 5/5 "Must buy! Must play!"
Visual - 4/5
Audio - 3/5
Plot - 5/5
Gameplay - 5/5

If I were to suggest a few more things before its final release:
a. Animations (only if cost and time allow)
b. VOs and background sounds (only if cost and time allow)
However, the developer did spend nearly a decade to create this game, I certainly understand the limitations of developing a game. Regardless of my personal view on those areas, this game deserves a 5/5 rating.

Fantastic JRPG featuring a rich, fantasy world with interesting characters and an incredibly story.

War, racism, intrigue, betrayal and death.

If you're looking for a more serious, somewhat tragic but extremely well-written plot - while still sprinkled with lighter moments to keep the story grounded and interesting - you've come to the right place.

And the best of all - everything is centered around one of the best (and cutest) JRPG protagonists of all time.

Just keep in mind, Demons Roots can easily run beyond 50 hrs of gameplay if you decide to explore everything its fantastic world has to offer.

...honestly, I wish it went on for longer.

Really great game. Story was great, but characters were AMAZING. Gameplay was decent. The frequency of H isn't very high, but honestly I wasn't playing for the H once I got invested in the characters.

Great story and characters. My only gripe is the ending - we already learned that the future is malleable, yet the final outcome remains the same in general.

Yes there is a difference in whether demon species survive or not afterward, but

Gameplay-wise, Demons Roots is just your standard RPG-maker fanfare with surprisingly great build customizations.

HOWEVER, story-wise, THIS IS IT. It is superb; exceptional; astounding; transcendental, even (might not even be hyperbole). It has been some time since a game’s story has moved me so thoroughly and it’s from an eroge!

If you’re looking for a game with a fantastic story, a great lineup of lovable characters, and don’t mind some hard-core-ish H-scenes reminiscent of something from Evenicle, give Demons Roots a shot.

I have never reviewed or went out of my way to comment on a game here so i feel like it means something if a random person comes out of his shell to say this. If your reading this, this game is most definitely worth it.

A great story, nice gameplay and unique and entertaining characters. There are many twists and turns that tug at your feelings (i was suffering lmao) and its lovely.

Don't treat this like a low quality porn game for a quick jerk. There was real effort put into this story and its probably my favorite h-game game now. Give it a try, i have a feeling you won't regret it.

Just finished the game, took me around 40 hours I think so it's a pretty long game with tons of content. I think this is a fantastic RPG reminiscent of classic 2D RPGs. You have a grand story line with a large and memorable cast of characters. The story is well-written and engaging with humour interwoven well. The art is from a hentai artist that I like so that's a plus to me but the adult part of the game really is secondary to being a fantastic RPG in my opinion.

Very good game. First you start slowly but the more you play the more character and teammate help you in the battle. All your teamate aslo have a story behind and different playstyle.
The world have many city/kingdom for you to explore.
Love the bad end mode.

I certain recommend this game for you.

Damn, this is one of my favorite eroge games so far. Yes, the story is well-written, as everyone below has said. The H-scenes are a bit lacking in the main story, but in return, the BDSM/torture scenes are really well done. It could be even better if it also included guro or something similar..."

A good game for those who enjoy violence and torture, although you have to progress a little further to fully experience all that scenes.