Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition (PC)

Before we begin, it is important to note that Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition is a video game that features mature content as this game exists primarily for the purposes of adult entertainment. However, The Game Hoard endeavors to keep the content of its language and images around the PG-13 or Teen rating systems used for movies and games respectively, so there will be no detailed descriptions of the mature content or images depicting it. Still, I believe I can provide a fair and detailed analysis within these bounds as well as judging it appropriately even if the adult content is or is not to my particular tastes.

Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition’s story is a fairly simple and almost familiar one, the set up evoking the typical tales told in medieval fantasy stories. An evil demon lord named Malos has set out to wipe out humanity, wiping out many kingdoms with his overwhelming power. As he rests in his demon realm though, the princess of one of these kingdoms sets out to put an end to him once and for all. Now, the Princess Dianne and Demon King Malos will do battle as part of a classic struggle between good and evil, and that’s pretty much the long and short of the plot. The outcome of their battle will lead to different results, but there’s not much more detail to give about the central characters as this plot exists mostly as a set up for the main focus of the title.

However, despite having the many trappings of visual novels such as text you advance by clicking, the option to skip previously seen dialogue when trying to get the multiple endings, and static images representing the characters as they speak and interact, there is actually a gameplay element in the form of the battle between Malos and Dianne. The player takes on the role of the villain Malos in this skirmish though, both the player and their opponent having four attack options available. Attack, Counter, Heal, and Charge are the four skills, and the interplay between them actually makes the battle into a bit of a small puzzle as you’ll have to figure out Dianne’s attack patterns and respond appropriately. Attacking simply deals damage, but if it’s countered, the person defending takes no damage while dealing a small amount themselves whether or not they are attacked. Healing restores a tiny amount of health, but if the opponent Charges on that turn, the healer gets extra life back. However, a Charge will boost the effects of whatever action is chosen next, Attack and Counter dealing more damage and Heal restoring more lost health. Battles are divided into multiple phases broken up by Malos and Dianne talking with each other, and with each phase, Dianne’s tactics will shift. Your performance in the battle will determine which of the three endings you get, meaning that to see them all requires getting an understanding of the different approaches Dianne takes each phase, but by the time you unlock Hard mode where you have half health to fight her with, you’ll likely have her figured out to the point it’s not much harder at all.

As the “domination” in the title implies, this game’s main purpose is to fulfill power fantasies for the player, scenes devoted to this element cropping up after the outcome of your fight. The demon king is positioned as an incredibly powerful and capable individual, and for those interested in power and control fantasies, Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition is catering specifically towards you. If that’s not your cup of tea however, there’s not much else on offer when it comes to general content, but that isn’t necessarily a knock on the work done for its particular brand of escapism. A devoted focus likely means that those interested in what its narrative and content are focused around will be pleased with what’s available, but it’s still generally simplistic when it begins to indulge in this side of the game. Certainly some people won’t want to wait too long to get to the main attraction of the title, and since the battle segment is pretty short, it manages to make getting there interesting without frustrating a player eager to see the different endings. In addition to the scene rewards in Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition though, there are also audio epilogues unlocked after each ending. These only feature one static image as they play, so Dianne’s voice actress has a lot on her plate when it comes towards speaking in-character as well as narrating the events of a scene as if she was in a radio drama. Funnily enough, the final epilogue is perhaps the only thing in the game that doesn’t match the typical focus on domination fantasies, but since it’s the last thing in the game you earn, its not really there to draw in a new type of player, it simply just offers a different scenario than the norm.

Speaking of the voice actress, sound and visuals in a game like this are more important than they usually are for a title as they are the basis through which most will judge the game’s content. Almost all of the images in the game are devoted to the heroine, Princess Dianne only really joined by background elements most of the time. Demon King Malos is never seen in full despite being the player character and his voice is a pretty cliche demon voice, that being a man using a voice filter to have a deeper echoed voice. He mostly speaks as you’d expect a typical villain to talk as well, assured of his strength and quick to speak of his villainous plans and intentions. Dianne, however, has to carry much more of the experience and her voice actress seems up to the task, able to handle whatever emotion she needs to despite the natural awkwardness of the epilogue writing. When it comes to her depiction in game though, Princess Dianne has a few unusual facial expressions that can detract from her appearance, but the more detailed art devoted to her in game is well done. Animation is at a minimum in the title though, most images static or shifting instantly from one pose to another or even just shaking slightly to try and give it a bit more energy. The fighting is a bit more kinetic since it features many rapid and different actions, but it’s still very much a visual novel where the focus is on trying to make individual still shots look good or fill their narrative role.

THE VERDICT: For those interested in a fantasy of demonic power and control, Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition is very much designed to cater towards it. The laser focus on its particular brand of mature content does make it a decent fit for those who enjoy what it’s designed for, but it mostly revolves around that single focus. This does mean players will be quick to get to the main attraction, but the combat is at least somewhat interesting since it requires counterplay and identifying the Princess’s attack patterns to succeed for the short span it lasts. The battle is also a more interesting way of segmenting how you earn the different endings, but the game might be a little too eager to get there, meaning that there’s not much more substance to the fantasy. Besides a few odd facial expressions and the epilogue having some strange writing, most of this game works as part of the service it provides for select players, just don’t expect it to win you over if its content isn’t normally your cup of tea.

And so, I give Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition for PC…

An OKAY rating. Like adult films or romance novels, Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition exists to titillate and makes sure that the moments focused on that are up to the task but doesn’t work too hard towards the rest of the experience as a result. The battle is an interesting way to transition into it though, but it’s not so involved that it really elevates this game beyond its simple aims. Because of this, it can only really come with the recommendation towards those who are already excited by the prospect of a game that caters towards domination fantasies, but they will get a game that does fulfill what’s expected of it in that regard.  Funnily enough I think the battle system here does have some potential to carry a game if given more depth, but perhaps the bigger way to improve Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition would be fleshing out its characters or broadening its scope. At some point that may transition it into a full fledged game that happens to have mature content rather than one focused exclusively on it though, so instead we have a piece of adult entertainment that is what it needs to be, has a bit of a personal identity, but can’t be said to be much more.

I have to admit, when setting out to play every video game, I knew adult entertainment like Demon King Domination: Deluxe Edition would be included, and I was a bit wary of how I’d cover them when they came up. In some regards, this game was a fairly good way to ease into this type of writing, so I have to thank this title for that. While I spent most of this review emphasizing that it tends to cater towards one specific taste, funnily enough, it was also a good fit for The Game Hoard’s first foray into some unfamiliar territory.