Recent reviews by life

HYPER DEMON is more a sport than a traditional game. Think of skateboarding: you take the time to learn a trick - it's painful and strenuous, your ankles hurt and you scrape your palms and knees - but as it becomes second nature, the reward is like no other. You now have a new tool to resolve a tricky situation or to simply express yourself. As you become more and more comfortable with the game environment, you gain confidence not just in defeating enemies, but in self expression - your identity comes through in your playstyle, and you gain the desire to show off your signature dance and swagger on the leaderboards.

The scoring is there to push you out of the birds nest, to force you to build the confidence to become the god of the arena. Whereas in Devil Daggers you were the prey, slowly being ground to dust, in HYPER DEMON you are the predator, a Demon fighting its way out of the hyper plane. To dominate you need to push yourself to your limits. If your score is low, you're not pushing yourself hard enough. If you die too easily, you're pushing yourself too much. Find the right balance for your current skill level, and err on the side of pushing too hard.

Here's a tip: don't worry about your score. Focus on learning the skateboard, the feel of the glide and momentum, the ollies and grinds. Become comfortable with the arena and the enemies, and take the time to learn tricks and fail over and over again. As you gain confidence your score will naturally ascend. Watch the replays of top scorers and get inspired.

This game is far more immersive and visceral than VR games - when I stopped playing I was depleted of adrenaline and left with a warped perception of time and space. You may experience Hyper Sickness - symptoms include headache, tense muscles, cramps, dizziness, and fatigue. Be sure to take breaks, hydrate, sit back from your monitor, and loosen your grip.

HYPER DEMON is a difficult sport but it's more accessible than it might look, if you have the right attitude. Learn the fundamentals and express yourself. If you want a high score, just know that to even come close to the top scorers, to taste just a drop of their immortal blood, you will die a thousand deaths.