The horror lurks within...
Daemonica gets quite a few things right, notably its setting, but is unfortunately let down by rather more elements and which prevents it being anything more than a distinctly average experience. It's a point-and-click adventure, like the Broken Sword series, which is dripping in atmosphere and which finds you thrown into the grim world of England in the 14th Century, in the aftermath of the Black Plague. As Nicholas Farepoynt, you're summoned by the local mayor to discover if the right man was executed for a murder, with your ability to commune with dead being just one reason why you're deemed the man for the job. The game is mostly a standard point-and-clicker, as you explore the town and its surroundings, speaking with the locals and trying to get to the bottom of the mystery by solving puzzles, and even engaging in a spot of sword fighting. Most of the puzzles are inventory-based but there are also riddles, while there are also multiple endings to discover, and which depend on your actions. Daemonica starts out interestingly enough, and there's enough atmosphere and intrigue on display here to keep you playing for a while. The puzzles are standard stuff but satisfying enough to solve, while the controls are very easy to pick up, making this good for newcomers and veterans alike. The visuals are pretty decent too, recreating the period in fine detail, but the game's biggest issue is its lack of voice acting. There's an over reliance on text which takes away from the mood of the game and brings it down to a distinctly average experience.
