Hatched from an Easter Egg
Image credit: Sorath
How to describe Sorath’s Hyper Demon, other than by labelling it an arena score-attacking FPS from the developer of Devil Daggers? Well, imagine you’re a caveman, the descendant of a forgotten tribe miraculously preserved in the remote wilds. You accidentally eat some fermented berries one day and stumble upon a billionaire’s wilderness Halloween fancy dress party.
Delirious and appalled by the teeming lights and faces, you trip and wedge your head inside the giant, Cirque-du-Soleil-supplied crystal ball the guests are using to predict each other’s net worth fluctuations over the…
Hatched from an Easter Egg
Image credit: Sorath
How to describe Sorath’s Hyper Demon, other than by labelling it an arena score-attacking FPS from the developer of Devil Daggers? Well, imagine you’re a caveman, the descendant of a forgotten tribe miraculously preserved in the remote wilds. You accidentally eat some fermented berries one day and stumble upon a billionaire’s wilderness Halloween fancy dress party.
Delirious and appalled by the teeming lights and faces, you trip and wedge your head inside the giant, Cirque-du-Soleil-supplied crystal ball the guests are using to predict each other’s net worth fluctuations over the next year. Then you’re chased into the middle of a firework show by flunkeys dressed as vintage heavy metal album covers, while the jet setters throw jewelry and bioluminescent canapes. There you go, this is approximately the experience of playing Hyper Demon. If you don’t believe me, there’s now a free 1v1 multiplayer version of the game on Steam.
OK, so the 1v1 version obviously trades my servant army of Boschian caveman-botherers for the cosier violence of just one enemy player. What do players look like in Hyper Demon? They look like what angels looked like before they learned to wear togas and gold hoops. Get away from me, you coruscating beast!
“Master your movement, aim, timing and resources to defeat your opponents in intense duels,” explains the Steam page. “With precise lasers and powerful charge shots, damage your opponent to grow their weak point. Hit the weak point to defeat them instantly. Defeat them 3 times to win the match. Use your recharging shield to avoid damage and reflect projectiles.” Sounds elementary enough. Here’s your crystal ball viewfinder, Master Homo Heidelbergensis.
The 1v1 version comes with a tutorial and CPU opponent to practice against while waiting for a match to start. Worth a download, then, if you despise multiplayer but are tentatively interested in single player Hyper Demon. There are also private lobbies, a global leaderboard, and some replay and spectator mode options. If you’re wondering where you’ve seen all this before, the PvP mode was originally an Easter egg in Hyper Demon, albeit with fewer features.
Here is how Alice O (RPS in peace) summarised the first Hyper Demon in her review from 2022. “Devil Daggers is Dark Souls to Hyper Demon’s Bloodborne. Both first-person score attack shooters are dressed in similar beautiful cloaks of skulls and gurgling industrial soundscapes, but while Devil Daggers nudges you into cautious survival, Hyper Demon shoves you into aggression. In Hyper Demon, a long and cautious run will likely score lower than a short burst of ultraviolence. What glorious ultraviolence it is!”
Matt Cox subsequently asked the developers to dissect the game’s opening wave design - they told him that killing the first few enemies too fast will get you into hot water, at least till you master the basics.