Akaneiro: Demon Hunters

 PC
Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 15
  3. Negative: 3 out of 15
  1. The Escapist
    Feb 17, 2013
    70
    Akaneiro: Demon Hunters is no Diablo III, but it's a surprisingly robust experience and proof that free-to-play gaming doesn't have to be second-rate.
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Feb 12, 2013
    70
    Akaneiro: Demon Hunters is a nice attempt in the free-to-play genre, and is also a good action-RPG. The problem is that if you don’t want to pay a dime, it’s all about mindless grinding over and over again, and the AI assisted co-op it’s not well implemented.
  3. IGN Italia
    Feb 11, 2013
    70
    Akaneiro: Demon Hunters is not the best Action-RPG you will play in your life, but it’s still a decent game, if not good one. And it’s free. If you love the genre, chances are you can have fun with its simple gameplay. It’s worth a try.
  5. Hooked Gamers
    Feb 6, 2013
    70
    Akaneiro could stand on its own as a $20 game and, in fact, does if you would prefer to skip region unlocking entirely. Being free, however, makes it a much more compelling option. Without a need to spend cash, the whole game is still open to you, without penalty, and it's worth trying out.
  6. 3DJuegos
    Feb 18, 2013
    59
    Akaneiro is a good action-RPG, but it's very far from what we expected. It's repetitive and does not present the best face from the free-to-play. We hope the game will better in the coming weeks.
  7. Everyeye.it
    Jul 30, 2013
    55
    Poor: This is the first adjective that springs to mind in defining Akaneiro.
  8. Multiplayer.it
    Feb 16, 2013
    55
    Akaneiro: Demon Hunters is an average game with an invading fremium system. Try it only if you have already play all the others action RPG on the market.
  9. GameStar
    Feb 11, 2013
    54
    Akaneiro is absolutely nothing special, either for better or for worse.
  10. CD-Action
    May 7, 2013
    50
    A hack’n’slash that quickly turns into a grindfest on the same maps over and over again. Unless you’re willing to pay through microtransactions to save yourself a lot of time and effort. [CD-Action 05/2013, p.59]
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  11. SpazioGames
    Feb 27, 2013
    50
    A really repetitive gameplay experience, with poor AI and too much linear combat mechanics.
  12. Vandal
    Feb 13, 2013
    50
    If it introduces all the promised improvements we could see a good title, but so far, the offer is quite repetitive. Yes, it's free-to-play, but it needs a lot of 'farming' if we want to unlock all the regions, so if you like the game, you should consider buying the complete experience for $20.
  13. GameSpot
    Feb 11, 2013
    50
    It's gorgeous to look at and fun for a short while, but Akaneiro: Demon Hunters is an unvaried grind that wears out its appeal long before the level cap.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 38
  3. Negative: 12 out of 38
  1. Friendzie
    Jun 15, 2013
    6
    I appreciate that this is a free to play game in development, and I understand that perhaps it may improve as time goes on, but at the heartI appreciate that this is a free to play game in development, and I understand that perhaps it may improve as time goes on, but at the heart of it this is a game that's a step back from Diablo 2 in gameplay. It's very basic and boring, but some may appreciate that it has no price tag. Worth checking out to people who value cheaper games and would sacrifice a bit of quality for saving their bank account.… Full Review »
  2. Anomie
    Jun 14, 2013
    2
    A crude Diablo clone that can't boast mob behaviors even as varied as Diablo II's and (at least for now) lacks multiplayer or any mapA crude Diablo clone that can't boast mob behaviors even as varied as Diablo II's and (at least for now) lacks multiplayer or any map randomization. A pity, since seldom has a game so sorely needed a map generator. Stats and skills are arranged in three broad categories representing very slightly different ways of clicking loot pinatas, but there are no class restrictions. Everyone's melee, but can attack at range with skills. There's next to no equipment customization you largely decide up front what type you want to be using and equip the best to fall out of a wolf until a better one drops.

    The f2p scheme is particularly revolting. You can grind away at each area ad nauseam to buy access to the next as well as any upgrades to your murdery little woman/man or you can pay to bypass the tedium. I thought f2p games had been growing a little more sophisticated in how they convince people they actually want to be spending money. Perhaps this sort of thing is still commonplace in the browser game space where Spicy Horse has taken up residence, but it struck me as an embarrassing relic.

    Spectacular tackiness was also evident in its launch on Steam with a store page that does clearly identify it as early access, but certainly doesn't strain to clarify that it's a free-to-play game a category Steam does explicitly support whose store price buys only a bunch of in-game gubbins.

    It's alright to look at but has nothing else going for it. The PC-style ARPG is a tightly crowded genre lately. Even with internet celebrity name recognition propping it up, one this unambitious and uninspired will deservedly sink without trace unless it undergoes quite radical redevelopment before whatever passes for "release" in the age of kickstarter and paid alpha access.    … Full Review »
  3. Cordova
    Jun 14, 2013
    8
    It's not really an ARPG in the traditional sense. What Akaneiro is, is a cross between Diablo and Sonic. Instead of scrolling horizontally andIt's not really an ARPG in the traditional sense. What Akaneiro is, is a cross between Diablo and Sonic. Instead of scrolling horizontally and bouncing on things to collect rings, you attempt to blitz through levels to collect red shards which are currency.

    Each time you complete an area it goes on cooldown and you move on to the next, you can pay shards to reduce the cooldown time or just wait it out. So it really has an arcade feel, and combined with the art style makes for a pretty entertaining romp through baddie stomping. This is also why you will see people complain about the AI, they are under the impression that they are playing Diablo, but like I said, it's more akin to Sonic going really fast and jumping on heads.

    The gear is pretty snazzy, some of the particle effects are very nice, the abilities look good and feel fun to use despite a small selection. One of the cool things about the combat system is that it allows you to hotkey three abilities in three different sets. So one set can be all out damage, one for survivability and one for ranged damage or some hybrid. You can swap between sets with tab, it's actually pretty fun to see what you can put together when chaining harder mobs. Dash AoE Teleport AoE and so on.

    Is it the greatest game you'll ever play? Probably not. But it's one of those games that's definitely worth a go round, even if it's just to see the sights.

    Let's talk cash shop. You can buy gems/shard in the cash shop which are used for purchased items, skills, buffs in game. Of course, every mob you kill, chest you open, and zone you clear will give you shards. So it's a trade off between grinding a bit and paying money to avoid grinding. A pretty tame cash shop in the wider world of F2P games.

    If you're thinking about giving it a go, I say do it, but don't give up until you've done the first four zones. Once you finish the tutorial and get to the town, talk to each NPC just to get acquainted with the vendors. I still can't believe professional reviewers didn't know that you could train skills because you had to purchase them from a trainer. It takes all of two minutes and you'll know where everyone is.

    Remember, it's not a normal ARPG, it's an arcade game that's built as an ARPG.

    Controls (10/10): Simple, intuitive, open to create your own skill grouping and chain combos. 1

    Visual aesthetics (9/10): It's a beautiful game. It's Sumi-e meets comic book, kind of like Okami. Only thing that bugs me here are the text boxes which have this very generic and cold font like someone typed it out on a notecard. Hey Spicy Horse, any chance at some handwritten text in game? It's an overlooked detail at this point, but it sticks out like a sore thumb when everything else is so pretty.

    Graphics (9/10): Mostly smooth, a few bugs here and there, but nothing that detracted from my enjoyment.

    Audio (6/10): At first I really enjoyed the music, but it's the same track all the time. Hopefully they add some variation for each zone. The other thing you'll notice is that weapons don't seem to have their own sounds, abilities do, but attacks don't. It's really very bizarre to hear your sword go "Thud Thud Thud" when you hit things. Could use some work in this department.

    Story (3/10): I'm going to go out on a limb and say that story isn't this game's main selling point. Dialogue? Pretty much non-existent. Plot? Anemic at best. It's just a step above, "bad things happen, stop bad things." I'm sorry to give it such a low score, but Green Eggs and Ham has more depth.

    Fun (8/10): And this is really why I gave it the 8. I don't grade on aggregate from the other scores, I base my score on how fun something is. After-all, it's a game and I play games for entertainment. It is fun, it's not something you can sit and play for hours upon hours, but it's worth playing here and there. If you're wondering about "end game" it really is built into the zones, each area is basically a speed circuit that you come back to on higher difficulties to see how fast you can blitz through and get a higher score. Like I said, it's an arcade game at it's core.    … Full Review »
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