Loading screen hints are often dismissed as filler, but in Demon Tides, one particular tip serves as the game’s manifesto: “It’s all about combos!” Whether you’re chaining a boost into a bat spin or transitioning from a superjump into a cannonball, the game lives and breathes through its kinetic energy. Far from being technical jargon, these maneuvers define the experience. Demon Tides is a masterclass in fluid movement, inviting players to improvise wildly improbable acrobatic sequences while dismantling the most frustrating tropes of the platforming genre.
Crafted by Fabraz—the inventive team behind Demon Turf—and launched on February 19 for PC (with a Nintendo Switch release slated for late 2026), Demon Tides follows the exploits of a gang of demon pirates. At the helm is Beebz, an accidental sovereign who claimed her throne after a scrap in the previous game—though newcomers can jump right in without needing a lore primer. This crew of “charming punks” might trade in tough talk and graffiti, but their bond is genuine, even when one member communicates almost exclusively in SMS shorthand.
While the narrative is endearing, the mechanical heart of the game is its traversal system. Demon Tides abandons the traditional “metroidvania” approach of gating progress behind unlocked abilities. Instead, you are granted a full arsenal of skills from the very first leap:
- Double Jump: The staple of vertical reach.
- Whirling Glide: For crossing massive gaps with grace.
- Boost: A burst of speed that intuitively transitions into wall-running.
- Snake Form: A specialized shape for rapid ground coverage.
The brilliance lies in the sequence. Jumping, then gliding, then using your second jump offers maximum horizontal distance, whereas a quick double jump followed by a glide yields peak altitude. By bouncing off walls or environmental crystals, you can “reset” your combo, allowing for near-infinite airtime. This design philosophy liberates the game from the tedium of typical 3D platformer progression. Early levels aren’t restricted tutorials; they are playgrounds that respect your skill from the outset.
The structure draws clear inspiration from 2021’s Bowser’s Fury, featuring an open archipelago where each island functions as a bespoke platforming gauntlet. Whether you’re navigating industrial ruins or toxic bogs, each challenge feels distinct. While the world can occasionally feel like a collage of disparate ideas, the sheer freedom of exploration and the thrill of spontaneous discovery more than compensate. You never know if the next island holds a complex side quest or a breezy, high-speed dash, capturing the true spirit of a nautical adventure better than most dedicated RPGs.
Critical to this enjoyment is the removal of “friction.” Fabraz implements a revolutionary checkpoint system where you can plant a respawn flag nearly anywhere—even mid-air or during a complex climb. By stripping away the threat of repeating long segments, the developers are free to ramp up the platforming difficulty to extreme levels. You feel emboldened to take risks because the game values your time as much as your reflexes.
Consider the radio tower challenges: after a multi-minute vertical ascent, you might trigger a timed race back down through disappearing rings. In most games, a failure would mean a grueling re-climb. In Demon Tides, you simply warp back to the flag you placed at the peak. This approach makes the game’s most daunting obstacles feel like rewarding puzzles rather than chores. It provides a sense of scale and momentum that even the best modern Mario titles rarely touch, allowing for wall-runs that soar hundreds of feet above the sea.
Rewards for these feats usually come in the form of gold gears, which serve as currency for Beebz’s ship. These gears are traded for talismans that modify your core abilities. For instance, a talisman might change your horizontal glide into a vertical hover. While seemingly subtle, these tweaks fundamentally alter your combo potential, allowing you to tailor Beebz’s movement to your personal playstyle. While these upgrades aren’t strictly necessary to reach the credits, the joy of tinkering with the physics and discovering a more efficient (or just more stylish) way to cross a chasm is the true reward of Demon Tides.
Source: Polygon
