Demon Tides

Even after decades of iteration and influential games, getting movement right in a platformer can be a tricky proposition. You want to make sure the player feels like they’re able to quickly and gracefully move through a level without veering too hard into a floaty, imprecise approach that feels like it’s more about accommodating imperfections in their movement than letting them confidently make strides. Demon Tides gives you a lot of different tools for moving through its world, and in the brief time I spent with the game, I never once felt like I was losing control. I transformed into different creatures on the fly, each with different movement abilities like flying, floating, and swimming at high speeds, and each of them felt weighty and also powerful enough that I was flowing through its open areas without ever once getting bored or feeling like the game was wasting my time. I grew up on classic platformers like Mario, Sonic, and Sly Cooper, so when a run-and-jump game feels like a drag to move through, it turns me off immediately, and I can confidently say Demon Tides has the juice. The game has a demo available on Steam