As someone who was drawn to the trailer for Demonschool by the promise of a tactics RPG that certainly seemed heavily inspired by Persona, I can’t help but feel misled. Luckily, there’s not a single part of me that feels like I was cheated out of a good game. Rather, the latest from Necrosoft Games is simply not what it seems at first glance. A captivating art style and interesting approach to grid-based tactics combat certainly aim for new waters, but the journey can be a bit bumpy. Let’s dive into my thoughts on the release of Demonschool for the Nintendo Switch.

Huge shoutout to Alexx for an excellent write-up on his thoughts on Demonschool’s PC port. I think I share a lot of his sentiments, particularly that the way they present combat here isn’t really about tactics. Sure, you’re thinking ahead and planning moves, but you’re laying the groundwork for your actions all at once and in sequence. The goal of closing demonic rifts drives you, but the real challenge is in meeting encounter requirements, like a certain number of turns used. Compared to games like Disgaea or this year’s remaster of Final Fantasy Tactics, I felt there was a unique enough twist on tactics combat to stick around.

The Persona elements, such as a day-night system, engaging characters with diverse reasons for wanting to join in on the fight, and a killer soundtrack, are present. That said, I do think the writing of the characters and their quirky personalities does feel a bit burdensome. As I progress in a game with such a large cast of characters, I want to feel more invested in them, not turned off by having to spend more time learning about them. There were a lot of things that worked for me here with the story, but some of the brazen tropes in which the characters’ personalities lie end up feeling a bit like a best-guess crash course in how young people talk.

As Faye, you play a vital role in recruiting fellow students at Hemsk University into fighting a growing demon threat. You’re descended from a long line of Demon Hunters, and while you are still working things out as you go, the story does a great job of depicting someone eager to honor their lineage without pretending they’re supposed to always know exactly what needs to be done. There’s a real vulnerability to Faye, and while a handful of characters and much of their dialogue didn’t wow me, I enjoy her as a protagonist.

It’s hard to dive deeper into story elements without spoiling things. For now, I’ll just say that there’s no shortage of JRPG or tactics games out in 2025. There are a ton of great turn-based games you could play, but sometimes they don’t come with the greatest story. Demonschool does a great job of providing enough plot to keep you tuned in, allowing its twist on turn-based tactics to single itself out among the Dragon Quest remasters and Expedition 33‘s of the year. It might not reach the highs of those releases, but it is a charming adventure nevertheless.

Despite those few flaws I couldn’t ignore, art style, coloring, and music go a long way here in Demonschool. The overall presentation is fantastic and looked wonderful on my Nintendo Switch 2. I had a lot of fun exploring the different environments around the school, and the combat stages often look interesting as well. There’s a nice balance of combat and non-combat moments, and I always felt ready to switch to one or the other after a while. While something like a Fire Emblem often has me wanting to jump right back into action, much of the slice-of-life elements of Demonschool kept me engaged.

Tactics combat can often feel well-tread, but Demonschool infuses puzzles and great visuals to offer the player something more than just another grid-based romp. While elements of the writing don’t hit every mark you’d want in such a story-driven game, the plot surrounding Faye and her band of demon-slayers really feels fresh. There’s hope here that something in this vein, in the form of a sequel or next project from the Necrosoft Games team, could improve upon a great start. As it stands, though, it’s well worth enrolling in Demonschool as a tactics fan or Persona lover.

A Nintendo Switch Review Copy of Demonschool was provided by Ysbryd Games for the purposes of this review.

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Demonschool

$24.99

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• A fun take on turn-based grid combat.
• Tutorials teach you quickly what makes this game different from other tactics games
• Great music, art direction, and visuals

Cons

• Distracting writing that feels very forced in many characters
• While unique, many games feel a bit better to play in combat sections