The Devil Within: Satgat is the kind of title that is easy to get lost in with its secrets, threats, and exciting plots that keep on changing.
The Devil Within: Satgat, developed by Newcore Games and published by Astrolabe Games, is yet another installment of Metroidvania Souls-like platformers. I recently played Voidwrought, another Souls-like Metroidvania, and I was curious about this title. The Devil Within: Satgat does not shy away from conjuring up images of complex Souls-like combat, a Benevolent Eastern tale, and eerie worlds; they are all present in the game and set its perilous tone.
After spending some time in its dark recesses, I am pleased to express my opinion about the gameplay aspects and visuals and the overall intensity of The Devil Within: Satgat in relation to the other games in the series. Let’s get into the review.
I will try my utmost to keep this review free of spoilers by not discussing the plot in its entirety but instead discussing the premise. It is interesting in itself: Eban Sting, a mysterious Black Tower of unexplained origins, disrupts the world as it has never been before.
Demons are unleashed in the process and start to taint the population. And so, General Hong Sang and Royal Guard Kim Rip set off for the heart of the tower to destroy the source of evil.
You will play Kim Rip, whose mission is to cleanse the world from these demons. But to do so, you will have to take on the darkest essence within you – a darkness that has the world’s fate on its shoulders.
I also became more invested in the story as I started to learn more about Kim Rip’s background. Before I started The Devil Within: Satgat, I could not exactly gauge the level of difficulty, but I later learned that many players on Steam think that the bosses are rather hard. In contrast, having completed many similar games in my time, I did not think the difficulty was so hard, although it may be the case that for some players unaccustomed to such games, it may be considerably tougher.
Exploration is perhaps one of the best features in The Devil Within: Satgat. As expected of a Metroidvania game, one will be able to immerse oneself in a detailed and complex interconnected world full of mysteries. I lost count of the number of hidden paths I came across or unlocked the shortcuts that were connected to the previously seen areas. It was a game that encouraged you to be curious, where most of the time, I found myself diverting from the main route in search of goodies or crazy encounters.
One of the other dungeons is the Blackstone Tower, a collection of boxes and many characterized corridors that manage to fit the mood of the game in its entirety. Still, other areas, such as the Dark Forest, were somewhat unfair due to the smaller number of checkpoints.
This resulted in annoyance at certain points because death and respawning meant repeating endless portions, but at the same time, the victory felt so gratifying that it made all the tribulations bearable.
Combat in The Devil Within: Satgat is yet another eye-catching aspect that is characterized by rapid, ferocious, and accurate fights. Kim Rip uses both a katana and a shotgun, thus having a diverse armory for engaging with different adversaries.
The stamina system ensures that every action is executed with great prudence, as it is impossible to button-mash. Dodging and parrying are essential techniques, but the skill in horse doing them at the right time is harsh.
In the beginning stages of The Devil Within: Satgat, I found the timing necessary to perform the parry infuriatingly difficult. Still, the satisfaction of conquering that particular aspect of combat after several failed attempts was almost second to none.
There’s also a gameplay element relating to KK’s demonic powers, which grants him a temporary increase in capabilities by drawing from Kim Rips’ cursed blood presented in this game. However, it is not so simple: long periods of these capabilities being employed result in these abilities, making the user more susceptible to attacks.
This simplicity has its advantages in that it also brings complexity in the positive sense, making combat and skirmishes in general even more engaging and tactical. And boss fights are simply WAY more entertaining. Each of them is like a perfect game, and you just have to figure out how to break the game and mix things up.
In The Devil Within: Satgat, souls are called Ingram. This Ingram is earned by defeating enemies or finding and using Ingram crystals scattered across the levels. Ingram is then used to upgrade a player’s character. As for the healing system of the game, it uses Purity Pellets, which are like Estus Flasks but not quite. They refill at bonfires and give back part of their health when consumed.
The hub area grants a player several important services, such as access to a blacksmith for upgrades and a shop for item disposal. At this time, the game has one more suit for your samurai, three guns, and five swords. Among them is Excalibur – a typical over-the-top weapon that works surprisingly well.
Leveling up in The Devil Within: Satgat awards you Factor Orbs, which can be used to invest in different attributes to improve the capabilities of your character. These characteristics are grouped into several branches: Special Skill, Devil’s Armor, Acrobatics, Agility, Swordsmanship, Physical Ability, and Toughness. Each branch of these categories equips your combat in its own way.
For instance, Physical Ability’s main focus is, as the name implies, health and offense. On the other hand, Swordsmanship expands the variety of moves available with the character, thus allowing the player to perform more complex light and heavy hit combos.
Special Skill deals with dealing devastating counter hits, while Acrobatics deals with melee coupled with the use of items. Agility focuses on dodging attacks, while Toughness improves Blocking and Defense-related bonuses, whereas Devil’s Armor grants access to some Demon powers, which will be unlocked later on within the Early Access part of the game.
As you progress in The Devil Within: Satgat, there is that sense of gratification with watching the character stand strong and be able to perform more dazzling combat moves.
The Devil Within: Satgat’s visuals are amazing. They combine classic Eastern elements with a dark, surreal, and apocalyptic atmosphere that fits the narrative. Each zone is unique, from the unnatural radiance of the Blackstone Tower to the demented, inebriated wastelands.
The grandeur of the landscape made me pause at times just to appreciate the surrounding environment. But at other times, there were some internal lighting issues—some sections were too dark for effective navigation, while others seemed a bit too bright. These problems were there, but they were not really a big deal.
Another of The Devil Within: Satgat’s highlights is its soundtrack, composed by Matt Heafy, a member of the heavy metal band Trivium. It perfectly brings to life the game’s dreadful, dark theme, and every piece of music is appropriate to the location or event. The memorable boss battle theme shares the same spirit and makes these battles even more enjoyable.
This is not to say that there were not any irritating instances in which some music would play, but the cut would not ring out, or the music would not loop properly. Luckily, these instances were rare and did not affect the overall sound design in a major way.
The Devil Within: Satgat is an eclectic and ambitious entry into the Metroidvania Soulslike genre. It contains elements of challenging combat and complex exploration, as well as an alluring narrative rooted in Eastern mythology.
Available at $29.99, it is a title whose worth will depend on your appreciation for the depth and difficulty that probably characterize its gameplay. The difficult game proves rewarding to those who are patient enough to learn its systems level by level, from the precise combat to the wide range of trait enhancements.
Then, there are some aesthetics of the game that are ever so slightly imperfect. Such imperfections include random glitches in sound, lighting, and other minor attributes. However, these do not in any way compromise the entire experience.
The beautifully crafted world, complemented by Matt Heafy’s haunting music, takes one on an unforgettable adventure through the shadows. Bosses are very exciting as well, requiring focus and tactics, and the trait system is great for progression and customization.
The Devil Within: Satgat has great potential, whether you are a diehard fan of Soulslike games or this is your very first experience with the genre. It is that kind of title that is easy to get lost in with its secrets, threats, and exciting plots that keep on changing.
