Let Deemo Guide You through the Hollow Rain – Deemo II Review

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What if I were to tell you that there’s an adventure and rhythm game that uses music to rebuild a world devastated by something called Hollow Rain? Pretty cool concept, right? Still not cooler than “Purple Rain” but, hey, what is?

This world was created via musical means by a great wizard of sorts known as The Composer, but a diabolical monster has brought forth the unending Hollow Rain in an effort to end the world. It’s up to a girl named Echo to clear the skies by wielding the power of music together with the ghost-like Deemo, a guardian spirit left behind by The Composer.

And that brings us to the beginning of Deemo II, the sequel to 2013’s popular mobile music game Deemo. This rather brilliant rhythm game incorporates storytelling as a backdrop to the various melodies that you tap out while playing. The game itself is split into lighthearted, rhythmic gameplay and free-roaming adventure segments in which Echo explores various settings. The addition of those latter bits sets Deemo II apart from most other rhythm games.

Deemo II has a good variety of songs to play, as any rhythm game should, and the music truly makes this game a winning experience. Before I could even log in, a prompt appeared urging me to play with the volume cranked or with headphones on. The reason for that warning was evident immediately once I started playing, because almost every track in this game is a pleasure to listen to…and to play through, of course. “Echo Over You,” the first track after completing the tutorial, is a perfect, upbeat piano ditty that most certainly got me in the mood for some orchestral rhythmic gameplay.

Due to the atmosphere of the game’s story, most of the music tracks are characterized by a tranquil piano melody which serves as the backbone of each song. There isn’t much in the way of hip-hop beats, EDM, or pop music to be found in Deemo II, and the majority of the songs don’t even have lyrics. However, if you are in the mood for a nice, soothing rhythm game, Deemo II provides this in spades. The sublime music is not just limited to the rhythm gameplay either—the background music throughout the game is a pleasure to listen to and perfectly reflects the genre of the game.

On top of that, Deemo II sports a lovely art style with which it crafts its characters. The game takes gothic and fantasy elements similar to games like Nier, but blends them with an intricate aesthetic that to my eye is reminiscent of an ink wash or watercolor painting. The world of Deemo II is filled with a wide range of colorful characters, each with their own unique costumes and visual quirks. Several of the non-human characters are also well detailed, and it’s quite amusing interacting with them or watching them go about their day-to-day business.

But let’s not forget the gameplay which is paramount in a video game after all. The rhythm gameplay presented in Deemo II is damn good stuff. The game incorporates a lot of interesting mechanics, such as dragging your finger across the screen to hit multiple notes, as well as tried-and-true rhythm game staples, such as holding down longer notes for a better score. The free-roaming portions of the game also offer up multiple missions and achievements to complete, as well as several items that can be collected. The game is also fully voiced, a huge investment that pays great dividends in such a narrative-driven title.

While the movement/touch controls can be a little frustrating at times, they serve well enough for the basic act of walking through various set pieces to different locations. Additionally, while the music in Deemo II is charming, there is not much in the way of variety when it comes to the song selection. Almost all of the songs fall into the same, classical genre, which is something that rhythm games featuring wall-to-wall, licensed pop music typically avoid. I would in no way dissuade anyone from playing the game because of its limited range, though, as I am all for expanding horizons...especially when it comes to music. But if you are a person who enjoys playing through a variety of different musical genres in your rhythm games, Deemo II may strike the wrong chords for you.

Deemo II is an impressive rhythm game that departs from many of the norms established by other games in the genre. While the selection of songs may be limited, there were certainly enough tracks to keep me entertained whenever I was in the mood for some Freddie Mercury-esque piano melodies. Furthermore, the story is on point; even when I felt myself becoming burnt out on the rhythmic portion of the game, I wanted to keep playing just to see what bombs the story dropped on me next.

SCORE: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

PLAY IF YOU LIKE:

• Deemo. Give Deemo II a go after you play Rayark’s original game in this series. You want to know the whole story, right? Well then play this game!

• The Guitar Hero series. Yeah, yeah, Guitar Hero may be past its prime (like many of the bands on their collective playlists), but Deemo II certainly stands on the rather broad shoulders of this legendary faux axe-thrashing series.

💬 Have you played Deemo II? Let us know what you think of it in the comments! Even if you haven't played it, leave a comment sharing your thoughts on your favorite rhythm/music games!

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