of the Devil Episode 1 Review – A Royal Flush

I don’t think there’s ever been a game quite as tailor-made to my tastes as Nth Circle’s new mystery thriller, of the Devil. From just an outside glance, it’s clear that it has been influenced by a number of my favorite series and creators, which alone is enough to pique my curiosity. But of course, that alone wouldn’t be enough to completely earn my favor; of the Devil not only needed to understand what made its predecessors work in the first place, but it also needed to forge its own identity, carving out a place of its own within the genre. It’s tough, but sometimes you need to take a gamble when trying to bring something new to the table. Thankfully, I believe Nth Circle is more than well aware of this, and what they’ve crafted within this first episode alone is very interesting.

The Devil’s Advocate: Introducing of the Devil’s Cast & Story

of the Devil stars Morgan, a defence lawyer living in a nigh-dystopian vision of 2086, one which feels scarily plausible given the current state of the world. Just about everything and everyone is connected to the state, meaning there is little to no privacy anymore. Crime has also seen a significant downturn in correlation to this; illegal acts are almost always caught via some sort of monitoring device, so while crimes do happen, things like murder, assault, or mugging are open and shut cases. In a world like this, defence lawyers often have the odds stacked against them; thankfully, that’s just how Morgan likes it.

Available as a free demo, Episode 0 is an essential prologue to the story, so it’s guaranteed that you play it first before starting Episode 1. It sees Morgan hired to defend a man accused of being the Heartbreak Killer, a serial murderer who shoots victims with a single shot through the heart. This introductory chapter is short, but it does wonders introducing you to the world, the core mechanics, themes, and Morgan herself. Episode 1 follows this up with a murder plot surrounding androids and mega-corporations, as one of Morgan’s close friends is killed and leaves behind a peculiar, extremely advanced android known as Serra.

Morgan herself might just be one of the strongest aspects of the whole game; from Episode 0 alone, so many layers are revealed, but even then it feels like we’ve only scratched the surface of her psyche. The contrast between her inner monologue and what she actually chooses to say is very compelling, as it’s clear that she’s someone with a more complex web of morals than your average protagonist. She is flawed, intimidating, sometimes even frightening, but she is still immensely rootable and likable thanks to her wit, her ability to twist things to her favor, and because she is just so intense. Even when trapped in a corner, it feels like she is able to somehow turn things around to suit her own agenda, and seeing her smugly do so is just incredibly entertaining and cathartic.

All of the other characters as well are interesting and engaging in their own way. Morgan’s courtroom opposition, Emma Rockford, sits outside of the archetype you would expect for an antagonist, much like how Morgan sits outside what you would expect for a protagonist. And Serra has qualities you would expect for an assistant role, but she really comes into her own, coming off as capable and confident, alongside being naive and kind. She’s a great foil for someone as cutthroat as Morgan, and I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops in further episodes.

Deal With The Devil: Introducing of the Devil’s World

of the Devil’s other strength comes from its worldbuilding, which is exceptionally detailed while also playing it smart. Morgan explains that knowledge is power, so you’re encouraged to learn as much as you can in order to gain in-game credits, which in turn will help you later on in the trial segments of the game. So you’re incentivized to pour over the news articles the game leaves scattered around for you, to lean into the search terms that are flagged with purple text, which amusingly, are treated as if you’re actually using an in-game search, with related searches and even content walls adding extra flavor.

of the Devil creates a world that is very much cyberpunk in nature, but it feels much more relevant to the current cultural climate than most contemporary examples. It’s not exactly subtle in its critiques, but I don’t think it attempts to be, and it still handles its themes in a way that feels smart and thought-provoking. It makes it so you have no choice but to engage with the moral quandaries it highlights and consider them in a more critical manner. I love that it manages to do this all with a sense of humor too; the comedy is very dry, but it works for the setting, the tone, and the nature of the themes the game handles.

Of course, of the Devil manages to replicate all of the thrilling courtroom drama of its inspirations, while adding some own twists of its own, with both its gameplay and its narrative. Regarding the latter, the tension feels much tighter, given the state of the world the game is set in; everything really is piled against you, and it can feel like you have quite the mountain to climb to make even a small headway. Morgan grasps, clenches every advantage in her palm and doesn’t let go, but she does it so confidently, and that same confidence filled me once I knew what had to be done to push the trial forward.

The Devil’s Own Luck: of the Devil’s Heartpounding Courtroom

While gameplay isn’t the star of the show in of the Devil, certain design choices leave a stronger impression than you might expect. As mentioned before, taking the time to examine your surroundings in turn gives you credits, which is essentially your health during the courtroom sections as well as your overall score for the end of Episode summary. Certain moments also incentivize you for paying proper attention to articles, quizzing you to ensure you come to the right conclusion after reading it and providing a reward in turn. of the Devil doesn’t punish you for overlooking details, but it will reward you if you take the time to turn over every stone.

The courtroom gameplay is heavily themed around gambling, with poker plays and blackjack being aesthetically linked to submitting evidence, questioning witnesses, and cross-examination. It’s mostly an aesthetic, and most sections are handled in the same way that its inspirations do, just with that additional flavor. But you can also introduce a bit of extra risk into the mix; certain parts of the trial will allow you to increase or decrease the ‘bet’. At minimum, you will earn or lose a small amount of the previously discussed credits, depending on how you perform, but you can increase what’s at stake if you feel like taking the risk. If you end up being wrong, then the losses can be great, but if you’re correct in your deductions, the rewards are sweet. A better score at the end of the chapter will unlock new bonus scenarios, concept art, and you’ll also get cash to spend on in-game phone charms and cases, which adds a bit of customization to menus. Ultimately though, the best part about this mechanic is that cathartic feeling of reaping in the rewards from a big risk.

Compared to most other games of its kind, of the Devil is more exciting because it doesn’t give you as many chances to mess up, although it is a little more forgiving than it initially sets up. For the record, I played on the ‘Highroller’ difficulty for my playthrough, a difficulty option that limits you to one save file and disables loading a save during a trial. This mode also increases the rewards you get through betting, increasing the satisfaction. However, while loading is disabled during trials, and in turn save scumming is discouraged, you can still exit to the menu and load whatever save you last made, regardless of whether you’re in the middle of a trial or not. I think this ‘Highroller’ difficulty is an excellent addition and a great choice if you’re more adept at these sorts of games, but I actually wish it was a little more unforgiving? Perhaps I’m a glutton for punishment, but that’s the one thing I wish they could lean into more.

The Devil’s Charm: of the Devil’s Aesthetics

Of course, of the Devil has a striking art direction as well; character designs are bold and eccentric, but not in a way that feels at odds with the gritty noir-esque tone of the story. There’s clear inspiration taken from its predecessors, but a clear effort has been made to carve out a style of their own. Scenery is bathed with neon and looks futuristic but in a way that is believable and grounded. The UI and menus themselves are all wonderful too, well constructed and artistic, without being too difficult to read or parse.

The soundtrack as well feels like it draws from its inspirations, but adding its own almost eerie, almost horror-esque sound. The trials are filled with heart-pounding beats, increasing the exhilaration of the risk-reward gameplay, while investigations ramp the tension up with tones that are sometimes haunting; those tracks in particular stay with you long after you’ve finished playing.

Verdict: Does of the Devil Play Its Cards Right?

of the Devil: Episode 1 is an incredibly compelling start, all things considered. It doesn’t miss a single mark in my eyes, even when balancing its weightier and topical subjects. With its morally compelling protagonist, heart-pounding courtroom gameplay, and unique aesthetics, it matches its inspirations and even outpaces them in some ways too. With this being just the first of five episodes, time will tell if this gamble will pay off completely, but they’re taking all the right steps towards victory. For now, of the Devil is setting itself up for a winning streak, and I can’t wait to see if it’ll actually pull it off. Needless to say, I’m eagerly awaiting Episode 2!