by Danreb VictorioWhen I made my appointment with Annapurna to play some indie games, I did absolutely no research on any of them. I just knew that I’d have 45 minutes to play them all. I only elected to play two of them because one (D-Topia) was a game we had already previewed, and I was told it was “probably” the same demo. Demi and the Fractured Dream ended up being first, and while the 15 minutes were enjoyable, I really only felt like I was barely going through the motions.
Developed by Yarn Owl Studios, Demi and the Fractured Dream is a game very much inspired by The Legend of Zelda, specifically The Wind Waker. Judging from the trailers alone, the toon-shaded look is dazzling, and the protagonist even wears a colorful cloak. The short demo at SGF took us through a small dungeon that felt like a tutorial, but there was nothing particularly challenging about it.
As you’d expect from a Zelda-like, you’re immediately equipped with a sword, and from there, you’re just OP. All you do in every room is slash and dodge, and then all of a sudden you’re given this ability to blow gusts by fanning whatever’s in front of you. In typical tutorial fashion, I was immediately thrown a puzzle to see if I had understood how to use the ability, and I came to a point where I had to blow air at this literal hole in the wall to hit a crystal, opening up a path to where the boss was lurking.
The boss couldn’t have been any easier. It obviously had some big attacks, but as long as you stayed away from it while it moved and then poked at it while it was not, it was easy work.
I think I actually finished the demo in well under 10 minutes, instead of 15. That said, there was nothing here that truly made me think. Maybe it’s just my vast experience with Zelda, but given the limited time I’ve spent playing the game, I wouldn’t be able to tell you if I’m excited about it. It sure is a beauty, though.
Luckily for Yarn Owl, there’s still plenty of time for Demi to find its groove as the game is currently slated for an early 2027 release on all modern platforms. Wanna try it yourself? A demo for the game is currently available on Steam.
Demi and the Fractured Dream
