App Army Assemble: DERE Vegeance - "Is this horror platformer the perfect game to play this Halloween?"

DERE Vengeance is the latest entry in AppSir Games' horror platformer series. Full of intentional glitches and general spookiness, our reviewer Shaun Walton thoroughly enjoyed his time in its world. So we decided to hand the game over to our App Army to see if they agreed.

Here's what they said:

A very well-made and very frustrating platformer with a classic art style. Had a lot of fun with this one, despite me not being a big fan of super challenging platformers. Reminds me of that classic troll platformer Trap Dungeon 2, but not nearly as frustrating. Feels like my deaths are my fault, not the controls or level design, which is saying something when you are playing on a touchscreen. I recommend this one!

DERE Vengeance is a fantastic new retro-styled horror platformer that has come out just in time for Halloween. Everything about this game had me hooked from the start. The pixelated graphics have a real charm about them, which looks to be a strength of the Dev based on other entries in the series. The controls are top-notch too, and very responsive, which is required for some very challenging platforming sections throughout. Controls on mobile can always make or break a game, and here it helps create some real satisfaction when you complete some of the more pretty intense levels.

The game's audio really stands out more so than other games in the genre and you’ll need it to be turned on. There are companions that guide you on your journey in the form of A.I.D.E., who speaks to you, along with numerous Dev notes that give you thoughts into his mind as he’s creating the game. There’s a humor about them going back and forth between the two with rather conflicting advice which I found quite interesting from a narrative perspective. If you’re looking for a solid new game to get into, look no further than DERE Vengeance.

This platform game had me both enjoying its gameplay and hating it at the same time. The controls to the game were easy to use but the actual truth of the matter was that I had to be precise when making a move or I found myself sliding too far or jumping too high, and I was dead and back to the last checkpoint. And I died more times than I had the patience for. What made matters worse was that every three or four times I died there were ads, and it sometimes felt I was watching more ads than playing. However, when I did have a good run I enjoyed the game and if the controls were a little less sensitive I’d have been a happy bunny.

DERE Vengeance is an incredibly difficult but rewarding game. The game's mechanics are incredibly tight, allowing players to make split-second movements and navigate through challenging levels with precision. This level of control is essential because the game is filled with hazardous obstacles, that require perfect timing and precise movements to overcome.

The level design is exceptional. Each level is crafted to test the player's skills and challenge their reflexes. The difficulty curve is steep, and the game progressively introduces new elements and mechanics to keep things fresh and exciting. While the difficulty can be frustrating at times, the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming a particularly challenging level is incredibly satisfying. Visually, DERE Vengeance features a simple yet charming art style. The graphics are reminiscent of retro games from the 8-bit eras, with colourful environments and characters.

One potential drawback of DERE Vengeance is its high level of difficulty, which may not appeal to everyone. Some players might find the game's challenging nature frustrating, especially if they prefer more casual or relaxed gaming experiences. Additionally, the game's focus on precise platforming and reflex-based gameplay might not resonate with players who prefer narrative-driven or exploration-based games.

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I have kind of mixed feelings about this game. The visuals are nice. Very simple and clean-looking with an appealing colour scheme. The controls worked, well, at about 90 per cent perfect. Just the occasional seeming misstep, but otherwise just fine. I like the varying challenges of the jumps and moves over interesting terrain and moving objects. In that regard, it hits a high mark for platformers in my book. I liked the slowly unfolding storyline (I won’t spoil it for you), but if you make it far enough, you’ll get some cool surprises that make it worth plugging away at it. The music was appealing.

Here’s what I didn’t care for and it’s not a dealbreaker. I very rarely use sound on mobile games. I like a quiet experience (especially as I’m a frequent bus rider) and I like to have the option of having sounds or subtitles. I didn’t have that option here. And there’s a reason later in the game, so I can see why. But it’s one aspect in the negative column for me. I do recommend that platformer fans take it for a spin, but be ready to die a lot and with the free/with ads version you’ll get plenty of ads.

Dere Vengeance is a horror platformer. Thankfully, it’s not a horrific platformer - just a difficult one, due to aggressive acceleration, inertia, evil-designed levels, and jump scares. The on-screen controls work, although they're not very user-friendly (which makes sense, given the game is supposed to trigger tension, fear, nausea and other not-so-nice feelings). The sound is a huge part of the game, but it’s also a compulsory one - instructions are spoken, and scares are delivered via audio, so you need a pair of headphones (because there are no subtitles). This means playing on the bus is possible, but not optimal.

The story is decent (so far) but I didn’t get to play that much because the game kept triggering ads even after entering the code for the Remove Ads IAP. And, boy, are those ads annoying! They trigger every three deaths, and unless you have way nimbler fingers than mine, you’ll die A LOT. And, obviously, see A LOT of ads. Watching a 30-second ad roughly every 30 seconds of gameplay isn’t how I love spending my time, so unfortunately, I can’t say anything except that this game is interesting, and it's also free, so download it and see if you like it. Hopefully, your Remove Ads IAP will work.

Dere Venegeance is at heart a platform game styled after those types of games on 8/16bit systems. However, as you play a back story is revealed about trying to stop possible malevolent entities escaping from the game. The graphics are suitably retro-looking. The touchscreen controls actually work fine which is good as platform sections are not easy on later levels. As the back story is revealed there are game glitches and jump scares that mean this game is best experienced with headphones. Overall I found this a fun game, it will be staying on my phone.

I always check what games we could opt to throw our hats into the ring to get. The screenshots of DV gave me old-school Canabalt vibes. Well, it is not randomly generated, but instead another quite humorous Meatboy-ish game. The humour that made me laugh out loud early is a bit of a mind fudge. Don’t touch coins. Heck, I have been touching coins with my noggin since the NES. Making a side-scrolling survivor in 2023 otherwise feels like a hard nut to crack. There have been so many through the years, and DV doesn’t have too much going for it. The humor and the polite straight-to-the-point narration aside. I recommend everyone to give it a try being free.

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DERE Vengeance