Demonic Tides is what Sonic Frontiers wanted to be. The entire game revolves around the main character Beebz traversing distinct islands collecting outfits, talismans and upgrades to make consequent islands easier and more fun. There’s something magical about a 3D platformer that truly understands movement. Not just jumping from point A to B—but making every leap, dive, spin, and scramble feel like self-expression.
The theme
You play as Beebz, the demon queen with a rebellious streak and a surprisingly acrobatic skillset. The setting is a sprawling ocean archipelago called Ragnar’s Rock—an interconnected playground of islands, secrets, vertical challenges, and open water traversal.
Unlike tightly segmented 3D platformers, Demon Tides leans into openness. The ocean itself isn’t just a hub—it’s part of the platforming puzzle. Swimming, gliding and freeform exploration blur the lines between levels. The Islands are perfect bite sized, None of them drag out too long and remain fun to explore every time.
The music and art direction deserve just as much praise as the movement. Visually, Demon Tides embraces a bold, colourful style that feels playful without being overly busy. Exaggerated character animations, vibrant island palettes, and expressive effects all reinforce the game’s kinetic energy. The ocean shimmers with that slightly surreal, almost toy-box quality, while Beebz herself remains a constant focal point thanks to her sharp silhouette and lively animations. The soundtrack complements this beautifully: From up-beat funky tunes to Lo-Fi flicking between exploration, platforming and boss fights really set the tone for any task.
The Exploration
Rather than overwhelming you with map icons and quest logs, Demon Tides encourages organic discovery. You spot something interesting in the distance and you go there.
The depth here feels deliberate. At first, you’re simply navigating obstacles. A few hours in, you’re experimenting with new abilities to find faster routes, discovering unintended shortcuts, and slowly becoming a speedrunner. Importantly, progression feels flexible. You can tackle objectives in multiple ways, and creative movement often rewards you with unintended advantages.
Talisman upgrades modify abilities in subtle but meaningful ways. Cosmetics are plentiful (and stylish). Scoreboards that allow player-ghosts that you can track add a friendly competitive edge without being intrusive. In other words there’s plenty to do and enjoy.
My Conclusion
Yes the technical rough edges are there. The islands popping into existence out of the void can be jarring, especially when you’re swimming or gliding at full speed. Those moments briefly break the illusion of this seamless ocean world. You notice it. It’s not subtle.
But the more time I spent with Demon Tides, the more it clicked. What started as “this feels really good to control” slowly turned into hours of experimentation, rerouting, and that addictive “one more attempt” energy that only the best platformers manage to create.
What makes this game special is personality and freedom. It trusts you to push its systems. It rewards curiosity. It lets you look at a distant structure and decide how you want to approach it, not how the designer expected you to.
