I love Deception.

A lot.

Little wonder I was incredibly hyped for the fifth game.

Okay, you’re probably confused right about now.

Why is it called Deception IV when it’s the fifth game?Glad you asked!

The Story so Far:

Each of the PS1 games was localized as ‘Deception’. I, II, and III, respectively.

The fourth, in a timelessly silly move, as ‘Trapt’.

So, TecmoKoei(or whatever they call themselves) localized the fifth game as IV.

I guess I’ll allow it. Moving on!

Deception V existing at all is kind of a miracle. It’s the kind of ultra niche franchise you expect relatively big name devs like KT to give up on in favor of surefire cashcows like Dynasty Warriors and Ninja Gai-…. okay just Dynasty Warriors.

So a company undertaking this kind of project nowadays definitely deserves support.

Especially when the game isn’t ruining the legacy, but builds on it in every imaginable way. Deception V is one massive love letter to the series. The devs love the series just as much as I do if not more.

Firstly, bios.

Would this be a Deception game without stupid people flocking to their death in droves? Hell no.

Secondly, the traps.

Oh, V’s variety of killing tools is delicious.

Traps in V have three flavors: Elaborate, Sadistic, and Humiliating.

Far more than the wall/ceiling/floor trap limits of old, now there’s flavors on top of that.

And with three flavorful Daemon followers to personalize them!

They also make requests/challenges of the player during each level, adding lots of replay value.

They’re great for discovering new combos, too.

Oh yeah, story.

Laegrinna, the Devil’s Daughter, seeks to revive her father, the Devil. She has three Daemons to help her do it. The means? Murder 12 descendants of the saints that sealed him away.

I’m not a fan of her outfit either, but hey…

(Millennia outfit from Kagero: Deception II)

It gets better with unlockables.

There’s also four new stages, each with a plethora of fun killing techniques.

My favorite being the amusement park with the deadly roller coaster and merry-go-round, but there’s also a factory with conveyors, a castle with armored chariots, and a massive cathedral with devil-powered crushing limbs and moats patrolled by mechanical gators.

Fun stuff.

Then there’s the enemies themselves…

Oh, they are nasty now. Despite relying on a lot of palette swapping, enemies now have destructible armor, guns, elemental varieties of magic, and are more clever than ever.

Still, it makes it all the more satisfying when you crush their armor with a pendulum then drop a tombstone on their skulls, doesn’t it?

Deception V has all the series staples when it comes to traps: pendulums, bombs, bear claws, lances, arrows, washbins… then add in flaming boulders, pies in the face, and a Delta Horse, and you’ve got enough torture implements to take on an army of stupid invaders. (You’ll need them.)

I played the Vita version and had a wonderful time, but I’m sure the PS3 version is just as good if not better… despite the extra $20 cost involved.