Welcome to this week’s edition of the Weekly Kusoge, where we take a closer look at the infamous Tecmo’s Deception. Before we dive in, I want to acknowledge my love for this game, despite its flaws. Credit goes to Kerrik52, a member of our community, for inspiring me to give the Deception series a try. Although I had only observed my roommate playing Trapt back in 2005, seeing the screenshots of Tecmo’s Deception instantly captivated me with its nostalgic PlayStation 1 vibes. Released in 1996, this game certainly laid the groundwork for the series but fell short in almost every aspect. Nevertheless, the game’s first-person perspective reminiscent of King’s Field and its charmingly pixelated graphics create a cozy atmosphere. However, the subsequent games in the series have dropped many of the elements that failed in Tecmo’s Deception, making me skeptical of whether I’ll enjoy them as much. Throughout this article, I’ll continue to send mixed signals, so brace yourself.
The story of Tecmo’s Deception begins with you, a prince, whose ideal life is turned upside down by your wicked brother who frames you for murder out of sheer jealousy. Classic little sibling behavior, right? Fortunately, you’re saved from execution and transported to the Castle of the Damned. In exchange for aiding in the resurrection of Satan, you gain the power to exact your revenge. As the player, you don’t have much say in the matter, but it’s oddly satisfying to embrace your evil side, especially when the visitors to your castle range from hapless fools to obnoxious brutes.
In terms of storytelling, Tecmo’s Deception manages to execute this aspect quite well. While it may lack depth, playing as a fallen hero engaging in evil deeds is undeniably intriguing. Since your character doesn’t have any dialogue, their actions and reactions are left to your imagination. For me, it felt akin to being an evil homeowner, constantly trying to ward off unwanted visitors from my infernal lawn. Ah, the joys of homeownership, a great fantasy for my generation.
One unique feature of Tecmo’s Deception is the ability to customize the Castle of the Damned to a great extent. You can freely rearrange corridors and rooms to make it truly feel like your own space. However, despite the initial appeal, home customization is just one of the many underdeveloped features in this game. It sounds good in theory, but when gameplay is applied to it, it becomes rather pointless. The maximum number of invaders you’ll face at a time is four, and you deal with them by luring them into traps strategically placed around the castle. However, the term “trap” implies some level of automation, which is absent in Tecmo’s Deception. In reality, the traps are more like spells set on the ground that you have to manually activate at the right moment. It would have been more satisfying if Satan had bestowed upon you a powerful kick instead.
Given the limited number of invaders and the requirement to be in close proximity to trigger the traps, there’s no need for a sprawling castle. In most missions, I found that only the room where intruders spawn and the adjacent corridors were necessary. In fact, it would have been more efficient to shrink the castle’s overall footprint as much as possible. Since the intruders aren’t after anything specific, reducing their grazing land would expedite the process of dealing with them.
Nevertheless, it’s important to note that Tecmo’s Deception already heavily favors the player. Running out of gold or MP is unlikely, as they are generously provided throughout the game. You also have the opportunity to upgrade your traps, although most of them serve little purpose. Confusion traps, initially experimented with as a means to incapacitate intruders, proved to have minimal impact on success rates. Later on, capture traps emerged as the most effective option, as the captured individuals could be turned into monsters after certain game milestones. Despite being a fantastic concept, monsters, like many features in this game, were poorly implemented. This ability to transform captives into beasts only becomes available late in the game, rendering the kill traps largely obsolete. Unlike traps that require careful timing, monsters can be deployed at will using Block Orbs.
Should you run out of Block Orbs, you can invite a merchant to your castle. Although they become aggressive upon seeing you, they willingly open up shop when approached and conveniently stash all your money. Perhaps allowing players to buy items and then steal back their money would have gone too far in the name of game design. But then again, Tecmo’s Deception isn’t a stranger to pushing boundaries.
In truth, most of your time spent in Tecmo’s Deception revolves around grabbing the attention of intruders and evading their attacks as you lead them towards traps. Without any real willpower, enemies simply pursue you, leaving little room for strategic planning. Subsequent games in the series remedied this issue by introducing trap combinations, a feature that is absent in this installment. As a result, I defeated the final boss almost instantaneously by placing a trap directly next to them. The trap activated immediately upon starting the mission, resulting in an anticlimactic ending.
Despite its numerous flaws, there’s something oddly endearing about Tecmo’s Deception. The game showcases a genuine effort to innovate, even though it doesn’t quite come together in the end. It feels as though the development team poured their hearts into creating various features before realizing they didn’t fit harmoniously. In the rush to release the game, everything was hastily packaged and sent out the door. While I couldn’t find specific details about the development process through interviews or other sources, failed experiments like Tecmo’s Deception aren’t usually replicated due to the associated risks. Subsequent games in the Deception series retain the foundation of this game but refine and polish the successful elements. However, in doing so, they lose some of the unique charm that Tecmo’s Deception possesses.
So, the moral of the story is: if you want to truly stand out, embrace failure like no one else has. Fail spectacularly, leaving an indelible mark on the memory of everyone who experiences it. Because, as pickup artists would tell you, even pity is a form of love.
For previous editions of the Weekly Kusoge, be sure to check out our archives!
Zoey Handley
Staff Writer – Zoey is a gaming gadabout. She began blogging with our community in 2018 and has since immersed herself in the gaming world.
Denial of responsibility! TechCodex is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
