Betting on truth — A cyberpunk courtroom thriller that raises the stakes.
nth Circle Studios isn’t a well-known name in the world of visual novels just yet, but with of the Devil, the team is slowly becoming known for making one of the most unique puzzle games in recent years. As soon as the playable demo showed up on Steam, the project had a clear artistic vision, one that was driven by well-written characters, a stylish presentation, and a willingness to break genre rules.
Episode 0 and Episode 1 were the first releases, and they built a strong base. They gave players a cyberpunk legal drama about Evangeline “Morgan” Esquire, a criminal defense lawyer with a secret that changes the way players experience mysteries in a basic way.
In the first few chapters, courtroom drama, investigative stories, and speculative social commentary all worked well together to make something that felt both familiar and pleasantly different. of the Devil – Episode 2 builds on the first one. Instead of just continuing the story, it makes the world bigger, the ties between characters stronger, and the series’ main themes clearer. This led to a follow-up episode that feels more sure of its story and more bold in how it’s told.
of the Devil – Episode 2 starts about a month after Episode 1.
Morgan is now involved in a case that has to do with one of the city’s most powerful crime families. She has to protect a bodyguard who works for the Ikariya family, which puts her close to dangerous people in the city’s crime underworld.
Morgan has a personal link to the crime, which makes this story even more interesting. This episode is similar to the last one in that it’s about the tension between what Morgan knows and what she says in court. This creates a steady push-and-pull effect that keeps both the main character and the player interested in the mystery as it unfolds.
of the Devil – Episode 2 adds a lot to the worldbuilding that was started in the first episode. The story looks at things like economic injustice, organized crime, the power of corporations, and the social effects of new technologies. From building projects in poor areas to the approval of recreational drugs and unfair drug prices, the game’s futuristic cyberpunk setting feels like it’s based on real-life issues.
One of the best things about the game is still how well the characters are written.
Characters who come back, like Serra, Detectives Reyes and London, and Emma Rockford, a rival lawyer, get more information that makes them seem more real and complicated. At the same time, new characters, especially family members of the Ikariyas, give the story a new personality and fun.
Morgan herself is still the main focus. She has bad morals, is manipulative, and is often scary, but she is definitely attractive. The story doesn’t hide the fact that she has a darker side, and Episode 2 makes this clearer than in the first episode. Instead of weakening the story, this method makes it stronger by making every exchange more tense and unpredictable.
At its core, the Devil still finds a balance between being cynical and being kind. Even though the story takes place in a violent and corrupt dystopian world, there are always tiny moments of connection and empathy that make the characters feel real.
The structure of the game in of the Devil – Episode 2 is the same as it was in earlier episodes. Players move through dialogue, evidence collection, and decision-making scenes as they switch between investigation and courtroom cases.
During investigation parts, players look around environments, talk to characters, find clues, and read optional lore papers that give the world more depth. These slower parts of the story help set the scene for the trial scenes while letting the character interactions shine.
The trial parts of of the Devil – Episode 2 are where you can connect with it the most. Like courtroom mystery games, players have to show proof, question witnesses, and look for logical contradictions to find out what really happened.
Morgan’s personality is directly linked to a special way of gambling. As the story goes on, players win chips that can be used during trials to balance risk and reward. Giving bad proof or making mistakes costs chips, and if you lose all of them, you fail.
This method adds to the game’s themes of danger, self-assurance, and mental stress.
During testimony scenes, the puzzle is mostly about using logic to figure out what is going on. Players have to look at what is being said, find things that don’t make sense, and show the right evidence at the right time.
“Raising” or “staying” during testimony exchanges is a unique mechanic that includes betting on whether you are sure enough in your reasoning to move forward. This method makes the courtroom scenes more tense and exciting when it’s used correctly.
Episode 2 is better than the first parts because it makes these scenes feel more cinematic and alive. The pace of the reveals is faster, and it feels like more is at stake.
One good thing about this method is that the game doesn’t hide information in an unfair way very often. Morgan only knows what the player knows. This keeps things from getting frustrating in mystery games where clues are kept from the player to add a surprise.
Even so, the level of challenge can sometimes feel a little too easy, especially when you’re not in High Roller mode. Even though the gambling system makes the game more fun, expert players may not find it too hard.
There is no standard way to get XP or grind. The story drives progress, and chip management is the most similar thing to a resource system. Instead of repetition, this puts the focus on telling stories and drawing conclusions.
The visuals in of the Devil – Episode 2 are even better than in the first two.
Through expressive character images, stylish UI design, and moody backgrounds, the game’s unique cyberpunk style continues to stand out. Throughout the episode, new visual flourishes appear, such as narration scenes in a noir style, dramatic shifts in perspective, and stylized cut-ins at key points. These features help break up the way visual novels are usually shown and make scenes feel more like movies.
Environmental art is worth mentioning in particular. Places like the Ikariya estate and different city spaces add to the game’s futuristic but realistic setting. Backgrounds are a big part of immersion, even when players are focused on conversation.
The animations and reactions of the characters have also been improved, which has made emotional scenes stronger. Music is becoming more and more important in Episode 2. The moody, synthetic sound that was set early in the series is kept by returning tracks, while new songs make courtroom scenes more interesting.
Morgan’s new theme, “Scarlet Draw,” is one of the best parts because it shows how tense and sure of herself her character is. Emma Rockford, the prosecutor, also has her own musical theme, which makes the fights in court more exciting.
Sound effects, like typewriter noises during noir storytelling, give the game personality and help it stay true to its style. Overall, the sound design makes the story’s emotional flow stronger without being too much.
Revelations of the Devil – Episode 2 builds on the strong base that the first two episodes laid. It makes the world bigger, the ties between characters stronger, and the gameplay better, which is what makes the series special.
The game is still different from other mystery visual novels because it makes cyberpunk social criticism, has morally complicated characters, and lets you play in a courtroom with risks. Morgan is still one of the most interesting lead characters in the genre.
Morgan is flawed, unpredictable, and fun to watch.
The level of difficulty might not always push experienced players to their limits, but the story, staging, and writing of the characters more than make up for it.
nth Circle Studios has shown that they know what makes their game unique, and Episode 2 shows that they are becoming more confident that they can make that idea come true. If future episodes are as good as this one, The Devil could become one of the most memorable mystery visual novel series of the last few years.
Episode 2 is a great show for people who like puzzles with lots of backstory, courtroom dramas, and cyberpunk stories. It’s also a strong sign that the best may still be to come.
