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Deathsmiles (for PC)

Jeffrey L. Wilson
 & Jeffrey L. Wilson Managing Editor, Apps and Gaming

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
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Deathsmiles brings gothic shooting action to the PC courtesy of developer Cave, and save for a few niggles, it's an all-around excellent 2D shooter. - Steam (for PC)
4.0 Excellent

The Bottom Line

Deathsmiles brings gothic shooting action to the PC courtesy of developer Cave, and save for a few niggles, it's an all-around excellent 2D shooter.

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Pros & Cons

    • Satisfying shooting action and screen-filling explosions.
    • Nonlinear level progression.
    • Horizontal- and vertical-scrolling levels.
    • Noob-friendly lifebar.
    • Optional two-player, co-op play.
    • Five playable characters.
    • Playthrough replays.
    • Roughly drawn sprites.
    • A few claustrophobic environments.
    • Doesn't explain its chaining and scoring systems.

Deathsmiles (for PC) Specs

Product Category Games
Product Category Gaming
Product Category PC
Product Category Software
Product Price Type Street
All Specs

Game studio Cave holds true to its recent promise of porting its shoot-em-up (or "shmup") catalog to Steam with the release of Deathsmiles ($19.99), the developer's follow-up to the recently released Mushihimesama. You play as one of five gothic lolitas who defend their land from a demon invasion using familiars and intense, enemy-wrecking firepower. It's a simple premise that's bolstered by huge enemies, big explosions, beautifully detailed environments, and a thrilling goth-rock score. All in all, Deathsmiles is a thoroughly enjoyable PC shooter, despite cramped environments and sprites that were considered a bit dated at the time of its original 2007 arcade release.

Gothic Shmup

Deathsmiles is the rare shooter that tries its hand at telling a legitimate story. The action involves five doe-eyed, prepubescent, and barely legal anime-inspired angels who use magic to defeat dark forces. It's not a game-changing narrative, but the well-drawn cutscenes and multiple endings aren't commonplace in the shmup space.

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Final Thoughts

Deathsmiles brings gothic shooting action to the PC courtesy of developer Cave, and save for a few niggles, it's an all-around excellent 2D shooter. - Steam (for PC)

Deathsmiles (for PC)

4.0 Excellent

Deathsmiles brings gothic shooting action to the PC courtesy of developer Cave, and save for a few niggles, it's an all-around excellent 2D shooter.

Get It Now

Buy It Now

About Our Expert

Jeffrey L. Wilson

Jeffrey L. Wilson

Managing Editor, Apps and Gaming

Since 2004, I've written about consumer tech for many publications, including 1UP, Laptop, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. I now apply that knowledge and skill set as the managing editor of PCMag's apps and gaming team.

The Technology I Use

As a member of the App & Gaming team, I use a wide variety of apps and services. Google Drive is an essential file-syncing service for moving documents between team members in this work-from-home era. Scrivener has been an invaluable writing tool as I rework my fiction manuscript. YouTube Premium and YouTube TV deliver hours of entertainment (though I only use the latter service during the F1 and NBA playoff seasons).

In terms of hardware, I use a Lenovo Thinkpad Carbon X1 laptop for work and an Origin PC tower for playing PC games. I also have a Steam Deck, which lets me play my favorite titles under a shade tree. Of course, I have a smartphone, and the Google Pixel 9a is my handset of choice.

My main input devices are the Das Keyboard 4 Professional and Logitech MX Vertical Ergonomic Mouse, though I bust out the Hori Fighting Commander Octa or Hori Fight Stick Alpha when mixing it up in fighting games. I have a thing for arcade sticks. I collect Neo Geo AES games, too, but only if I can find the carts on the (relative) cheap.

For video and music consumption, I fire up my Lenovo Tab P11; it has a sharp screen and great Dolby Atmos-powered speakers. My Kindle Paperwhite has received much use, too. I have a standalone, Sony Blu-ray player connected to a TCL television when it's time to go full cinephile. I'm also a vinyl guy, so the Bluetooth-enabled Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT keeps the wax spinning.

My first computer was a Commodore 64. Long live BASIC and retro computers!

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