DemonStar received mixed reviews upon release, with reviewers divided on the merits of the simplicity of its gameplay. Positive assessments of the game focused on the addictiveness and intensity of its arcade-style gameplay. David Laprad of
The Adrenaline Vault praised the game as "one of the most intense scrolling shooters I can ever recall playing...the level design is top-notch, and betrays the experience the developers have had designing this type of game." In reviewing the
Secret Missions version, Stuart Campbell noted the game was a "tough, well-balanced, no-nonsense
"shmup" that you can devote the odd blissful, brainless half-hour to." Many reviewers compared the game to its predecessor,
Raptor, and the 1990
arcade video game Raiden. Stuart Campbell of
PC Zone stated the game "follows the
Raiden design template to a degree that verges on stalking."
Gaming Entertainment Monthly assessed that their disappointment with
DemonStar was due to high expectations "based on what
Raptor offered in the past". Common critiques included the lack of a save feature or a points system to upgrade the player's ship, as had been the case in
Raptor. Negative reviews of
DemonStar focused upon the low resolution for a game released in 1998. Richie Shoemaker of
PC Zone stated "the viewing window is so tiny...you shouldn't have to switch resolution to enjoy a game".
GameSpot acknowledged that the game was an improvement of the resolution of
Raptor by running in
SVGA, but stated "there's a major trade-off:
DemonStar always runs in a window, even (in) the so-called "full screen" mode, which simply crops out your desktop background with metallic textures". == Remastered version ==