Airoheart

If you’re a fan of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Airoheart should probably pique your interest.

55%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story, music

52% User Score Based on 54 reviews

Critic Score 60%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

Airoheart is a single player open world role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Pixel Heart Studio and was released on September 29, 2022. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

"Airoheart is an action-adventure game set in the retro-inspired world of Engard. As the hero Airoheart, you must stop your brother's plan to unleash an ancient evil and trigger a war using the Draoidh Stone. Explore an enchanting open world, engage in real-time combat, and uncover the truth in this epic journey."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+10

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52%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

story12 negative mentions

Excellent pixel art graphics and good music create a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of classic Zelda games.
Offers a decent challenge and encourages exploration with optional collectibles and side quests.
Provides a satisfying gameplay experience for fans of 2D adventure games, especially those who enjoyed A Link to the Past.

The game suffers from poor controls, clunky UI, and frustrating hitboxes that detract from the overall experience.
Dungeons are often too dark, lacking in maps, and can lead to soft-lock situations, making navigation tedious and frustrating.
The story is bland and unoriginal, failing to engage players and leaving many design flaws unaddressed.

story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
68%
24%
The story of Airoheart is a mix of classic good vs. evil tropes and political intrigue involving two races, the Elmer and the Breton, but it struggles with coherence and depth. While some players appreciate the attempt at a more nuanced narrative, many find it unoriginal and poorly executed, with dialogue that feels excessive and quests that lack compelling writing. Overall, the story is seen as a weak aspect of the game, failing to leave a memorable impact.
- “The story is a political intrigue about two races, the Elmer and the Breton, on the brink of war; the Breton villain of old was defeated, and his essence was sealed away in stones that were then scattered and hidden, and the Breton of today appear to be trying to find these stones to revive him.”
- “This is a classic sort of story for a tactical RPG, where you assemble a party of individuals from many walks of life, sometimes from both sides where the narrative justifies it, to set the world on the path to peace.”
- “The voice of the sealed-away sorcerer also speaks to Airoheart to tempt him to turn to evil, even though the framing of the story makes it seem like the Breton mastered the dark arts to overcome the oppression of the Elmer, which is a more nuanced story that isn't straight good vs. evil.”
- “The story is not compelling.”
- “The writing in Airoheart was obviously attempting a more sophisticated, refined story, but without the vision to tie the game to it.”
- “There are tons of design flaws in this game so far, badly crafted dungeons, clunky combat and magic systems, and a very boring and unoriginal plot that seems to assume the player has knowledge of past character development and interactions.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
61%
13%
The gameplay has been described as rough and lacking in core features, with issues such as poor control and hitboxes, particularly in platforming elements. While some players find enjoyment in the familiar mechanics and atmosphere reminiscent of classic Zelda games, many suggest that the game requires significant fixes and improvements to reach its potential. Overall, it may be worth trying if priced under $10, especially for those who are fans of the genre.
- “My commendations: great atmosphere, very familiar gameplay once you change the controls to match your SNES controller the way you remember it, the scenes and characters look nice, the story isn't another 'save the princess', it just feels good.”
- “This is actually my first review out of multiple hundreds of hours of gameplay on Steam.”
- “We would suggest you pick this up only after you’ve played through A Link to the Past, the Link’s Awakening remake, and both the Blossom Tales games, and you still don’t feel you’ve gotten enough of that specific brand of top-down gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is rough.”
- “The core gameplay features of the game are sorely lacking; end game in the dark platform elements with terrible hitboxes is a terrible idea, and platform elements with subpar control is a terrible idea.”
- “The assets are ripped from Zelda SNES type, which is fine, but he didn't bring over the level of gameplay, control, quality checks, and even quality of life features like maps.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its quality and resemblance to classic Zelda tracks, while others criticize its repetitive nature and issues with looping. Notably, the music resets when transitioning between areas, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, the hard-coded looping mechanism is seen as inefficient, consuming unnecessary disk space.
- “Excellent pixel art graphics, good music, and good sound.”
- “And so is the music, honestly not too different from Zelda games.”
- “The story, which is the least important in any Zelda-like game, works and the music is fine.”
- “The music resets when entering a new cell, even if it uses the same music track as the area you came from.”
- “The music doesn't properly loop in a true manner.”
- “The music is really annoying and repetitive.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
50%
20%
The game's graphics feature excellent pixel art that draws heavy inspiration from "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," though some players feel it lacks the simplicity and appeal of the original. While the visuals are generally well-received, there are suggestions for improvements, such as adding a gamma option or a lantern item to enhance visibility. Overall, the graphics are complemented by good music and sound design.
- “Excellent pixel art graphics, good music, and good sound.”
- “This game's visuals are heavily reminiscent of 'The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'.”
- “The art style is reminiscent of 'A Link to the Past', but not as simple and not as attractive.”
- “I understand the design aesthetic, especially given certain events toward the end, but at least add a gamma option or some kind of lantern item.”
- “The art style is reminiscent of 'A Link to the Past', but... not as simple, and not as attractive.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is criticized for its poor optimization, particularly highlighted by its unusually small file size of 2.68 GB for its scope, which many users find unacceptable. Additionally, the movement controls are reported to be unrefined, further detracting from the overall experience.
- “-2.68 GB for a game of this scope seems inexcusably unoptimized.”
- “Movement controls aren't optimized.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of frustration and admiration, as players grapple with challenging obstacles while also connecting with the wholesome, heroic nature of the silent protagonist. This duality evokes a range of feelings, from irritation to empathy, enhancing the overall emotional experience.
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, particularly with major glitches reported in the 6th and 9th dungeons, alongside frequent crashes and other technical problems. Overall, players have expressed frustration with the game's reliability.
- “There are major glitches in the 6th and 9th dungeons.”
- “Glitches and crashes are frequent occurrences, at least in the build we played.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its nostalgic feel, enhanced by familiar gameplay and visually appealing scenes and characters. Reviewers appreciate the unique story that deviates from typical tropes, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.
- “Great atmosphere, very familiar gameplay once you change the controls to match your SNES controller the way you remember it. The scenes and characters look nice, and the story isn't just another 'save the princess'; it just feels good.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is criticized for being poorly executed, with a lack of originality and depth in the plot that relies heavily on prior knowledge of characters, leaving new players feeling disconnected. Overall, the design flaws detract from the potential for meaningful character interactions and growth.
- “There are tons of design flaws in this game so far, badly crafted dungeons, clunky combat and magic systems, and a very boring and unoriginal plot that seems to assume the player has knowledge of past character development and interactions.”