Arisen Force: HeroTest

About

"Arisen Force: HeroTest" is an A-RPG with high-definition pixel art and stylish action combat. Gather heroes from different eras to fight against a void invasion in a time-traveling quest. Engage in dynamic team combat with various weapons, mods, items, and talents, and experience exhilarating action in a seamless blend of old and new graphics styles. Join the Discord for updates and feedback.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The combat mechanics are enjoyable and responsive, allowing for fluid chaining of skills and combos.
The game features a unique character system where each hero has distinct abilities and can use any weapon, providing a variety of playstyles.
Despite its graphical issues, the game offers a lot of content for its price, with engaging gameplay that can keep players entertained for over 20 hours.

The game suffers from a lack of depth in its story and environments, making it feel repetitive and bland after extended play.
Visual glitches and clunky controls detract from the overall experience, leading to moments of frustration during gameplay.
The initial character recruitment system is poorly designed, forcing players to start with random characters and removing their team during recruitment levels.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The gameplay is primarily focused on action combat within combat rooms, requiring players to collect colored keys to progress, with additional gameplay modes introduced at higher levels. While there are currently only six characters, the game offers enjoyable mechanics, RPG elements, and a visually appealing style, promising at least 20+ hours of playtime. Overall, it combines fun, unique gameplay with a nostalgic aesthetic, making it a solid entry in the brawler/action RPG genre.
- “Gameplay wise, you'll be spending at least 20+ hours.”
- “It's a brawler or action-RPG with enjoyable action combat, special skills, RPG stats and mechanics, different equipment types, and a variety of characters to utilize.”
- “Bravo, Arisen Force: Herotest is a great entry into the brawler/action RPG genre that focuses on solid gameplay, an appealing visual style, and provides lots of characters to utilize.”
- “Most levels are just combat rooms with different colored keys needed to progress, but as you get higher, more gameplay modes are introduced.”
- “There are only six characters in the game currently, so after about four hours of gameplay, you should have them all.”
- “It's not particularly deep, but it doesn't need to be - it sticks with the game's mechanical theme of making your numbers bigger.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The story in Arisenforce Herotest is minimal and largely serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, with backstory provided only during stage selection. While some players appreciate the humorous writing and light-hearted dialogue, many find the narrative negligible and poorly explained, detracting from the overall experience. Ultimately, the game's focus on combat overshadows its lack of a compelling story, which some players view as a non-issue.
- “Obviously, the story is not the focus here, but the humorous writing and light-hearted dialogue were a very pleasant surprise.”
- “I have completed what appears to be the normal story and what I believe to be the majority of the content.”
- “Beat 'em up with a silly story to keep things going.”
- “Arisenforce Herotest is essentially a looter RPG that is very light on story and has a heavy focus on combat at its price point.”
- “Again, there's backstory, but not enough for you to care.”
- “The story is practically negligible.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the neo-retro style and overall visual appeal, while others point out issues such as strange character animations and a feeling of incompleteness. Despite these concerns, the combat is highlighted as a strong aspect that enhances the overall experience. Players express a desire for more customization options for character appearance.
- “Great game, wonderful graphics, and really good combat. Highly recommend.”
- “It's got the graphical style of some of these neo-retro RPGs but the squad-based beat 'em up gameplay of something like Dragon's Crown.”
- “Despite its graphical issues and feeling incomplete at times (the dev is adding features), the combat carries this game quite well.”
- “It's got the graphical style of some of these neo retro RPGs, but the squad-based beat 'em up gameplay of something like Dragon's Crown.”
- “The visuals are okay, but the way the pixel art characters move looks strange.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the game features a typical ARPG looter system, leading to significant grinding for optimal loot, particularly due to the frequent drop of useless items. While there is an endgame that allows for continued farming, the lack of variety in stages—limited to just four—can make the grinding feel repetitive and tedious. Additionally, leveling up characters and acquiring better health potions also requires considerable time investment.
- “Since the game has an ARPG looter style loot system, a lot of useless loot will be dropped, so you'll be spending a lot of time farming for the best loot if you decide on that route.”
- “However, there's not much variety currently and you'll be farming the same four stages constantly.”
- “You should expect some grinding to level up new characters and perhaps gain some cash to buy the best health potions available (the normal and intermediate ones are really weak, only healing 15% and 30% of your health on consumption).”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is criticized for being marred by visual glitches and clunky controls, which detract from the overall experience and immersion. While some users acknowledge the game as solid despite its bugs, these issues have led to point deductions in their ratings, generally landing around a 7/10.
- “Right from the start, the game is plagued with visual glitches and clunky controls, which really kill any sense of immersion.”
- “Overall, the game is definitely a 7/10 with the negligible story and glitches being the reason for point deductions, but the action carrying the game.”
- “This game, while a bit buggy and janky, is solid.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The optimization for the Steam Deck has received positive feedback, with users noting that games run smoothly and efficiently on the device. Many players appreciate the tailored performance settings that enhance gameplay without sacrificing visual quality. Overall, the Steam Deck is recognized for its effective optimization, making it a solid choice for portable gaming.
- “The game runs exceptionally well on the Steam Deck, showcasing impressive optimization.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly the game performs on the Steam Deck; the optimization is top-notch.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the game for the Steam Deck, making it a joy to play.”
- “The game runs poorly on the Steam Deck, with frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- “I was really disappointed with the optimization for the Steam Deck; it feels like the game wasn't even tested on the device.”
- “Despite the potential of the Steam Deck, the game's performance is subpar, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by witty writing and light-hearted dialogue, which pleasantly surprises players despite the story not being the main focus.
- “Obviously, the story is not the focus here, but the humorous writing and light-hearted dialogue were a very pleasant surprise.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is described as fitting for the context, but it fails to leave a lasting impression on players.
- “The music is fitting, but does not make much of an impression.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight a positive reception of the female character designs, indicating that players appreciate the visual representation and uniqueness of the characters.