Chronicles of two Heroes

About

Chronicles of 2 Heroes is an intense 16-bit action platformer inspired by masterpieces like The Messenger and Ninja Gaiden on the NES. This epic quest features Metroidvania elements and a singular mechanic: you can switch in real-time between the two main characters! Ayame and Kensei have unique, surprising combat styles that you will need to master to save feudal Japan from Amaterasu’s wrath. Eve…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The pixel art is beautiful and well-designed, with vibrant backgrounds and charming character animations.
The character swapping mechanic, while challenging, allows for fluid gameplay and encourages creative problem-solving in platforming and combat.
The level design is thoughtful and progressively challenging, rewarding players with new abilities and power-ups that enhance gameplay.

The character swapping mechanic can be frustrating, as it requires players to constantly adjust their thinking and can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
The game lacks accessibility options, such as button remapping and colorblind modes, which may hinder some players' experiences.
There are bugs and performance issues that can detract from the overall enjoyment, and some players find the gameplay slow-paced and boring.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The gameplay is centered around a character swap mechanic that initially slows down player actions but becomes rewarding as players adapt, allowing for creative maneuvers and strategic problem-solving. While some find the mechanic cumbersome, others appreciate its depth and the thoughtful level design that enhances learning and replayability. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its smooth mechanics and engaging challenges, despite some initial awkwardness with character abilities.
- “When you get used to the swapping mechanic, it feels good to do some cool maneuvers, and you'll find ways to circumvent challenges later in the game.”
- “The game teaches you the details of the mechanics and when you'd want to use each character through thoughtful level design and moderates progressive difficulty well.”
- “To keep things exciting, fresh foes and mechanics tied to your powers keep popping up.”
- “It slows the gameplay down as you keep telling yourself, 'Oh no, wait, I can't do that, gotta press the character swap button.'”
- “I get the switching mechanic, but having to train your brain to think that you have to click an extra button before you jump or dash doesn't feel good.”
- “It's a make or break mechanic and, for me, it breaks the game.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it annoying or merely serviceable, while others praise it as enjoyable and well-integrated with the gameplay. Many appreciate the engaging soundtrack that enhances the experience, particularly noting its ability to adapt when switching characters. Overall, the music is seen as a strong aspect of the game, complementing its impressive pixel art and gameplay.
- “I like how, when you switch between the two, the music changes slightly to reflect the character.”
- “The music is great - really enjoyable tunes that you can find yourself bobbing your head to, and just the right length that it isn't irritating when it loops, even if you spend hours stuck in a level.”
- “A hell of a lot of love clearly went into this game and it is reflected in the beautiful pixel art, incredible soundtrack, and tight controls.”
- “The music is kind of annoying, not really doing what chiptune music is good at.”
- “The music is serviceable.”
- “The soundtrack does not engage or motivate me to keep trying.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics feature a standard 16-bit art style that showcases good pixel art, appealing to fans of retro aesthetics. While some players may find the visuals serviceable and not particularly engaging, others appreciate the effort and the modern yet nostalgic vibe. Recent updates have improved the graphics and overall game flow, enhancing the visual experience for players who enjoy fast-paced gameplay.
- “The graphics carry a modern but retro vibe, and I can recommend it if you want a new game to check out but enjoy fast-paced gameplay.”
- “The devs have clearly spent a lot of time responding to and thinking over player feedback and have delivered an update that not only makes the game flow much more tightly, but also brings a ton of graphical updates and bug fixes.”
- “It has got an excellent gameplay, the graphics are amazing in their own particular style, and the soundtrack is awesome.”
- “The art style is serviceable.”
- “The art style is standard 16-bit.”
- “The graphics carry a modern but retro vibe.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The story is described as somewhat confusing and generic, with unclear motivations regarding the artefacts and the empress. While some find it entertaining and supportive of the gameplay, others view it as lacking depth. Overall, the narrative does not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- “The pixel art is amazing, the story is entertaining, and moment-to-moment gameplay is a lot of fun.”
- “The plot is a bit strange; are the artifacts bad or is the empress bad?”
- “The story is whatever...”
- “Your old master adds more support to this timeless—some could even say generic—story.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits some stability issues, particularly with buggy behavior near the screen edges, but the developers are actively working on patches. While it remains enjoyable, players are advised to wait for the next update before revisiting certain areas.
- “It's fun, but a bit rough around the edges, especially around the edges of the screen, where lots of buggy behavior can happen.”
- “The game is a little buggy at the moment, but the devs are aware and patching, so I'd say definitely buy it. However, maybe don't teleport back to area 3 until after the next patch comes out (which will hopefully be soon).”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Character development in the game is noted to be minimal, with a lack of ludonarrative consonance beyond initial designs; however, this is not seen as a drawback. The vibrant pixel art and engaging soundtrack contribute to the overall experience, making the gameplay enjoyable despite the limited character growth.
- “All accompanied by beautiful pixel art with a lot of personality thanks to the character design and a soundtrack that engages and pushes you to keep trying once again.”
- “You should buy this game for the gameplay; ludonarrative consonance (outside of the initial character designs) is nowhere to be seen as of review time (2 hours), and that's perfectly fine.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on a meaningful level.”
- “While the character designs are visually appealing, the actual development and growth of the characters throughout the game are disappointingly minimal.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game offers significant replayability, particularly through challenging rooms that effectively test their understanding of the mechanics.
- “Plenty of room for replayability, and some of the challenge rooms will put your understanding of the mechanics to the test.”