Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune
- February 1, 2022
- IceSitruuna
- 39h median play time
Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune doesn’t do anything particularly new, but fans of Metroidvanias will find it well worth their time.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Frontier Hunter: Erza's Wheel of Fortune" is an action-packed RPG set in a vibrant fantasy world. Embark on an epic journey as Erza, a skilled huntress, and discover the secrets of the legendary Wheel of Fortune. Customize your character with various weapons and skills, and form alliances with other hunters to overcome challenging foes and bosses in this immersive and exciting adventure.
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a vibrant anime art style that enhances the overall experience.
- Combat is engaging and satisfying, with a variety of weapons and character abilities that allow for creative playstyles.
- The game offers a lengthy playtime with plenty of exploration, secrets, and a robust crafting system that keeps players invested.
- The game suffers from some technical issues, including bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.
- There is a lack of meaningful backtracking and exploration mechanics typical of the Metroidvania genre, which may disappoint fans.
- The story and dialogue can feel generic and poorly translated, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
- story63 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Frontier Hunter" is generally described as engaging and well-crafted, featuring a mix of humor and adventure, though some find it shallow or generic with translation issues. While the narrative has its entertaining moments and character interactions, many reviewers note that it lacks depth and polish, with some expressing disappointment in the underwhelming ending and simplistic dialogue. Overall, the story is seen as serviceable but not groundbreaking, appealing primarily to those who prioritize gameplay over narrative complexity.
“The storyline in 'Frontier Hunter' is engaging and well-crafted.”
“The narrative unfolds through compelling quests and character interactions, offering a mix of intrigue and adventure.”
“Overall experience: 'Frontier Hunter' is a standout title that successfully combines stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and a captivating story.”
“Shallow story, the ending feels very underwhelming, only 2 characters talking, nothing about companions and their relationships.”
“The story and dialogues are ultra-cringe but it's somewhat expected for an anime fan-service game.”
“The story is complete brain rot.”
- gameplay54 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Frontier Hunter" is generally praised for its engaging combat mechanics, customization options, and fluid controls, making it a solid entry in the action RPG and metroidvania genres. While some players noted issues with level design and character diversity, the innovative mechanics and enjoyable combat experience have garnered positive feedback, with many recommending the game for its fun and visually appealing gameplay. However, there are suggestions for improvement, particularly in refining certain mechanics and enhancing overall gameplay depth.
“The gameplay and its gear mechanics are brilliant.”
“Gameplay: 'Frontier Hunter' excels in delivering a gameplay experience that's both accessible and deep.”
“The crafting, RPG elements, and classic Metroidvania feel all make for a solid game with a good balance of fun and varying difficulty, depending on how willing you are to dig into the guts to break the game with its customization mechanics, or play things the hard way and attempt to take down bosses with sheer skill.”
“I really did give it an honest try, but the frankly bland (and way too huge) level design makes the gameplay start to wear out its welcome around the 10 hour mark.”
“Unfortunately, there is little diversity between different characters in terms of gameplay.”
“It feels like several mechanics just aren't there.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Frontier Hunter" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and vibrant anime art style, contributing to an engaging overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful character designs and environments, noting improvements over previous titles. While some mention minor issues with dated 3D graphics, the overall consensus is that the game's aesthetics significantly enhance its appeal.
“Graphics and art style: the game shines with its breathtaking graphics and art style.”
“Amazing graphics, gameplay, presentation, and music!”
“The combat is smooth, the graphics are great.”
“The visuals are sadly on the weak side.”
“The art design is nice, with distinct and colorful environments, but the dated 3D graphics really don't help.”
“The sound is about the same, story is worse, graphics much worse... actually wonder how something for a Nintendo Switch can have better graphics than a PC... guess Frontier Hunter was developed for smartphones.”
- music25 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with many reviewers highlighting its dynamic and emotionally impactful soundtrack that enhances gameplay and complements various moods. While some found it initially unremarkable, others appreciated its depth and quality, comparing it to well-regarded soundtracks from other games. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing to the overall experience.
“The soundtrack of 'Frontier Hunter' is a highlight, featuring a dynamic score that complements the game's various moods and settings.”
“The music enhances the emotional impact of key moments and intensifies the excitement during combat.”
“The soundtrack didn't captivate me initially, but after listening to it outside of the game, I found it to be particularly pleasing.”
“The initial tracks are soothing or cheerful, reflecting the initial mood of the game, but the music turns gradually more dramatic and foreboding as the scale and nature of the real threat are being unveiled.”
“Soundtracks are Ys-tier and Nier-tier.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a lighthearted and funny storyline, enhanced by anime-inspired character art. While many players appreciate the comedic elements, some find the sexual undertones to be immature and reminiscent of fan fiction, detracting from the overall humor.
“Funny part is, when you kill all mobs in one screen, change to the next room and immediately return, the mobs are also respawned.”
“Nice and light story with a lot of humor rounding it up.”
“I watch a lot of anime, so the character art style appeals to me as does the humor in the game.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of "Afterimage" to be somewhat tedious, particularly when it comes to resource farming and modifying equipment, which can take a significant amount of time. While there are opportunities for exploration and stat grinding, the process can feel overwhelming due to the need to manage numerous drops and the potential for enemy AI to create obstacles. Overall, the grinding experience is described as lengthy and occasionally frustrating, but it does offer rewards for those willing to invest the time.
“As far as farming resources for modifying, it takes forever.”
“Early access is a good 5-10 hours depending on your style of exploration and grinding for upgrade materials and specific souls to slot into your gear.”
“While Afterimage is not particularly 'exciting' in terms of combat or enemy farming, there are chests, items, and equipment even in the first areas of the game you can't get to until the very end of the game.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is inconsistent, with reports of buggy cutscenes, silent audio cues, and specific mod issues, particularly with lifesteal and character weapons. While some players have not encountered significant graphical glitches, others experience frequent freezes and black screens, necessitating hard restarts. As an early access title, users acknowledge the presence of bugs but note that developers are actively addressing these issues.
“Cutscenes at times are buggy and models stay completely still; audio cues for characters are silent when they shouldn't be.”
“Game looks great, but I can't play it for long before the game freezes or just straight up black screens my PC and forces me to hard restart it.”
“Not only that, but the lifesteal mod really seems buggy and doesn't work with Ciara's guns.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautifully rendered diverse landscapes, dynamic lighting effects, and immersive audio elements, including battle sounds and exceptional Japanese voice acting. These features collectively enhance the overall experience, making the environment feel vibrant and engaging.
“The diverse landscapes—ranging from lush, verdant forests to rugged, desolate wastelands—are beautifully rendered, and the dynamic lighting effects enhance the overall atmosphere.”
“It has a lot of atmosphere; the visuals are great, and the battle sounds plus the superb Japanese voice acting are the icing on the cake.”
“This game features tons of power-ups, unique enemies, and abilities that fit the atmosphere perfectly.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its appealing design, drawing comparisons to well-known titles like BlazBlue and Guilty Gear. However, some players feel that the character design lacks depth, and there are mixed opinions on the overall quality of character progression and item management. While the gameplay is engaging, there is a desire for more quality-of-life improvements to enhance the experience.
“The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the gameplay.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly impact their personalities and relationships.”
“The way characters interact and grow over time creates a compelling narrative that keeps me invested in their journeys.”
“Character designs and ship designs are a juxtaposition of similar ideas which would not be out of place in titles such as BlazBlue, Phantasy Star, Guilty Gear, Wild Arms, Tales of, and Star Ocean.”
“I was able to platinum the game within 14 hours and I recommend this game because the combat is creative, maps are okay, character design is bad, items are mixed feelings, and a lot more quality of life improvements can be added to the game like synthesis to items to make ingots into ore and disassemble what you do not use.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is well-received, with users noting that performance improves with weapon attachments and experiencing very few frame drops.
“Your performance will improve based on your attachments to your weapons and other gear.”
“Optimization is good so far, with very rare frame drops.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
“I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
“Despite having a high-end PC, the game still struggles with optimization, leading to unexpected crashes and long loading times.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the fixed map design limits replayability compared to the random-generated maps found in previous titles, suggesting that allowing players to tackle one challenge at a time could enhance the game's replay value.
“The fixed map is great for navigating, but it lacks the replayability of randomly generated maps like the first Tower Hunter games with their roguelike-lite nature.”
“Would be better if you could just play one at a time; that would add a lot of replayability.”
“Would be better if you could just play one at a time; it would add a lot of replayability.”
“The fixed map is great for navigating but lacks the replayability of randomly generated maps like in the first Tower Hunter games with their roguelike-lite nature.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music significantly amplifies the emotional resonance of pivotal moments in the game, heightening both the intensity of combat and the overall player experience.
“The music enhances the emotional impact of key moments and intensifies the excitement during combat.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized for appearing exploitative, with users feeling that it was designed primarily as a quick cash grab rather than a well-supported product.
“I would not recommend this game as it feels like the devs have dropped this completely and it was used as a quick cash grab.”
“The monetization system is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“It feels like every aspect of the game is designed to push you towards making in-game purchases, which ruins the experience.”
