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Has-Been Heroes

An addictive and entertaining roguelite, Has-Been Heroes has some novel ideas that makes it an absolute blast for when you have 30 minutes to kill for another run.
Has-Been Heroes Game Cover
68%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
grinding, replayability
74% User Score Based on 216 reviews
Critic Score 62%Based on 18 reviews

Platforms

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Has-Been Heroes Game Cover

About

Has-Been Heroes is a single player arcade role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Frozenbyte and was released on March 27, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

In "Has Been Heroes," a lane-based roguelike game, players guide a group of retired heroes on a challenging quest to escort princesses to school. Featuring strategic coordination of melee attacks, spell casting, and permadeath, the game offers irreverent humor, expanding world maps, and high replayability with its thousands of new experiences from randomized spells, items, and unlockable heroes. The game is a test of strategy and action as players attempt to defeat an endless army of undead.

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Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
Has-Been Heroes screenshot
+8
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74%
Audience ScoreBased on 216 reviews
gameplay38 positive mentions
grinding13 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique lane-based combat system that requires strategic planning and quick decision-making, making battles engaging and satisfying.
  • There is a vast amount of unlockable content, including spells, items, and heroes, which adds to the replayability and keeps each run feeling fresh.
  • The art style is colorful and cartoonish, providing a lighthearted contrast to the game's challenging mechanics.
  • The game suffers from a steep learning curve, with a lack of clear tutorials and explanations for mechanics, leaving players to figure out many aspects on their own.
  • Randomness can heavily influence gameplay, leading to frustrating situations where players may feel they have no control over their success or failure.
  • The controls can feel clunky and unintuitive, particularly when it comes to swapping heroes and managing lane changes during combat.
  • gameplay
    123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Has-Been Heroes" is characterized by a mix of strategic exploration and challenging combat, with a steep learning curve that can initially deter players. While many appreciate the depth and complexity of the mechanics, particularly in combat and character management, others find the lack of clear explanations and repetitive elements frustrating. Overall, the game offers a unique and engaging experience for those willing to invest time in mastering its systems, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its demanding nature and occasional mechanical shortcomings.

    • “The sense of progression extends beyond the immediate gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay in Has-Been Heroes offers a great mix of strategic exploration and challenging combat.”
    • “If you are willing to push through the initial learning curve, you will be rewarded with satisfying combat mechanics and a huge amount of content that stays fresh for a good while – lots of bang for your buck!”
    • “The gameplay is slow with all the walking and pausing in between stuff.”
    • “It's unfortunate that the game mechanics aren't explained very well.”
    • “Gameplay mechanics make this game borderline unplayable.”
  • story
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game revolves around a group of washed-up heroes tasked with the simple mission of escorting twin princesses to school, which is presented with a humorous and absurd tone. However, the narrative is largely considered barebones and simplistic, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling storyline, with minimal progression and a lack of depth. While the quirky premise and animated cutscenes add some charm, players seeking a rich narrative experience may find the story lacking.

    • “The game follows a group of washed-up heroes tasked with a deceptively simple mission—escort twin princesses to school.”
    • “The story, so to speak, is honestly weird and disjointed, but it works for the purposes of the game: a young rogue accompanies two washed-out heroes to escort two young princesses to school, which apparently the whole army of the undead wants to prevent, and some kind of god figure also wants a cut into, for some reason?”
    • “In Has-Been Heroes, you take control of a pair of legendary heroes who are past their prime, and one eager young rogue keen to experience a life of adventure, and accept your most important quest yet: to escort the kingdom's young princesses across the land to school.”
    • “The story is so poor, it's about 3 men bringing 2 girls to school across the forest.”
    • “The story content has a mobile-game level of simplicity, and it doesn't really have enough variety to support extended play.”
    • “Of course, as usual, they have a quest to complete, but the game's token story is of little interest.”
  • graphics
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Has-Been Heroes" feature a vibrant, cartoonish art style that is both charming and expressive, enhancing the game's personality. While many players appreciate the colorful visuals and animations, some have reported significant graphical glitches that can hinder gameplay, leading to frustration. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received for their fun aesthetic, though they are not without flaws, such as low-resolution textures and a cluttered interface.

    • “The art style is bright and cartoon-like, with expressive character animations that lend personality to each hero and enemy.”
    • “Graphically speaking, Has-Been Heroes boasts a charming, cartoonish art style that bursts with personality.”
    • “The graphics are nice and hand-drawn, and really well animated, too; the sound design is also fitting, with music that works well and sound effects that make the battles fun and satisfying.”
    • “The game either loaded with graphic glitches or hung at the start screen with just the music playing and no way to continue or exit the game.”
    • “All this is ultimately flawed and made unplayable by a graphical glitch causing your mouse cursor to flicker constantly and ultimately disappear during said intense combat, rendering the game frustrating and frankly, unplayable.”
    • “Interface and graphics are also very poor.”
  • music
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally described as fitting the fantasy genre, with fast-paced beats and powerful pieces that enhance the gameplay experience, though some players find it lacks memorability and depth. While the soundtrack is enjoyable and complements the art design, it is often overshadowed by technical issues and is not considered a standout feature. Overall, the music is deemed decent but not exceptional, with some tracks receiving mixed reviews.

    • “Explosions, spell effects, and critical hits burst across the screen in satisfying cascades of color, while the music keeps the tempo high with fast-paced fantasy beats.”
    • “Has-been heroes features a soundtrack that, thanks to my many hours of gameplay, ended up permanently etched into my brain.”
    • “The music, sound design, art, and overall aesthetic of the game are very fun to listen to and look at.”
    • “The music stays largely in the background because of it, but it’s there if you pay attention and it does a decent job at keeping you entertained, I guess.”
    • “I'm not sure how many soundtracks there are, but as far as I've heard, the sound aspect of the game is just lacking.”
    • “The desert map music is terrible, but overall the music is decent.”
  • grinding
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it rewarding with unlocks and enjoyable at first, many note that it becomes tedious and repetitive, especially towards the end. The reliance on mouse controls adds to the frustration, making the grind feel longer and less engaging. Overall, while the grind can be seen as a drawback, it is still considered worthwhile by some players who appreciate the roguelike elements.

    • “The disparity means getting to the 'good' content quickly becomes incredibly tedious, which makes it feel grindy.”
    • “In many other games, there are long stretches where you are slogging through the grindy parts, and those grindy parts are just repetitive; they become boring.”
    • “Gameplay is extremely tedious; I'd be giving too much credit if I said the story was flimsy.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of absurdity and light-hearted dialogue, often reflecting the ridiculousness of its premise involving washed-up legends. While some players appreciate the comedic elements, such as quirky enemy designs, many feel that the humor doesn't consistently land and pales in comparison to other indie titles. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience with moments of levity, but it may not fully satisfy those seeking a robust comedic narrative.

    • “The characters themselves embody a sense of humor that matches the absurdity of the premise—a group of washed-up legends taking on a mission that’s beneath them—but that levity often fades once you realize just how brutal the game truly is.”
    • “That being said, it was funny to see some enemies wearing Nintendo outfits – pretty sure the company is not aware of this!”
    • “Looks beautiful, humorous story, core combat mechanic is a clusterfuck.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, enhanced by a diverse roster of characters, strategic gameplay, and roguelike mechanics that encourage experimentation and tailored experiences. Players appreciate the ability to unlock item information for improved decision-making in future playthroughs, making it a worthwhile investment, especially during sales. Overall, it stands out as a well-crafted title with ample replay value.

    • “Despite this, Has-Been Heroes boasts immense replay value and easily justifies its price tag – it's an absolute steal on sale!”
    • “The game is great fun, has a large roster of characters, intense time-based strategy and gameplay, and a ton of replayability.”
    • “Part of the replayability is the fact that you unlock information about the items, allowing you to make better decisions on future playthroughs when you buy stuff.”
    • “It would be like if, to extend replay value, your favorite FPS game just randomly killed you in single-player for no reason.”
    • “The roguelike replayability is obtained by a series of gameplay mechanics, kind of standard for good roguelikes.”
    • “Part of the replayability is the fact that you unlock information about the items so you can make better decisions on future playthroughs when you buy stuff.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews; some players experienced significant issues such as graphic glitches and freezing at the start screen, while others reported a smooth experience without any bugs. Overall, the game's performance appears inconsistent, with some platforms experiencing more stability than others.

    • “The game either loaded with graphic glitches or hung at the start screen with just the music playing and no way to continue or exit the game.”
    • “Bugs or glitches were never seen in my playthroughs on the switch.”
    • “The game offers an interesting and innovative line-based battle system: when one of your heroes attacks, the game freezes.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization aspect is a mixed bag; while it features innovative "attack optimization" mechanics that appeal to puzzle enthusiasts, players report frustrating limitations on character synergy and poor performance, including a 24 fps lock. Overall, it offers a challenging experience for those who enjoy strategic number crunching, but may not satisfy everyone.

    • “Really innovative 'attack optimization' mechanics are well thought out.”
    • “It’s not a game for everyone, but if you enjoy puzzle games focused on optimization – this one is for you.”
    • “The rest feel more frustrating than challenging, and minimize how much synergy and optimization you can actually do with your characters.”
    • “It is a rather tough strategy game that features rogue-like enemies and a lot of number crunching and micro optimizations.”
    • “Bad performance, I mean the 24 fps lock.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of "Has-Been Heroes" is not perceived as a typical cash grab often seen in mobile or web games; instead, it offers substantial depth and engagement, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional impact of the game is perceived as lacking, with players suggesting it may not be a priority compared to other titles, though it could be worth exploring if available at a discount.

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62%Critics’ scoreBased on 18 critic reviews
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2h Median play time
3h Average play time
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Frequently Asked Questions

Has-Been Heroes is a arcade role playing game with fantasy theme.

Has-Been Heroes is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Has-Been Heroes.

Has-Been Heroes was released on March 27, 2017.

Has-Been Heroes was developed by Frozenbyte.

Has-Been Heroes has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Has-Been Heroes is a single player game.

Similar games include Crown Trick, Crowntakers, Star Renegades, The Last Spell, Ironcast and others.