Heads Will Roll: Reforged

About

Heads Will Roll: Reforged is a single player role playing game. It was developed by 1917 Studios and was released on October 4, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

In "Heads Will Roll: Reforged," play as a medieval soldier in the Hundred Years War, starting as a footman with the goal of survival. With turn-based combat and survival mechanics, players must make informed decisions based on various parameters like weapon proficiency, fatigue, injuries, and loot. The game boasts over 200 lootable items and a sophisticated combat system, providing a unique RPG experience.

Genres & Tags

Role Playing

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 786 reviews

story129 positive mentions

grinding23 negative mentions

Engaging and immersive story with multiple branching paths and endings.
Challenging combat mechanics that require strategic thinking and resource management.
High replayability due to the roguelike elements and character progression system.

Frequent spelling and grammatical errors that detract from the overall experience.
Combat can feel unfair at times, with high RNG leading to frustrating moments.
User interface is clunky and could benefit from quality of life improvements.

story
411 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The game's story is praised for its depth, branching paths, and multiple endings, providing a rich narrative experience that encourages replayability. However, some players find the storytelling inconsistent, with repetitive elements and abrupt conclusions that detract from the overall immersion. While the character development and moral dilemmas are engaging, the lack of voice acting and occasional poor writing can hinder the experience.
- “The story is remarkably well written, full of sharply realized characters, exciting encounters, and confounding moral dilemmas.”
- “The game has a lot of potential and is already great the way it currently is, great storytelling with multiple decisions that affect your character and create new branches to the story, with multiple endings.”
- “An immersive, zero-to-hero story set in the hundred years' war with high stakes and great replayability.”
- “I mean, I’m playing a story-based game only to repetitively and incrementally learn it over multiple playthroughs, skipping tons of texts I’ve seen over and over again, and then with extremely slow turn-based combat.”
- “The main reason why I do not recommend this game is the stupid storytelling.”
- “The story really lacks depth and the poor writing compounds the problem.”
gameplay
197 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
66%
3%
The gameplay is a mix of strategic turn-based combat and RPG mechanics, offering a rewarding experience that encourages mastery and replayability, particularly through its rogue-like elements. While some players appreciate the depth and addictive nature of the mechanics, others criticize the clunky execution and repetitive grinding, suggesting that the game may not appeal to everyone. Overall, it presents a unique blend of visual novel and RPG elements, with a solid story and engaging combat, though it could benefit from improved mechanics and clearer guidance.
- “An amazing game that has great combat mechanics, a great story, and a great rogue-lite mode.”
- “The core gameplay loop revolves around strategic turn-based combat, where every decision carries weight.”
- “The combat mechanics are fluid and responsive, making every battle a thrilling experience.”
- “I'm not opposed to grinding the same situation over and over to level up my profile, but the lack of randomness and turn-based mechanics makes the leveling up monotonous and boring.”
- “Combat sucks, nothing makes sense and it's a snooze fest clicking the same button to wait for your stamina and fatigue to regenerate, then feinting or bashing, then hitting, then recovering. There's no fluidity in gameplay.”
- “I was expecting an interesting indie RPG strategy set in the medieval era, but what I got was a cheap game with no introduction, unintuitive mechanics, and a broken combat system.”
graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style as nostalgic and visually pleasing, while others criticize the overall quality as poor and glitchy. Many users note that while the visuals have improved in some areas, they still suffer from clumsiness and lack historical accuracy. Overall, the game seems to balance between charming aesthetics and significant graphical shortcomings.
- “The art style, reminiscent of classic RPGs from websites like Kongregate and ArmorGames, brings a delightful wave of nostalgia.”
- “A fascinating plot, stunning graphics, and many tasks captivate you from the first minutes.”
- “First and foremost, the graphics are mind-blowing.”
- “Graphics are pretty terrible, there are quite a few translation issues (characters from 1300's England start talking like brain-rotted iPad kids out of nowhere), and the balance is totally out of whack.”
- “Graphics are laughably poor with a glitchy GUI that randomly flickers as you play the game.”
- “Poor graphics, random elements requiring no skill at all, and replay value that involves doing the same stupid tasks over and over to die shortly thereafter earning generation points.”
replayability
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The game boasts high replayability, featuring multiple story paths, numerous endings (up to 19), and various character builds that encourage players to explore different strategies and decisions. While some players appreciate the depth and challenge, others note that repetitive tasks and certain design choices can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it is regarded as a hidden gem with robust gameplay and significant replay value, particularly for those who enjoy challenging RPGs.
- “It's got immense replayability as well - 19 endings (at the time of writing) to hunt down and after chapter 3, two separate arcs...not to mention different builds and combinations of equipment.”
- “There is immense replay value as different decisions do affect the game as well as side quests that aren't possible in early runs.”
- “An immersive, zero-to-hero story set in the Hundred Years' War with high stakes and great replayability.”
- “Poor graphics, random elements requiring no skill at all, and replay value that involves doing the same stupid tasks over and over to die shortly thereafter earning generation points.”
- “This really hinders replayability.”
- “I understand they designed this with replayability in mind, but they also tease at gear hoarding... bit of a conflict of interest.”
grinding
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
92%
The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it tedious and monotonous due to repetitive mechanics and a lack of randomness. While some players appreciate the leveling system, others feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, making it a significant barrier for those who dislike such gameplay. Overall, the consensus suggests that the grinding can be excessively time-consuming and frustrating, particularly when progress is lost.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I'm not opposed to grinding the same situation over and over to level up my profile so I get a better start, but the lack of randomness and turn-based mechanics makes the leveling up monotonous and boring.”
- “Spent hours playing the game, grinding for points in the 'heads will roll' mode, only to accidentally hit 'reset profile' (I meant to hit new game) and lose all my progress (100 levels).”
- “Grinding for points is not fun at all, since you are sort of in a rush to accumulate points so you actually have a decent chance at beating the game, so you are constantly skipping all the text and interactions.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and contribution to the overall experience, with many reviewers noting it as a standout feature alongside the visuals and story. However, some players have mentioned that the music can become repetitive and that there are occasional bugs where music is absent in certain scenes. Overall, the soundtrack is considered exceptional and enhances the game's medieval atmosphere.
- “Anyway, visuals and writing are good for what this game aims to be, music is great, there seems to be a lot of replayability and build variety.”
- “For its current price, I would say it's absolutely worth it; the art is pretty nice and so is the soundtrack.”
- “Also, the music score is exceptional.”
- “The music gets repetitive quickly.”
- “It plays a great deal like the excellent indie title 'A Legionary's Life' but with better music, better visuals, and better replayability.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a clever juxtaposition of serious historical themes with quirky, absurd elements, making for a unique and entertaining experience. While the writing is generally praised for its wit, some players noted that the humor can become repetitive after multiple encounters. Overall, the blend of humor and adventure contributes to a fun, albeit imperfect, gaming experience.
- “As a historian, I find the idea of nobility during the 100 Years War era getting into their feelings over looting, pillaging, or torture to be hilarious.”
- “The story, a rollicking adventure set against a dystopian backdrop, wonderfully juxtaposes somber elements with quirky humor.”
- “So, to recap, the experience this game gives is one of the most unique I have ever seen, and while it is not perfect, as there are still some bugs (one I have encountered hilariously prevented me from wearing any armor in battle or else the game will crash to the bug screen), I still have a crazy amount of fun playing it and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone that doesn't mind dying a lot in a game.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive storytelling and captivating set pieces, despite the absence of voice acting. Players appreciate the intriguing character development and the rich, medieval ambiance that enhances the overall experience, particularly during supernatural encounters that elevate the stakes. The combination of engaging dialogue and meaningful choices contributes to a uniquely atmospheric gameplay experience.
- “This game has no voice acting, but interesting dialogue and characters nonetheless, of which some you can meet multiple times throughout the game (depending on your choices and your skill checks). It has a story with a lot of text and very few pictures, but still features captivating, atmospheric set pieces and choices to shape your playstyle.”
- “I really loved most of the supernatural encounters and their atmospheres; they really increased the stakes and intrigued me.”
- “A peculiar game with a pleasant design and fascinating medieval atmosphere.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its likeable characters, who provide a deeper connection and insight into their lives beyond combat. However, the narrative struggles with inconsistency, oscillating between formal dialogue and casual emotional expressions, which can detract from the overall experience. Players often feel a sense of heartbreak when their efforts are undermined by the game's mechanics, leaving them without the satisfaction of meaningful rewards.
- “Several likeable characters can become more than just pretty faces you come across, offering emotional connection and a glimpse of a life beyond the battlefield.”
- “Characters will veer between formal, historically appropriate lingo and colloquial, quippy emotional outbursts, usually within the same conversation.”
- “The game has fun moments, but it's heartbreaking to put all the work in, only to have the game snatch it away from you without even giving you the rewards from a defeat.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is frequently described as a "buggy mess," with issues that can significantly disrupt gameplay. However, players appreciate the responsiveness of the small development team, who quickly address reported bugs, making the overall experience more forgivable given the game's indie status.
- “However, this is a buggy mess.”
- “Concept is nice, but as is often the case with Ren'Py games, it is a buggy mess.”
- “It can be a bit buggy, with bugs that ruin your whole run.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor performance, particularly during save scumming and fast-forwarding, which can lead to crashes. Users express a strong desire for improvements in these areas to enhance overall gameplay experience.
- “I wish the performance was better for the save scumming experience.”
- “Speaking of fast forwarding, it is incredibly unoptimized to the point of crashing.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is highly praised, with players expressing a strong emotional connection to the in-game companions and a genuine investment in their fates.
- “The character development is so well done that I genuinely cared about the in-game companions and their fates.”