Heldric: The Legend of the Shoemaker
- April 17, 2014
- Astral Byte Ltd.
- 6h median play time
Overall a fun game with an interesting concept. With an excellent blend of game styles, Heldric- The legend of the shoemaker has a lot to offer.
Get on SteamIn "Heldric: The Legend of the Shoemaker," players command an army of orc-like workers to defend their village and gather resources. Gameplay involves strategic tower defense, real-time strategy, and city-building elements. Players must protect their town from invading forces while expanding their kingdom and uncovering the mystery of the Shoemaker's legacy.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game has a unique blend of genres, combining elements of tower defense, city building, and hack & slash gameplay, which can be enjoyable for casual gamers.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and has made improvements and bug fixes since the game's release, showing commitment to enhancing the player experience.
- The game offers a fun and light-hearted experience, making it suitable for short play sessions without requiring a significant time investment.
- The game suffers from poor controls and clunky mechanics, making combat and navigation frustrating for players.
- There is a lack of content and variety, with repetitive enemies and limited building options, which can lead to boredom over time.
- Pathfinding issues and linear progression hinder the overall gameplay experience, making it feel more like a basic project rather than a polished game.
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Gameplay is described as a mix of hack-and-slash and tower defense, offering a fresh style, but early campaigns lack engagement. While mechanics are generally well-balanced, some players find issues with the cost of defense crystals and weapon effectiveness. Overall, the game shows promise for those seeking a challenge, despite criticisms regarding controls and overall gameplay quality.
“In terms of mechanics, I've found that by and large, the overall stats of the weapons, buildings, and enemies are well balanced.”
“It has a mix of hack and slash and tower defense, which adds a refreshing style to the gameplay.”
“This game has come a long way since it was released on Steam and is very promising for those who want a challenge as well as tactical, thought-out gameplay.”
“Gameplay is not really engaging in early campaigns.”
“Controls are bad, gameplay is bad, everything is bad.”
“I found that the cost of the defense crystals is slightly imbalanced, with the weapon costing too much for the damage dealt on stage 1, and very cheap for stage 2.”
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The storyline is enjoyable and addictive, despite being slightly implausible and lacking depth in certain areas, such as character motivation and replayability. While it offers a unique protagonist that deviates from typical hero tropes, players feel it could benefit from additional story elements and context.
“And overall, the storyline, while slightly implausible, is nevertheless enjoyable and can be pretty addictive for the right player.”
“The story is different, 'but different good'; he's not some overpowering stereotype hero.”
“It could include more story elements; I also would have liked to have more trap options, gear, and fortifications.”
“The storyline, while slightly implausible, is nevertheless enjoyable and can be pretty addictive for the right player.”
“It could include more story elements; I would have also liked to have more trap options, gear, and fortifications.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature an old-school, fable-like aesthetic that complements its primitive and mystic themes, creating a charming rustic atmosphere. While some players appreciate the appealing visuals reminiscent of classic titles, others note that the game's performance can be problematic. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their style, despite performance issues.
“On the graphical side, the old school fable-like graphics give the game a nice rustic feel to it that easily fits the primitive and mystic theme of the game.”
“The game has a Diablo-like feel; I also like the graphics as they are appealing to me.”
“I'm not concerned with graphics over playability, but the game's performance is a struggle at best.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making it hard to connect with the game.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, user feedback on stability is mixed; while some players report a bug-free and enjoyable experience, others highlight significant issues with glitches. Despite these concerns, many still find the game to be worth its price.
“Very buggy.”
“I recall some very expensive games which were very buggy, and remained so.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, with players finding it to be both funny and hilarious, enhancing the overall tactical experience.
“A funny little tactical game.”
“It's so hilarious.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, with players noting that performance issues significantly hinder playability, despite a preference for gameplay over graphics.
