Heroes of Steel RPG

About

Heroes of Steel RPG is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Trese Brothers and was released on April 23, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Heroes of Steel RPG is a turn-based tactical game with strategic combat and role-playing elements. Lead a group of four heroes through a dark and desperate world, making decisions that affect the story and building party members' skills and abilities. Explore dungeons, cities, and the wilderness, battling enemies and completing quests in this challenging and immersive adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 241 reviews

story81 positive mentions

grinding25 negative mentions

Engaging and deep story with interesting character interactions.
Challenging tactical combat that requires strategic planning and teamwork.
Active developer support with regular updates and responsiveness to community feedback.

Clunky user interface that feels more suited for mobile devices, making navigation cumbersome.
Repetitive combat encounters that can become tedious over time.
Lack of variety in enemy types and environments, leading to a sense of monotony.

story
186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
The game's story is a significant highlight, featuring a deep and engaging narrative that unfolds through character interactions and quests, although it may not appeal to everyone due to its linearity and combat-heavy structure. Players appreciate the well-written dialogue and character development, which contribute to a rich lore and immersive world, despite some minor issues with repetition and pacing. Overall, the story is compelling enough to keep players invested, with meaningful choices that impact the narrative experience.
- “The real strength of Heroes of Steel is its story, which is amazing, quite funny in places in a low-key way, sometimes surprisingly affecting in others, and with actual character arcs.”
- “The story is surprisingly good - there aren't many dialogue choices or complex interactions, it's just an enjoyable narrative between your characters (and those you meet) to flesh the world out a bit.”
- “So as I head to the end of episode 2, and looking forward to the just released episode 3, I still very highly recommend this incredibly deep and fascinating game with an interesting storyline that I enjoy watching unfold.”
- “The story is really well told; the problem is you have to go through countless laborious battles to find out what happens next.”
- “You have pretty much no freedom in where to go; there is no open world for you to explore, there are no storyline options for you, just go through the motions with a mediocre story and no freedom.”
- “Around an hour into the game, battles began to be nothing more than an annoying nuisance preventing me from exploring the areas and advancing the story.”
gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The gameplay is characterized by turn-based squad tactics that offer a mix of addictive mechanics and challenging combat, though some players find it grindy and frustrating due to opaque mechanics and a lack of polish. While the game provides a nostalgic RPG experience with a rich story, it may not appeal to everyone, particularly those seeking a more streamlined or visually impressive title. Overall, the game is praised for its depth and developer support, making it a solid choice for fans of tactical RPGs despite its flaws.
- “The evolution of character abilities is incredible; the gameplay is addictive.”
- “Battles are hard, but not broken - the player is gradually introduced to tactics and gameplay is smooth.”
- “This game offers deep tactical gameplay and an entertaining story.”
- “I just can't recommend this to the target audience (fans of the gold box series or Shining Force) due to the randomness, the pace, and the seemingly intentional time-wasting mechanics implemented in the game.”
- “Since 2014, people have been complaining about repetitive battles, tedious UI, and the grindy gameplay.”
- “This game really needs several rounds of polish - not just of the UI (which is extremely rough) but also of the tactical gameplay on which the game rests its name.”
graphics
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The graphics of the game are generally described as simplistic and dated, reflecting its indie roots and hand-drawn aesthetic. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and functional design, others criticize the visuals as mediocre or unattractive, noting that they may deter those seeking high-quality graphics. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics are not a standout feature, they do not detract significantly from the engaging gameplay and story.
- “The art style brings a lot of nostalgia; it looks like many games you searched and played years ago when you didn't have a good computer but had the spirit of adventure. That is this game: a pure RPG with an interesting background story and fun turn-based gameplay in less than 300 MB!”
- “Graphically, I have fallen in love with the pastel look of the game.”
- “The artwork and music make Heroes of Steel much more exciting, atmospheric, and eerie than I had expected, and it far surpasses most full 3D games made by big companies.”
- “Bad graphics and awkward interface.”
- “Ugly graphics, a bizarre interface, and boring combat.”
- “Dated graphics.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking variety, often resorting to turning it off or playing their own background music. While some appreciate the atmospheric quality of the limited tracks, others criticize the monotony of the combat and exploration themes, suggesting that the soundtrack could benefit from additional songs. Overall, the music is seen as a weak point, but it does fit the game's theme and can enhance the experience when complemented by personal audio choices.
- “The soundtrack doesn't consist of many tracks, but is atmospheric and fits the theme of the game perfectly.”
- “Its quite a scary moment whenever your party is all of a sudden thrust into combat with dramatic music playing and a sense of life and death as they were discovered sneaking about in stealth mode picking locks and or exploring an area.”
- “The artwork and music makes Heroes of Steel much more exciting, atmospheric and eerie than I had expected, and it far surpasses most full 3D games made by big companies.”
- “The game only has 2 music tracks, apparently, 'in combat' and 'out of combat' - and, of course, 'silence'.”
- “The music does get repetitive after a while, so I suggest putting your own choice of creepy music on in the background instead.”
- “I can't listen to an 8-second loop of the same battle tune non-stop for 8 hours!”
grinding
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, with many noting that battles feel unengaging and require constant backtracking to campsites. The lack of respawning enemies further limits grinding opportunities, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration, especially with poorly designed mechanics and user interface. While some players acknowledge moments of enjoyment, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind becomes laborious and detracts from the overall experience.
- “The enemies don't respawn, so don't think about grinding.”
- “But that last 3 hours, once the discovery period was over, have been rather tedious.”
- “And I give up, this game is no fun any longer, and everything that made it tolerable (it was never truly great) evaporated long ago in the sea of grinding, boring battles where you face pretty much the same group of enemies over and over and over again.”
replayability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The game boasts high replayability due to its tight design, diverse character builds, and multiple gameplay options, including different difficulty modes and story segments. Players can experiment with various team compositions and skill upgrades, enhancing the experience with each playthrough. Overall, the combination of strategic depth and content variety ensures that players can enjoy numerous runs without feeling repetitive.
- “Tons of replayability, tons of content.”
- “The replay value with Heroes of Steel RPG is endless with the ability to create new parties different from the one you had in your previous group and seeing how they fare against the rules and mechanics of the game world.”
- “Second, at least for me, replayability is an issue.”
- “The replayability of the game comes from two things for me -- the different character builds (the barbarian can be a tank or a carry, depending on how you build him) and the plot options.”
- “Replayability is high: you can retry it with different builds for the same characters, or swap out some characters for other builds.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive qualities, with many players noting that the combination of artwork, soundtracks, and character interactions significantly enhances the overall experience. While some critiques mention average graphics and limited music, the effective use of atmospheric elements creates a compelling and engaging environment that resonates well with players. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, contributing to the game's excitement and depth.
- “As a gamer, that's how I like my games; graphics are secondary if the gameplay and atmosphere are well put.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't consist of many tracks, but is atmospheric and fits the theme of the game perfectly.”
- “The artwork and music make Heroes of Steel much more exciting, atmospheric, and eerie than I had expected, and it far surpasses most full 3D games made by big companies.”
- “This area really needs some attention and would help enhance the atmosphere and mood of the game dramatically.”
- “Average graphics, no music, sloppy movements, slow battles, boring atmosphere...”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its complexity and variety, particularly in the medium difficulty settings, making it appealing for casual RPG players. However, some reviewers noted a decline in interest and depth across the episodes, with the second and third episodes failing to maintain the initial engagement. Overall, the character design and development contribute positively to the story-driven experience.
- “All in all, I strongly recommend this to anyone wanting a relatively casual fantasy RPG with a fantastic story and good, flexible character development.”
- “Similar to Baldur's Gate, build and lead your team of 4 through a story-driven tale, with combat, big dungeons, towns, side missions, and character development.”
- “Character development also was okay for the first episode, but grew stale in episode 2 and became completely uninteresting in the third one.”
- “Character development is complex and has a healthy variety of synergy, with many options on the medium difficulties.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Overall, the game runs well on systems like the iMac with Big Sur, though some users report minor bugs and a lack of clarity in certain areas. While not entirely bug-free, the developers' responsiveness to issues and willingness to improve stability is appreciated by players.
- “Runs great on my iMac with Big Sur.”
- “Virtually no game is completely bug-free upon release, and the willingness to tweak display and fix minor issues is a mark of developers who care about the quality of their work.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “I encountered several bugs that disrupted my gameplay and made it frustrating.”
- “There are constant stability issues that prevent me from fully immersing myself in the game.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Heroes of Steel" is characterized by its low-key, subtle wit that complements the engaging story and character arcs, providing moments of genuine amusement. Players appreciate the blend of humor with emotional depth, making the experience both entertaining and surprisingly impactful.
- “The real strength of Heroes of Steel is its story, which is amazing, quite funny in places in a low-key way, sometimes surprisingly affecting in others, and with actual character arcs.”
- “And as a funny side note, I earlier saw that I finished with the 3rd highest score on 'normal' difficulty on my first playthrough.”
- “I don't demand mind-blowing graphics, but this is just something that I've always found kind of funny with a lot of indie RPGs.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is generally viewed positively, as it avoids excessive microtransactions typical of mobile cash grabs, though it does exhibit signs of being a mobile port, including ads promoting its mobile versions.
- “This is glaringly a mobile port, without even trying to mask it—there are even ads to purchase the game on iOS and Android.”
- “I'm sure they have enough knowledge to turn any of their games into a microtransaction-riddled mobile cash grab, but they don't, which is refreshing.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Players report frustration with character optimization, feeling that despite maximizing relevant stats, they still struggle to hit enemies effectively. However, recent performance and UI improvements, along with enhanced storytelling elements, have been positively received as valuable additions to the overall experience.
- “Recent performance and UI improvements, along with further strengthening of the story and storyline interactions, are simply delicious icing on this game.”
- “You won't know why you don't hit enemies even when you think you optimized your character by maximizing the supposedly relevant stats (weapon skill + strength, for example).”
- “The optimization in this game feels lacking, as I often find my character underperforming despite my efforts to enhance their stats.”
- “It's frustrating to invest time in optimizing my build only to see minimal impact on gameplay performance.”