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Heroes of Steel RPG

79%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
music, grinding
79% User Score Based on 238 reviews

Platforms

iPadiPadiPhiPhoneMOMac OSPCPCPhoPhoneWinWindowsLinLinuxMPMobile PlatformTabTablet

About

"Heroes of Steel RPG" is a turn-based tactical game where you lead a party of four heroes to protect the last of humanity in a post-apocalyptic medieval world. The game is set in the aftermath of a war between gods, where the survivors have retreated to an underground labyrinth called the Underdeep. The free demo provides hours of RPG gameplay, with each of the four story episodes available for $1 and offering 30-4

Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot
Heroes of Steel RPG screenshot

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 238 reviews
story81 positive mentions
grinding26 negative mentions

  • Engaging and nostalgic gameplay reminiscent of classic RPGs, with a solid turn-based combat system.
  • Rich character development and customization options, allowing for diverse party builds and strategies.
  • Active developer support with regular updates and improvements based on community feedback.
  • Clunky user interface and controls, particularly for a PC port, making navigation and management cumbersome.
  • Repetitive combat and enemy encounters can lead to a tedious experience over time.
  • Graphics and sound design are basic and may not appeal to players seeking modern visuals and audio.
  • story
    184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally praised for its depth and engaging narrative, with many players finding it compelling despite some common RPG tropes and occasional dialogue issues. While the pacing can feel slow due to the combat-heavy structure, the well-developed characters and meaningful choices enhance the overall experience, making it a significant draw for those who appreciate story-driven gameplay. Overall, the narrative is described as interesting and immersive, with a rich lore that keeps players invested throughout their journey.

    • “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.”
    • “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 and characters are well written and interesting, including their interactions between each other.”
    • “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

    The gameplay is primarily focused on turn-based squad tactics, offering a mix of addictive mechanics and challenging combat that rewards strategic planning. While some players appreciate the depth and evolving character abilities, others criticize the opaque mechanics, grindy nature, and pacing issues that can lead to frustration. Overall, the game provides a nostalgic RPG experience with solid mechanics, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its randomness and design 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.”
    • “The gameplay revolves around turn-by-turn tactical combat at the squad level, based on a square grid.”
    • “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.”
    • “In general, game mechanics are annoying and these annoyances are more and more visible as you play to the point of frustration it seems.”
    • “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

    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, suggesting 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.”
    • “Animation is basic to say the least, and the art style looks amateurish, as harsh as that sounds.”
  • music
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 more diverse options. Overall, the music is seen as a weak point, but it does fit the game's theme and can enhance the experience when paired with 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
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that grinding in the game is largely viewed as tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over the lack of enemy respawns and the necessity to frequently return to camp after battles. Many find the combat unengaging and the mechanics cumbersome, leading to a laborious experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. Despite some players feeling compelled to continue, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding aspect significantly hampers the game's appeal.

    • “The enemies don't respawn, so don't think about grinding.”
    • “I found this tedious and unrewarding.”
    • “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

    The game boasts high replayability due to its tight design, diverse character builds, and multiple gameplay modes, including nightmare and ironman challenges. Players can experiment with various team compositions and skill upgrades, leading to unique experiences in each playthrough. Overall, the combination of extensive content and strategic options 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.”
    • “It offers fun, turn-based combat and along with three alternate classes, it adds a certain amount of replayability.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive qualities, with many reviewers noting that the combination of artwork, soundtracks, and character interactions significantly enhances the overall experience. While some mention average graphics, they still contribute to a fitting and engaging atmosphere that surpasses expectations, particularly in comparison to larger titles. However, there are calls for further improvements in certain areas to elevate the mood and immersion even more.

    • “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

    Character development in the game is generally praised for its complexity and variety, offering flexible options that enhance the gameplay experience, particularly in the early stages. However, some players feel that it becomes less engaging in later episodes, leading to a decline in interest. Overall, the character design and development contribute positively to the story-driven narrative and gameplay.

    • “Character development is complex and has a healthy variety of synergy, with many options on the medium difficulties.”
    • “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 episode 3.”
    • “Character development lacks depth and fails to engage the player as the story progresses.”
    • “The character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving little room for meaningful growth.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 too many stability issues; I often find myself restarting due to glitches.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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

    The monetization strategy of the game is generally viewed positively, as it avoids excessive microtransactions typical of mobile games, which is seen as a refreshing choice. However, the presence of ads promoting mobile versions suggests a strong mobile influence in its design.

    • “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

    Players report that character optimization can feel frustrating, as maximizing relevant stats does not always lead to expected performance in combat. However, recent updates have improved overall performance and user interface, enhancing the storytelling 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).”
    • “Recent performance and UI improvements, further strengthening of the story and storyline interactions are simply delicious icing on this game.”

Buy Heroes of Steel RPG

30h Median play time
39h Average play time
6-80h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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