Heroes Rise: The Prodigy

About

"Heroes Rise: The Prodigy" is a superhero-themed text-based role-playing game where players must make choices to determine their character's path to greatness. As the Prodigy, players will face challenges, make alliances, and confront enemies in their quest to become a powerful superhero. The game features multiple branching storylines and numerous endings based on the player's choices.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 360 reviews

story130 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Engaging storytelling with interesting characters and plot twists.
Allows for character customization, including romance options and moral choices.
Offers replayability with different paths and outcomes based on player decisions.

Choices often feel meaningless, leading to a linear narrative despite the illusion of choice.
Some characters and relationships lack depth, making them feel one-dimensional.
The game can be frustrating due to forced outcomes and lack of real consequences for decisions.

story
408 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The story of "Heroes Rise: The Prodigy" is a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting its linearity and lack of meaningful choices that significantly alter the narrative. While some appreciate the engaging writing and character development, others criticize the predictable plot and the feeling of being railroaded through a pre-determined storyline. Overall, it offers a decent superhero tale with some enjoyable twists, but it often feels more like a scripted novel than an interactive experience where player choices truly matter.
- “The story is amazing and makes me not want to stop playing.”
- “The writing is good, so if you want to read a story that you have no control over, then this purchase is for you.”
- “The story is multilayered and additional material makes it feel immersive compared to other games.”
- “The story is painfully linear from start to finish.”
- “Choices that you can't actually choose because the story will just redirect you back to another choice.”
- “Unfortunately, the main storyline is the same no matter what choices you make, so those decisions only impact the final score.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
67%
16%
The game is entirely text-based, lacking any graphics or sound, which has led to mixed reactions from users. While some appreciate the focus on storytelling and character development, others express disappointment over the absence of visual elements, suggesting that a bit of graphical content could enhance the experience. Overall, players emphasize that the game's strength lies in its narrative rather than its visuals, appealing primarily to those who enjoy interactive fiction.
- “Visually, it stands proudly in the interactive fiction camp: a verdant land where graphical resolution is limited only by the imagination, and GPUs never melt.”
- “At the same time, that's really the charm; no graphics to get upset about means you just focus on the story, which is alright so far.”
- “In this generation with our never-ending quest for true-to-life graphics, sometimes we forget what really matters: the story and the experience.”
- “The price these games go for can seem a little steep for what they are, compared to other indies at the same price point, since they don't have any graphics or sound.”
- “Clearly the graphics are not impressive.”
- “Just be aware that you might not feel the same way, particularly if the linear storyline and lack of graphics turn you off.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting significant value due to character imports and branching storylines, while others criticize its limited depth and lack of meaningful choices. Many agree that it can be enjoyable for multiple playthroughs, especially for those who appreciate interactive fiction, but some feel it ultimately leads to similar outcomes regardless of choices made. In summary, while there is potential for replayability, it varies widely among players based on their expectations and play style.
- “But this story has great replay value.”
- “Importing your character into the next two games adds a lot of replayability.”
- “The world and its characters are memorable and interesting, and there's some replayability in it as well, because the choices you make can lead you to several storylines - although they all end up in the same place, more or less.”
- “It's entertaining one time through but (like most of its genre) has extremely limited replayability.”
- “Straight to the point of almost nonexistent replayability.”
- “Heroes Rise: The Prodigy offers a fun ride in an interesting world, but it has low replayability, mainly due to its lack of depth in the choices you get to make.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players describing it as a profound and intense experience that fosters deep connections with characters and their journeys. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, from joy to heartbreak, as players navigate challenging choices that impact the narrative. Overall, it is regarded as an emotional roller-coaster that resonates deeply, making it a standout in the choose-your-adventure genre.
- “This game takes you through a perfect emotional ride because you get invested in the character you created through their relationships and motivations.”
- “This has been one of the most emotional, roller-coastering rides of my life, and it happened in a video game.”
- “I've never felt more emotionally connected or invested with a character and story like this before, and considering I am an aspiring writer and have created whole worlds and characters of my own before, that's a very nice feat.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The game features no music or graphics, relying solely on text to convey its narrative, which some players find atmospheric despite the absence of audio. While many users express a desire for musical accompaniment, they also note that the engaging writing and character development can stand on their own, allowing players to use their imagination or personal music to enhance the experience. Overall, the lack of music is a common complaint, but it does not detract significantly from the enjoyment of the story.
- “The characters were complex and intriguing; although there was no music or graphics (like I expected), it was very atmospheric.”
- “Do not mind the absence of images or music: this is an interactive novel and it has kept me in front of my computer until I finished the story.”
- “(Hint: you can use your own music while reading, so no problem on that, but for the pictures, eh...you just have to use your imagination).”
- “It is text-based, and by that it is only text, not even background music.”
- “No graphics, no music, just you and the words on the page.”
- “Be warned, there are no music playing and no pictures.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The gameplay is primarily text-based, relying on player choice through binary decisions, which can sometimes feel limiting as options are grayed out. While the mechanics are well-explained and the story offers engaging twists, the overall experience is more akin to a visual novel than traditional gameplay, leading some to feel that it lacks depth compared to earlier text games. Players who appreciate narrative-driven experiences may find value, but those seeking more interactive gameplay might be disappointed.
- “They also managed to explain the mechanics of the game pretty well without it being super overbearing.”
- “I paid 8 dollars and enjoyed at least an hour's worth of gameplay for every dollar I paid.”
- “Mechanically though, it is much more similar to visual novels, as the player navigates using a series of multiple choice prompts to branch the story instead of a clunky text parser.”
- “The game uses its mechanics to do literally the opposite of what it's supposed to do: it tells you, 'you are not in control of your character.' There were points in the story where they present you with binary decisions and gray out the other option.”
- “The plot, character development, and most importantly gameplay were comically archaic, given that 'text games' with exceptional examples of the above have existed since the early 90s.”
- “If you've made a text-based game whose central mechanic is simply player choice and it has less respect for that choice than a AAA game like Fallout: New Vegas, then you've dropped the ball.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while the heroes exhibit intriguing flaws that enhance their growth, the villains are largely uninteresting and clichéd. The narrative is well-structured, resembling a movie, but the overall execution suffers from a lack of meaningful choices and engaging character design, leading to a somewhat archaic experience. Players who prioritize story and character development may find some enjoyment, but the game's shortcomings in these areas are notable.
- “Although I was a bit disappointed in the mostly uninteresting villains this game had to offer, the heroes themselves had enough downfalls in their personalities to keep me intrigued in their character development.”
- “The story is well thought out and the character development plays similarly to a movie.”
- “Heroes Rise has a great story, fantastic character development, and indeed, your imagination is the key to this game.”
- “The plot, character development, and most importantly gameplay were comically archaic, given that 'text games' with exceptional examples of the above have existed since the early 90s.”
- “The book is also riddled with various clichés and cringe-worthy character development (I mean, come on, a villain named Lolli that controls a prostitution ring?).”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is consistently praised for its ability to evoke laughter through clever choices and absurd scenarios, blending excitement with touching moments. Players appreciate the comedic elements that highlight the contrast between serious characters and the game's lighthearted tone, making for an engaging and entertaining experience.
- “Some of the choices you can make are hilarious.”
- “Funny, exciting, engrossing, and frankly, touching.”
- “It was hilarious imagining serious people and heroes referring to my hero as grimdark.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to the inability to skip repetitive content, which leads to a lengthy process to achieve 100% completion despite only minor variations in outcomes.
- “It's an interesting visual novel, but the lack of a skip feature for generally the same results with minor changes makes achieving 100% completion super tedious.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again just to progress, which really took away from the enjoyment.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy undermines its promise of meaningful player choices, leading to frustration among users who feel misled.
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “It's frustrating that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls, which ruins the overall experience.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the enjoyment and immersion of the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Despite the absence of music and graphics, the game successfully creates a compelling atmosphere through its complex and intriguing characters.
- “The characters were complex and intriguing; even without music or graphics, the atmosphere was incredibly immersive.”
- “The game's world felt alive, with every detail contributing to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.”
- “The ambient sounds and environmental design created a captivating atmosphere that drew me in from the start.”