Heroine Anthem Zero
- December 21, 2016
- WindThunder Studio
- 4h median play time
"Heroine Anthem Zero" is a single-player Role Playing game with an intriguing story and stunning graphics. The game takes place in a beautifully designed fantasy world, where players uncover an emotionally resonant soundtrack and captivating visual art style. In this first episode, players follow the journey of Wanin the Forest Keeper and the wandering cat-girl Shama Kutami, as they fight for survival and resist the advances of evil in a world unforgiven by God.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
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Playstation 4
Windows
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The story is engaging and well-developed, with interesting characters and a rich lore that draws players in.
- The gameplay improves as you progress, with challenging bosses and enjoyable platforming elements.
- The pacing is slow, with excessive cutscenes and dialogue that can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- The controls and combat mechanics feel simplistic and lack depth, making the gameplay less satisfying.
- The game is quite short, leaving players wanting more and feeling like it serves primarily as a prologue.
- story73 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a central focus, featuring a deep narrative intertwined with Norse mythology and engaging character development, though it is often delivered through lengthy cutscenes that some players find tedious. While many appreciate the artistic presentation and emotional depth, others criticize the repetitive dialogue and slow pacing, leading to mixed feelings about the overall storytelling experience. Despite its flaws, the story is generally regarded as compelling, leaving players eager for the continuation in future installments.
“A highly artistic and stylish side-scrolling action platform with a deep and engaging story.”
“The storytelling is driven by belief and musical folktale which reminds me of good old anime films.”
“Heroine Anthem tells us a story of sacrifice and an ancient legend of the world tree.”
“It's all just worthless; it's a template story stretched out for miles.”
“The story is, however, very slow to unfold, and when it does, it is conveyed as a little too complicated. I feel like I spend about 1/4 of my playtime just sitting through cutscenes that aren't even animated, just slideshows of illustrations.”
“With a game so heavily reliant on story, there was no real buildup to this final boss.”
- music46 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and elegance, playing a crucial role in enhancing the narrative and atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the exceptional soundtrack, with standout tracks that evoke a hauntingly beautiful experience, although some note that not all pieces resonate equally. Overall, the music, alongside the stunning visuals, is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, making it a significant draw for players.
“The music plays a major role in the narrative and brings the game world to life.”
“Subjectively, one of the most hauntingly beautiful soundtracks I’ve ever heard in video games.”
“The music in this game is absolutely wonderful.”
“No wonder they put the soundtrack as a DLC.”
“Music-wise, well there's not a lot to be said - which isn't a bad thing.”
“Some long 4-min music drama that can be summarized in 2 lines but cannot be skipped.”
- gameplay36 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a contentious aspect of the game, often overshadowed by its heavy emphasis on story and cutscenes, with many players noting a lack of variety and depth. While some enjoy the decent mechanics and exploration elements, others criticize the repetitive nature and underdeveloped features, suggesting that the game might have been better as a visual novel. Overall, the gameplay is considered serviceable but flawed, with potential for improvement in future updates.
“The team manages to deliver fun gameplay and a strong aesthetic of storytelling despite a rough development process and financial problems.”
“Nice action metroidvanian-lite gameplay (I recommend playing it on standard difficulty though, otherwise it becomes too easy).”
“This promotes skillful gameplay.”
“You'll watch long cutscenes and dialogue between characters a lot, with gameplay sprinkled in between.”
“There are about 2 hours, if that, of repetitive gameplay, and noticeably unincorporated gameplay elements.”
“This game plays almost like a visual novel, with the gameplay serving as short interludes between cut scenes.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork and vibrant, hand-drawn style, reminiscent of classic vanillaware aesthetics. While the visuals and music are considered highlights, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere, some players note that the overall execution feels somewhat janky, with gameplay mechanics that could use refinement. Despite these flaws, the art and design are seen as the main draws, appealing particularly to fans of anime and visual storytelling.
“The artwork definitely gives some old Vanillaware vibes.”
“The visuals are what made me interested; it might be a good product with a nice backstory and good old ARPG combat and exploration.”
“Graphics - if you're into hand-drawn worlds filled with color and atmosphere with a huge bucket of anime paint flung onto the canvas, you're in for a treat.”
“Don't let the graphics fool you, and skip this one.”
“The art style and sprites look like they were done with much effort.”
“The main draw here is the artwork and music.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, featuring funny dialogues and optional scenes that provide comedic fan service. Players appreciate the amusing interactions, such as kicking animals and small enemies, and find the overall humor to complement the interesting plot loosely based on Norse mythology. While some humor may be lost in translation, the game is recommended for its entertaining blend of story and comedy.
“The humor is great and the art is amazing.”
“You can kick animals and small enemies, which is funny.”
“If you are looking for story and humor, I would recommend it; it's so funny and has a great story.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its refreshing dual personalities and gradual progression, contributing to a rich narrative experience. The attention to detail in character and NPC designs enhances the overall world-building, making it a visually stunning and immersive environment. Overall, the character development is considered top-notch, reflecting significant effort and creativity.
“Two distinct personalities keep the tone refreshing and slowly build character development.”
“The world building and character development are top notch.”
“Even the NPCs’ character designs are drop-dead gorgeous, leading me to speculate the amount of love gone into making this game.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“There are moments where character growth is hinted at, but they often feel rushed and unearned.”
“The dialogue is often repetitive, which detracts from the overall character development experience.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is praised for its solid performance, with no major bugs reported during extensive playtime. The use of 2D skeletal animation enhances smoothness and overall game performance, effectively capturing the unique personalities of each character.
“The overall performance is great and captures the different personalities of each character very well.”
“I have rock-solid performance with no game-breaking bugs during my 15 hours of playtime.”
“The 2D skeletal animation makes the animations smooth and provides better game performance than sprite animation.”
“I have rock solid Unity performance and no game-breaking bugs during my playtime (15 hours).”
“The 2D skeletal animation makes animations smooth and provides better game performance than sprite animation.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its vibrant, hand-drawn graphics and artistic design, which create an immersive experience reminiscent of anime. The combination of colorful visuals, thoughtful background design, and a fitting soundtrack contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment, making it a standout feature despite its gameplay.
“The graphics are stunning; if you're into hand-drawn worlds filled with color and atmosphere, you're in for a treat.”
“The game designers put significant effort into the artistic touches, with good Asian-style graphics, cutscene illustrations, and a soundtrack that perfectly suits the atmosphere.”
“For me, this is a good game, not just for its gameplay but for its overall atmosphere.”
“For me, this is a good game, not for its gameplay but for its overall atmosphere.”
“Simple controls as a 2D RPG, and the game designers put some effort into the artistic touches (good Asian-style graphics and cutscene illustrations, background design, and soundtrack suits the atmosphere).”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its fun and touching story, which promises a heartfelt ending. Players also note the unique mechanic of enemies causing contact damage, adding a layer of endearing interaction that enhances the overall emotional experience.
“A fun and touching story.”
“I firmly believe that we can see a touching ending to the story.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some enjoy the motivation behind grinding and the fun of mashing attack buttons, others feel it can become tedious over extended play sessions. Overall, it serves to keep gameplay engaging for those who appreciate a grind-oriented approach.
“Mashing the attack button is fun, but it becomes tedious after a long time.”
“I beat it in two sittings and even had time to do a bit of money farming to prepare for what I thought was just another boss battle.”
“The motivation for grinding is good, but it can feel repetitive and detracts from the overall experience.”
