Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 2

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 79 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 2 Game Cover
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"Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 2" is a narrative-driven game following the journey of Shama, a descendant of the Savior, as she searches for answers and her benefactor in Uzato. Living under the Tree of Life and becoming a priestess, Shama ventures to the far west after receiving her mother's cryptic message. The game delves into complex themes about relationships between God, humanity, and nature, while players enjoy its beautiful artistic style and atmospheric soundtrack.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Cloud
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews
story25 positive mentions
character development3 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning artwork and beautiful environments, enhancing the overall visual experience.
  • The story is rich and character-driven, with a humorous tone that appeals to fans of visual novels.
  • Combat mechanics are enjoyable, with a variety of abilities and a fluid movement system that allows for engaging gameplay.
  • There are excessive cutscenes and dialogue, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to a frustrating experience for those seeking more action.
  • The translation quality is poor, with numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that detracts from the narrative.
  • Gameplay can feel overly easy due to the abundance of revive items and lack of challenge in combat, making it less rewarding for players seeking difficulty.
  • story80 mentions

    The game's story is rich and intricate, featuring a blend of engaging character arcs and a unique setting that draws from real-world mythologies. However, it suffers from pacing issues, excessive dialogue, and a confusing narrative structure, compounded by poor translation quality. While some players appreciate the tonal shifts and depth, others find the story tedious and linear, often feeling overwhelmed by the amount of dialogue and fetch quests.

    • “It is a story-rich game with a lot of dialogue and character expression.”
    • “The story is actually quite fun and the dialogue is fine.”
    • “You are here for the story, and this story is one I buy into.”
    • “As for the story itself, it is super confusing partly because the pacing can be rather obtuse at times, but the biggest offender is the terrible translation.”
    • “The story is either confusing or so boring that it didn't register.”
    • “The actual story is a bit dragged out, but overall, I'd say it's no better or worse than most stories.”
  • gameplay43 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it is often interrupted by excessive dialogue and cutscenes, leading to a lack of engaging action. While some appreciate the fluid mechanics and improvements over previous installments, others criticize the combat for being too easy and unbalanced, with a feeling of frustration due to poorly integrated systems like crafting and pet mechanics. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as lacking depth and challenge, with a desire for a more focused approach to mechanics and less narrative interruption.

    • “If you really don't care about the story, the good news here is that unlike the first one, I'd be willing to recommend this one just for its gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fluid, the story is interesting, and the world building is good.”
    • “This game carries much of the good from its previous episode and improves on it; the gameplay is nice and fluid, and the soundtrack is superb with lovely visuals complementing it.”
    • “The action gameplay is so-so; it's a very easy game.”
    • “There are far too many cutscenes that disrupt the gameplay.”
    • “Every 10 minutes of gameplay, you have a ridiculously long text cutscene where the characters exclaim their way through with shocked 'anime facial expressions' and equally annoying voice acting.”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality, emotional depth, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and storytelling. The soundtrack is described as top-notch, featuring a variety of styles that fit different scenes, although some critics noted moments where the music felt bland or lacked impact. Overall, the combination of beautiful art and impressive audio design contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The world is massive, there's decent amounts of depth to the combat, and the graphics and music are top notch.”
    • “The accompanying music is equally impressive - it perfectly fits the mood of every scene.”
    • “A lovingly crafted side-scrolling RPG, with an interesting story, great attention to detail and excellent music for an indie game.”
    • “The soundtrack is lacking any real impact.”
    • “The music was bland and did not really enhance the action or story.”
    • “Even with Chinese, the voiceovers are in Japanese (so is the music).”
  • graphics26 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork, beautiful environments, and impressive character designs, contributing to an overall visually appealing experience. While the visuals are described as gorgeous and well-executed, some critiques mention issues with resolution and an overemphasis on scantily clad female characters. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a significant improvement over its predecessor, enhancing the immersive atmosphere alongside a captivating soundtrack.

    • “The world is massive, there's decent amounts of depth to the combat, and the graphics and music are top notch.”
    • “The first thing you'll notice is that the artwork and music are gorgeous.”
    • “Graphically this game is gorgeous.”
    • “Granted, none of this is graphic enough for the game to warrant an 18+ rating.”
    • “A heavily inspired aesthetic borrowed from Monster Hunter with even a drip of Jade Cocoon.”
    • “Some character artwork: I’m not bothered by scantily clad characters, but I think sometimes this game takes that a little too far.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by clever dialogue and nuanced interactions, though it is occasionally overshadowed by inconsistent animation quality and excessive visual effects. The protagonist's tomboy nature and unique character designs, particularly the Viking-inspired ones, add to the appeal, but the overall depth of character development may be undercut by translation issues.

    • “If you're okay with a tomboy protagonist, the artwork is amazing, the environments are beautiful, and the character designs are very cool.”
    • “You can tell that there's some really clever dialogue and nuanced character development.”
    • “The art is beautiful, albeit with very, very thirsty character designs, but it's marred by animations that feel like they have about half the key frames they should, and overuse of visual effects making action incredibly difficult to read.”
    • “Not least the viking-like character designs that are met frequently, even though the trailer won't tell you that.”
    • “Every now and then, the translator manages to get lucky and write a few sentences that aren't that bad, and in these rare moments, the quality of the original script shines through; you can tell that there's some really clever dialogue and nuanced character development.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in "Heroine Anthem 2: Scalescars Oath" is well-received, blending funny moments with dramatic scenes to create an engaging experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to balance humor with storytelling, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a lighthearted yet dramatic adventure.

    • “If you're looking for a humorous hybrid of visual novel, sidescroller, and action RPG, then Heroine Anthem 2: Scalescars Oath is for you.”
    • “The game features funny moments that really enhance the experience.”
    • “As always, the story and humor are great, which keeps me playing more.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to missable achievements and the cumbersome process of switching pet abilities. Frequent checks on merchant stocks also contribute to the repetitive nature of gameplay, leading to frustration over time.

    • “Most achievements are missable; a few require grinding, and some are only available in the early access version.”
    • “Switching pet abilities is a rather tedious process since you need to make sure you swap to the correct pet and then select the correct ability from the pet's ability menu.”
    • “It became tedious after a point having to check the stocks of all of these merchants every 5 minutes to see if they had anything new I might need.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt dedication, which resonates deeply with players, evoking feelings of gratitude and connection to both the creators and the community. Users express that the game's message is touching and impactful, enhancing their overall experience.

    • “Wow, the dedication and heartwarming effort really go so far.”
    • “It truly touches my heart with its heartfelt message for us, as well as for the creators and crew working on this for us!”
    • “I am sending you all my heartfelt gratitude, love, and thanks!”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization has shown gradual improvement, but players have noted a decline in performance during the last two chapters, indicating that the high level of art resolution demands better optimization.

    • “Such level of art resolution requires very good optimization, which this game has been slowly improving on.”
    • “Performance declines significantly in the last two chapters.”
    • “The optimization issues really hinder the overall experience.”
    • “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its seamless blend of 2D and 3D assets, creating immersive environments that range from ancient temples to eerie fog-laden forests. The music complements the visuals well, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “It seamlessly blends 2D and 3D assets to create very atmospheric environments - from ancient temples to creepy forests covered in thick fog.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs that can cause players to get stuck in loops or respawn in fatal locations, necessitating restarts.

    • “The game is quite buggy; you can get stuck in loops and have to restart, or your character dies in a spot and respawns in an instant kill area.”
    • “There are frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “I've encountered numerous glitches that affect the game's stability, leading to frustrating moments.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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