Hero's Hour
- February 7, 2021
- ThingOnItsOwn
- 20h median play time
Get on itch.io Store"Hero's Hour" is a fantasy turn-based strategy game available on Steam, GoG, and itch.io. The game features single-player, multi-player, and co-op modes, with procedural generation ensuring a unique experience each playthrough. While boasting beautiful graphics, good music, and delightful replayability, the game is marred by grinding, bugs, and optimization issues, but its fast-paced real-time battles and strategic depth make it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great homage to Heroes of Might and Magic with fun gameplay and charming pixel art.
- Diverse factions and heroes provide a lot of variety and replayability.
- Real-time battles with spellcasting add a unique twist to the traditional turn-based strategy.
- AI cheats and can overwhelm players with impossible armies, making the game frustrating.
- Combat can feel chaotic and lacks depth, leading to a less strategic experience.
- Frequent crashes and performance issues, especially in larger battles, detract from the overall enjoyment.
- gameplay202 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of classic Heroes of Might and Magic mechanics with modern updates, offering a variety of factions and unique abilities that enhance strategic depth. While many players appreciate the engaging core loop and the balance between casual and complex playstyles, some criticize the repetitive nature of gameplay and the reliance on exploiting mechanics to succeed. Overall, the game is enjoyable and accessible, though it suffers from balance issues and a steep learning curve for new players.
“More factions, more units, and quite a large amount of new and fun abilities on units and skills on heroes show the devs weren't just trying to copy the game; they truly love the core gameplay and wanted an updated version.”
“The art is nostalgic and astounding, the generated maps look great, the diversity of factions is so unique, the strategy is simple despite the high learning curve, and the gameplay is just overall satisfying.”
“The gameplay loop is addictive, and the overland map development is pure Heroes of Might and Magic 3 crack.”
“The gameplay suffers because of it.”
“Repetitive gameplay, cheap 'difficulty' just giving the AI an advantage in production etc. Rushing is the only way to win, and poor balance.”
“The map, the units, the cities, the gameplay, the spells, the abilities... the only thing that they changed was to remove any kind of tactical battle and replace it with a mess of RNG that looks like pachinko.”
- graphics160 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a polarizing aspect, with many players appreciating the charming pixel art style and vibrant colors, while others criticize the simplistic and inconsistent sprite work that can hinder gameplay clarity. Some reviews highlight the retro aesthetic as a nostalgic nod to classic titles like Heroes of Might and Magic, though opinions vary on whether this choice enhances or detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, appealing to fans of pixel art but potentially off-putting to those seeking more detailed visuals.
“The pixel graphics are tuned to just the right amount of stylization that keeps everything on screen looking clear and well made.”
“Hero's hour combines all the best features of the heroes of might and magic franchise and puts a unique spin on them, with a cute and beautiful minimalist pixel art style the game is a joy to look at.”
“The graphics make the game charming, in their own way.”
“Graphics are way too simplified to the point it's not charming, just annoying.”
“Ugly graphics, inconsistent sprite work - highly detailed buildings next to tiny 8x8 unit sprites make me want to pull my eyes out, worse than a 20-year-old game; and yet with artificial limits on the number of units in battle because the game lags when large armies are fighting.”
“The graphics make my eyes bleed and the sound is about as good as wet farts in a brown paper sack.”
- music97 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy and atmospheric qualities, while others find it repetitive or annoying due to limited tracks and abrupt transitions. Many appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles, but there are calls for more variety and thematic depth in the soundtrack. Overall, while some players enjoy the music, others suggest alternatives like "Songs of Conquest" for a more polished auditory experience.
“Very fun and charming game, and amazing soundtracks, some of the catchiest music in any game I've played.”
“The music (looking at you, Sawtooth Peak) has been living in my head rent-free ever since I picked the game up, to the point that I bought the supporter edition just for the soundtrack alone.”
“The art is great, the soundtrack fits perfectly, the pacing is the best I've played for one of these games.”
“The music is completely unremarkable and treads the line between being so inoffensive you don't notice it and annoying given limited tracks and track time.”
“The music also abruptly changes quite a lot which sucks because it has some groovy music but too jarring of a change from one tune to another (city -> world map & end of turn music transitions in specific).”
“Music is terrible had to switch it off asap, was really getting on my nerves with every higher pitched tone, possibly just a matter of taste.”
- replayability44 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse factions, unique hero customization, and procedurally generated maps, which offer varied gameplay experiences. While some players feel the replay value may diminish without friends or additional campaign modes, the overall consensus highlights the game's depth and engaging mechanics that encourage repeated play. Many reviewers note that the combination of strategic choices and randomness contributes to an enjoyable and endlessly replayable experience.
“The individual elements--town building, resource management, hero customization, exploration, and massive real-time battles--seamlessly integrate into a whole experience with ridiculous levels of depth and replayability.”
“Each faction plays uniquely, meaning there is tons of replay value for subsequent playthroughs.”
“The resource management and procedurally generated maps make endless replay value come to life.”
“The replay value feels a bit thin if you're not playing with friends.”
“I wish it had something akin to a campaign mode, but the variety of factions gives you a lot of replay value from regular matches.”
“The problem isn't that the game has no replay value.”
- optimization37 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, especially during late-game scenarios involving large armies or expansive maps. Despite its engaging content and gameplay, the frequent lag and stuttering detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration for those with mid-tier hardware. Overall, while the game shows promise, it requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance performance and stability.
“Now it's actual little units being rendered in a live, real-time combat where you can tangibly see the performance of individual units against one another.”
“Optimization is a problem in longer games, where you have hundreds (even thousands) of units on the screen.”
“The game gets pretty hectic, and at least on my machine, during the endgame phase, my frames tank and performance across the board struggles -- just too many units on screen.”
“The lexicon is so large (or sadly, so unoptimized) that it reduces the game's FPS to 20 just looking at it, and there is a lot of variety to take in here.”
“The game is poorly optimized for longer/larger campaigns.”
“The performance is so bad I won't be playing anymore, but the game is fun enough to play if that weren't an issue.”
- story27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 26 % negative mentions
The game lacks a story or campaign mode, which many players find disappointing and feel leaves the experience feeling unfinished. While the gameplay is enjoyable, the absence of a narrative or lore makes it difficult for players to connect with the factions and feel a sense of progression. Overall, the consensus is that the addition of a story mode would significantly enhance the game's appeal.
“The day it gets a story mode is the day it takes a big step to being perfect.”
“If there was a story or something to it to continue to motivate you to push on and 'progress', it would be more rewarding.”
“Neat game, like Heroes of Might and Magic, but no story... I was looking forward to a story. I cannot recommend this game only because without the story it feels unfinished.”
“Releasing a paid DLC for what boils down to a new faction, a few new units and skills, and some maps when the game still doesn't even have a single-player campaign or story mode of any kind is more than a little rough.”
“This game is missing a storyline to play through.”
- stability15 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as buggy, with issues ranging from glitches during battles to significant performance problems on larger maps, leading to game freezes. While some players find it enjoyable despite these stability issues, the overall consensus indicates that the game's current state hampers its playability and enjoyment.
“The game has a lot going for it, but is completely unplayable on larger maps, resulting in game freezes that last whole minutes at random times.”
“I've put hours into this game, and the longer I've played, the more buggy it became.”
“Still buggy... decent game just not in its current state.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding the combat system and character interactions amusing, despite some frustrations with AI difficulty. Many reviews highlight the game's replayability and the comedic aspects of battles and character design, while others note that the humor can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game's lighthearted approach and funny elements contribute positively to the player experience.
“The battles are just the right mix of awesome and hilarious.”
“The negative reviews for this game are quite funny.”
“Funny little HOMM clone, recommended.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in terms of unit organization and strategic deployment, which can feel clunky and imprecise. The waiting times during AI turns and the need to chase down enemies contribute to a sense of monotony, especially in larger games. While some appreciate the blend of genres and the overall experience, many agree that both the early and late game can become repetitive and frustrating due to excessive waiting and resource management challenges.
“Trying to deploy units in a strategic way, making squads and giving them limited commands is clunky, imprecise, and tedious.”
“- in larger games, waiting for AI turns gets extremely tedious if there are 3+ AIs.”
“- high level monster NPCs guarding resource nodes makes the game tedious, as you have to wait at your base for weeks doing nothing, capture a node, then wait another two weeks since half your units died.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is mixed; while some players appreciate its nostalgic charm reminiscent of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, others express disappointment and a lack of engagement, indicating they may not return to it without significant updates.
“An enjoyable pixelated auto-battler that gives you those wholesome HOMM3 feels.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its charming spritework and immersive music, creating a unique experience reminiscent of traditional 4X games, despite the presence of steam remote play. Players appreciate the game's soulful design, which contributes to its overall ambiance.
“It's got a lot of soul, the sprite work is wonderful, and the music is really atmospheric.”
“The game does have Steam Remote Play, and although I'm happy with how it works, there is a certain atmosphere you get from other 4X games by not seeing the opponent's screen.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is perceived as a lazy cash grab, lacking originality and creativity, which detracts from the overall experience.
“It feels like an uninspired copy-paste from a classic, just to have a quick and lazy cash grab.”
“The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“I feel like I'm being constantly pushed to spend more, which ruins the overall experience.”
