Hero's Spirit
- December 31, 2020
- mod.kitchen
Get on Steam"Hero's Spirit" is a 2D retro-style RPG focused on exploration and discovery. Gain new abilities to access previously unreachable areas, uncover secrets and shortcuts, and engage in simple yet depth-filled combat. Delve into a meticulously hand-crafted world set to an 8-bit soundtrack, filled with content for hours of gameplay and hidden secrets to discover.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Hero's Spirit offers a deep and rewarding exploration experience, filled with layers of secrets and engaging puzzles that encourage players to think outside the box.
- The game successfully captures a nostalgic retro aesthetic, with a charming soundtrack and simple controls that make it accessible while still providing complexity.
- Players appreciate the sense of discovery and adventure, often comparing it to classic titles like Zelda and Ultima, making it a highly recommended choice for fans of old-school RPGs.
- The lack of a map or automapping feature makes navigation frustrating, leading to disorientation and tedious backtracking as players struggle to remember previously explored areas.
- Combat mechanics are overly simplistic, relying on a binary system that can feel unengaging, and the difficulty curve can be punishing without clear guidance or save points.
- Many players find the design choices, such as illusory walls and vague hints, to be more frustrating than fun, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the exploration experience.
- music22 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its incredible quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, with many noting its cinematic flow that complements the adventure. While the retro-inspired soundtrack is celebrated, some players expressed a desire for longer tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a standout feature that adds significant value to the game.
“The soundtrack for this game is incredible.”
“The music also has a flow, like how the soundtrack of a movie will carry you through the ups and downs of the plot; the music here carries you through your adventure.”
“Hero's Spirit is an excellent game with an amazing retro palette and soundtrack.”
“Decent chiptune soundtrack.”
“The music has a flow, similar to how a movie soundtrack carries you through the ups and downs of the plot; however, it feels less engaging in this game.”
“While I appreciate the retro music and style, it lacks variety and can become repetitive over time.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, making it easy to pick up and play, reminiscent of old-school NES titles. While the combat mechanics are straightforward, they provide engaging moments, especially when navigating challenges like illusory walls. The game features a variety of collectible items that add depth to the otherwise minimalistic gameplay loop.
“The combat mechanics are fairly simple, but still sufficiently engaging that you feel good when you juke a high-level enemy or get past it with the help of a special item.”
“Awesome old school NES feel with easy controls but addictive gameplay.”
“Hero's Spirit is a simple game on the face of it, only having 4 gameplay input buttons plus menu and reset, yet manages a surprising complexity with different types of collectible items and their various purposes.”
“There's also a lot of illusory walls, which results in most gameplay being: walk up to wall -> bump into wall -> move to next time -> bump into wall -> repeat until you find an illusory wall.”
“As far as the actual gameplay loop goes, it's pretty straightforward.”
“The gameplay is mechanically very simple to just pick up and play and the story is minimal.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story is intricately woven into its exploration and puzzle-solving mechanics, with players uncovering layers of narrative through key discoveries and secrets. While some find the story minimal, others appreciate its depth, particularly the evolving nature of characters like the dragon, who may not be as evil as initially perceived. Overall, the narrative experience is enhanced by the vast amount of content and the joy of exploration, making it a rewarding journey for those who enjoy delving into the lore.
“The creators have poured their heart and soul into the hero's spirit when it comes to the staggering amount of content; I am 150 hours in and I still haven't unlocked the full story.”
“Play this game if you enjoy exploration, innovative puzzles, and the joy of discovering layers upon layers upon layers of secrets and story.”
“As the story unfolded, it became clear this dragon might not even be evil, just a guardian of whoever occupies the throne room.”
“The gameplay is mechanically very simple to just pick up and play and the story is minimal.”
“The creators have poured their heart and soul into the hero's spirit when it comes to the staggering amount of content; I am 150 hours in and still haven't unlocked the full story.”
“Combat aside, the game revolves entirely around finding keys, unlocking doors, and unearthing secrets to increase that combat level (so you can progress through the 'story') and gather items that'll further help you traverse the labyrinthine maps.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are intentionally simple and blocky, reminiscent of classic NES and Atari aesthetics, which some players appreciate for their nostalgic charm. Despite their simplicity, the visuals create an intricately crafted world that feels immersive and believable. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they effectively evoke a retro vibe that enhances the game's experience.
“It tries to invoke a certain aesthetic of older, more rough-around-the-edges games.”
“The graphics are so simple and blocky, yet it feels like an intricately crafted world; it feels like a place that could actually exist.”
“It may look like a little adventure game with Atari graphics, but you will quickly discover how not simple it is.”
“It's a very simple game, only requiring use of arrow keys, and it tries to invoke a certain aesthetic of older, more rough-around-the-edges games.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the overwhelming number of collectibles and the need for repetitive searching in previously cleared areas. The requirement to interact with nearly every tile to uncover hidden secrets adds to the monotony, making the experience feel error-prone and laborious. While the game has strengths in its hidden content, the grinding can detract significantly from overall enjoyment.
“Yet with 1000 or so small collectibles, it gets tedious and error-prone, and you end up doing a lot of frustrating re-searching of areas you thought you cleared, usually with no idea if what you seek is in that area.”
“Hs's one strength is having secrets upon secrets, but most are found by pressing against every solid tile on every map to find the few that are illusions, and that gets tedious quickly.”
“I'd semi-recommend this game, but without that feature, it's a bit too tedious to play as is.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Hero's Spirit offers significant replayability, praised for its depth and engaging gameplay that resonates with fans of retro exploration games. The active community further enhances the game's longevity, making it a standout title for repeated playthroughs.
“Hero's Spirit is not only a faithful love letter to retro exploration games, it is uniquely its own game with unprecedented depth and replayability.”
“Hero's Spirit has a lot of replay value and an active community.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely influenced by its non-combat mechanics, which focus on leveling up rather than traditional fighting, allowing players to engage with the narrative and characters on a deeper level without the distraction of combat. This design choice fosters a more introspective and emotional experience, emphasizing connection over conflict.
