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.
Reviews
- Hero's Spirit offers a deep and rewarding exploration experience, filled with secrets and engaging puzzles that encourage players to think outside the box.
- The game successfully captures the nostalgic feel of classic NES titles, featuring a charming retro aesthetic and an excellent chiptune soundtrack.
- Players appreciate the sense of discovery and the addictive nature of the gameplay, with many expressing a desire for more games like it.
- The lack of a map or any form of persistent exploration logging makes navigation frustrating, often leading to players feeling lost or disoriented.
- Combat mechanics are overly simplistic, relying on players having a higher level than enemies, which can diminish the challenge and engagement.
- Design choices, such as the inability to see previously explored areas and the prevalence of illusory walls, can lead to tedious gameplay and a sense of aimlessness.
- music11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its incredible quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its cinematic flow that complements the gameplay. While some wish for longer tracks, the retro-inspired soundtrack and chiptune elements have captivated players, leading to excitement about potential covers and further exploration of the game's content. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that significantly enriches the adventure.
“Amazing soundtrack, amazing exploration, and a massive amount of content.”
“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.”
“Very much a fan of the retro music and style.”
“Decent chiptune soundtrack.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward and simple mechanics that are easy to pick up, reminiscent of old-school NES titles, which makes it addictive despite a minimal story. Players often encounter illusory walls, leading to repetitive exploration, but the combat remains engaging, especially when utilizing special items against tougher enemies. Overall, the game balances simplicity with surprising depth through various collectible items.
“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.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is intricately tied to exploration and puzzle-solving, with players uncovering layers of narrative through key discoveries and secrets. While some find the story minimal, others appreciate its depth, particularly the nuanced portrayal of characters, such as a dragon that may not be evil but rather a guardian. Overall, the narrative experience is enriched by the vast amount of content and the joy of exploration.
“Play this game if you enjoy exploration, innovative puzzles, and the joy of discovering 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are intentionally simple and blocky, evoking a classic NES and Atari aesthetic that gives it a nostalgic charm. Despite their simplicity, the visuals create an intricately crafted world that feels immersive and believable, enhancing the overall 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.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the overwhelming number of collectibles and the need to repeatedly search areas for hidden items. The reliance on trial-and-error to uncover secrets can lead to a tedious experience, detracting from overall enjoyment.
“I'd semi-recommend this game, but without that feature it's a bit too tedious to play as is.”
“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.”
“Its 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.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Hero's Spirit offers significant replayability, combining elements of retro exploration games with unique depth that keeps players engaged. The active community further enhances the game's longevity, encouraging 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.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its non-combat approach, where players can overcome enemies simply by being at a higher level, fostering a sense of empowerment and connection rather than aggression. This design choice encourages players to engage with the narrative and characters on a deeper emotional level, focusing on growth and exploration rather than conflict.
