Next Up Hero

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 42 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Next Up Hero Game Cover
Next Up Hero feels a bit more like an online app or a means of promoting Mixer rather than a fully realized game. If you happen to have the Xbox Game Pass, this might be worth giving a try, just don't expect much substance or variety.
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Next Up Hero is a challenging Gauntlet-style dungeon crawler with hand-drawn heroes and co-op gameplay. Battle the Ceaseless Dirge, craft your own dungeon, and defeat bosses on higher difficulty levels for rewards. Community involvement is encouraged, allowing players to design and share their own custom dungeons.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews
gameplay4 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The game has a charming art style and enjoyable music that enhances the overall experience.
  • It offers a unique multiplayer mechanic where players can use the 'echos' of fallen players to aid in their adventures, adding a layer of strategy.
  • The gameplay is fast-paced and challenging, providing a sense of accomplishment as players improve and progress through levels.
  • The game suffers from high difficulty spikes and frustrating mechanics, such as getting stuck on walls and inconsistent hit registration.
  • There is a lack of content and updates, leading to a repetitive gameplay experience that can become boring over time.
  • The online multiplayer aspect is underwhelming due to low player counts, making it difficult to find others to play with and diminishing the cooperative experience.
  • gameplay11 mentions

    The gameplay is generally enjoyable and intuitive, featuring engaging mechanics like boss battles that require learning patterns to succeed. However, players note that it can become repetitive over time, and some mechanics, such as the "darkness" level, are criticized for being frustrating. Overall, the game offers a fun and challenging experience, especially when played solo.

    • “The bosses have a lot of health, but in roughly four tries, if you know their mechanics, you can take down their full health bar.”
    • “This is easy to pick up and play with its intuitive top-down mechanics.”
    • “Gameplay is fun and challenging, and I'd definitely suggest this to anyone.”
    • “Gameplay gets repetitive after some time.”
    • “The game's story is pointless; it doesn't connect at all with the gameplay.”
    • “People claim that this mechanic is frustrating, and I fully agree.”
  • graphics9 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and engaging art style, which is described as bright, fun, and visually appealing. Many users appreciate the attention to detail and the overall aesthetic, noting that the graphics enhance the gameplay experience. However, some feel that the story could have benefited from more depth, despite the strong visual presentation.

    • “The art style is bright and fun, and makes all the action easy to see.”
    • “Graphics are absolutely amazing; they've done one hell of a job. I really like the art style and the look of the game.”
    • “Really nice art style.”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its upbeat and engaging quality, enhancing the overall experience and keeping players energized. Many users appreciate the variety in the soundtrack and the effective use of sound effects and voice acting, contributing to a fun and immersive atmosphere. Overall, the music complements the game's visuals and gameplay, making it a standout feature.

    • “The bright graphics are engaging, but the soundtrack was definitely an upbeat surprise.”
    • “The music is also amazing; it keeps you hyped and going. The sound effects are also good, and the little voice acting that you hear in-game is very good.”
    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
  • story6 mentions

    The story is criticized for being dull and disconnected from the gameplay, with some users finding it pointless and lacking depth. While the moral emphasizes resilience, the overall narrative fails to engage players, leading to a sense of boredom due to limited quests and repetitive interactions.

    • “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
    • “The story is boring and pointless.”
    • “The game's story is pointless; it doesn't connect at all with the gameplay.”
    • “The quest running system to communicate with other players is good, but there are only a few quests, and it will soon become boring for me.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players acknowledge that the game involves a significant amount of grinding, often requiring extensive time investment for minimal stat improvements. However, some feel that the effort can be rewarding, as it reflects a "you get what you put into it" philosophy.

    • “I will admit the game is a bit grindy, but it's kind of a 'get what you put into it' kind of thing.”
    • “Basically, you invest hours and hours grinding just to gain an increase in stats by like 1% more.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is noted for its good performance, indicating effective optimization that allows for smooth gameplay.

    • “The game's optimization is impressive, providing a smooth experience even on lower-end hardware.”
    • “I love how well-optimized the game is; it runs flawlessly without any noticeable lag.”
    • “The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, ensuring that the game performs well across various systems.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing mechanic of returning to the same level after dying, where players can pay a small fee to re-enter and continue from their last point of failure, adding a lighthearted twist to the challenge of gameplay.

    • “You can join other people's games and help them out or keep watching and grant them a heal, but here's the funny part: when you die—and believe me, you will die—you can return to that game (pay a small fee to enter the same level again) and start off from where you died.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

66% average critic score

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