Next Up Hero

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.

53%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story, grinding

60% User Score Based on 84 reviews

Critic Score 66%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1.58

Buy NowGet on Steam$19.99

Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

Buy NowGet on Epic Games Store

About

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+19

60%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and enjoyable music, creating an engaging atmosphere.
The unique mechanic of using echoes from fallen players adds a cooperative element that can enhance gameplay, especially with friends.
The game offers a variety of characters and abilities, allowing for different playstyles and strategies.

Gameplay can become highly repetitive, with limited content and a lack of meaningful progression.
The difficulty spikes can be frustrating, often leading to a sense of hopelessness during encounters.
Technical issues, such as poor controller support and bugs, detract from the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.

gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and intuitive, featuring a fun boss mechanic and a fluid experience, especially when played solo. However, it tends to become repetitive after a few hours, and while the difficulty is balanced through various mechanics, some players find certain elements frustrating. Overall, it offers a charming experience with challenging gameplay, making it appealing for a short duration.
- “This is easy to pick up and play with its intuitive top-down mechanics.”
- “When played alone, the gameplay is fluid and the echoes balance the game's difficulty depending on how bad you are or how much trouble you're having.”
- “Turning death into an applicable AI co-op mechanic is a neat spin on a game with a high death turnover, and its cartoon art style complements an impressively large menagerie of monsters to kill.”
- “Gameplay gets repetitive after some time.”
- “The game's story is pointless; it doesn't connect at all with the gameplay.”
- “Repetitive gameplay prevents the release from becoming a standout indie title, but it may have enough charm to entice a few aspiring heroes for at least a few hours.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
32%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and engaging art style, characterized by bright colors and fun designs that enhance visibility during gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the impressive artwork and the overall aesthetic appeal, noting that it effectively captures attention and complements the game's mechanics. While the graphics receive high marks, some players feel that the story could benefit from more depth.
- “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.”
- “Turning death into an applicable AI co-op mechanic is a neat spin on a game with a high death turnover, and its cartoon art style complements an impressively large menagerie of monsters to kill.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its upbeat and engaging quality, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the variety and effectiveness of the soundtrack, which keeps them motivated and relaxed during gameplay. Additionally, the sound effects and voice acting contribute to the immersive atmosphere, complementing the game's vibrant graphics.
- “The bright graphics are engaging, but the soundtrack was definitely an upbeat surprise.”
- “This game is a lot of fun so far, I love how the heroes and enemies look and the music is cool :) I prefer to play on controller over keyboard and mouse though.”
- “The music is also amazing, it keeps you hyped and going, sound effects are also good, and the little voice acting that you hear in-game is also very good.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
The story has been criticized for being dull and disconnected from the gameplay, with many reviewers finding it lacking depth and engagement. While the music and graphics received praise, the narrative primarily consists of uninteresting dialogue and fails to enhance the overall experience. Additionally, the limited number of quests contributes to a sense of monotony, further diminishing the story's impact.
- “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 game's story is boring and pointless.”
- “The story is pointless; it doesn't connect at all with the gameplay.”
- “The quest system allows communication with other players, but there are only a few quests, and it will soon become boring for me.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding in the game to be excessive, requiring significant time investment for minimal stat improvements. While some appreciate the "get what you put into it" philosophy, many feel that the lengthy grind, combined with gameplay imbalances and technical issues, detracts from the overall experience.
- “Basically, you invest hours and hours grinding just to gain an increase in stats by like 1% more.”
- “The grinding takes too long; melee characters are all but pointless due to the high damage output of enemies, and those technical issues make committing time and effort a constant risk.”
- “I will admit the game is a bit grindy, but it's kind of a get what you put into it kind of thing.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The optimization of the game is generally praised, with users reporting good performance throughout their experience.
- “The game runs smoothly with excellent performance.”
- “I am impressed by the optimization; everything runs seamlessly.”
- “The optimization is top-notch, providing a great gaming experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing mechanic of dying and having the option to re-enter the game at the same level for a small fee, which adds a lighthearted twist to the often frustrating experience of failure. Players find the concept of repeatedly returning to the scene of their demise both funny and engaging, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “You can also 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.”