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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.
57%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, grinding
54% User Score Based on 110 reviews
Critic Score 66%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchMac OSMac OSXbox OneXbox One
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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
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
Next Up Hero screenshot
+19

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 114 reviews
gameplay11 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique mechanic where players can use their 'echoes' (previously fallen characters) to assist in combat, adding a strategic layer to gameplay.
  • The art style and music are praised for being vibrant and engaging, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere.
  • Players have reported that the game can be fun, especially in co-op mode, where friends can join in and interact with the gameplay.
  • The game suffers from repetitive gameplay and a lack of content, leading to a grindy experience that can feel monotonous over time.
  • Many players have expressed frustration with the high difficulty level, which can feel unfair and discouraging, especially for melee characters.
  • Technical issues, such as bugs and poor controller support, have been reported, detracting from the overall experience and making the game feel unpolished.
  • gameplay
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Next Up Hero" has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the initial fun and challenge it offers, particularly in boss fights and character mechanics. However, many criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay, lack of depth, and simplistic mechanics, leading to a grindy experience that feels unrewarding over time. Additionally, technical issues and server connectivity problems have hampered the single-player experience, further detracting from the overall enjoyment.

    • “Nice character development mechanics, although the game seems more based on skill than gear for the most part, allowing new players to delve pretty deep if they can dodge and target enemies well while upgrades still feel meaningful.”
    • “The gameplay itself was solid; each match felt different, each world had different paths, and each hero had different play styles to make the variety ongoing.”
    • “Gameplay is fun and challenging, and I'd definitely suggest this to anyone.”
    • “As someone with a tolerance for this sort of gameplay loop, Next Up Hero has to be one of the worst experiences that I can recall in recent memory.”
    • “Unfortunately, as I attempted to play the game, I found the gameplay extremely redundant without a real purpose for continuing to play if the depth of gameplay was so shallow.”
    • “Next Up Hero fails with its core mechanics and the idea/aspect of the game.”
  • graphics
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and cute, engaging visuals. While some players appreciate the modern graphics and solid animations, others find the style somewhat generic or cartoonish, lacking uniqueness. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some criticisms regarding content and camera angles.

    • “The graphics are absolutely amazing; they've done one hell of a job. I really like the art style and the look of the game.”
    • “The art style is bright and fun, and makes all the action easy to see.”
    • “A lot of the graphics have been improved, especially enemies and attacks, which make a big difference.”
    • “The art style is just a hair away from having that bland cartoon-y look that every 'Clash of Clans' type game would have, and the camera lazily sits directly above the player, not allowing you to look ahead, as nearly any other isometric game of this kind should have.”
    • “Neither the graphic style nor the general gameplay loop is appealing to me, so I would have never picked it up otherwise.”
    • “As I said earlier, I am not a huge fan of cartoon graphics, but the animations and assets look solid to me and nothing really stands out.”
  • story
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally perceived as weak and disconnected from the gameplay, with many reviewers noting it lacks depth and engagement. While there are cutscenes that advance the narrative as players level up, the overall plot feels simplistic and underdeveloped, leading to a sense of boredom among players. Despite some appreciation for the community involvement and visuals, the story is not a focal point, leaving many players wanting more substance.

    • “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.”
    • “In Next Up Hero, you take control of nine legendary heroes in their quest to stop the 'Ceaseless Dirge'.”
    • “So, clearly the story is not really the main focus here, given how spaced out it is and that it's simple text-filled cutscenes, but at least there’s a story.”
    • “The story is boring and pointless.”
    • “Pointless game's story; it doesn't connect at all with the gameplay.”
    • “Next up hero does have a story, but it's really only told via cut scenes that activate each time you level up. Within an hour, I was at 25% story completion according to the statistics.”
  • music
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received positive feedback, with many users praising its pleasant and upbeat nature, which enhances the overall experience. The soundtrack, along with sound effects and occasional voice acting, contributes to an engaging atmosphere that keeps players motivated and entertained. Overall, the combination of nice graphics and a solid musical score adds to the game's charm.

    • “Next up hero is a decent RPG with a pleasant art style and a nice soundtrack.”
    • “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.”
    • “The music!?”
    • “[0.3] sound & music”
    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being overly repetitive and unrewarding, with players feeling that the time invested yields minimal benefits, such as only slight stat increases. While some enjoy the cooperative or single-player experience, many find the grind to detract from overall enjoyment, making it feel like a chore rather than a rewarding endeavor.

    • “However, the grinding feels bland and you literally have no reason to play the game.”
    • “So basically you invest hours and hours grinding just to gain an increase in stats by like 1% more.”
    • “The core gameplay is way too grindy and unrewarding.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game features engaging mechanics that allow players to progress based on skill rather than gear, making it accessible for newcomers. While the art and character designs are praised, some players feel that the overall character progression and customization options, including skins and end-game rewards, could be improved for a more satisfying experience.

    • “Nice character development mechanics, although the game seems more based on skill than gear for the most part, allowing new players to delve pretty deep if they can dodge and target enemies well while upgrades still feel meaningful.”
    • “Awesome art and character designs!”
    • “Character design: 5”
    • “It's not all roses, as no game truly is. I still feel like the game needs better character development, including progression, more skins for customization, and a better endgame rewards system. This would really make the game spectacular.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is heavily criticized due to numerous glitches and bugs that significantly hinder gameplay, including intrusive messages that disrupt the experience. While it offers cross-platform play, the persistent technical issues and poor synchronization render it nearly unplayable, leading to frustration among players. Overall, many reviewers find the game enjoyable in concept but ultimately unworthy of recommendation in its current state.

    • “There's more than a few glitches that are immediately obvious, but it is cross-platform.... so there's that.”
    • “This could be an extremely nice and rewarding game, but it is extremely buggy and poorly synchronized instead, which kind of kills the whole purpose and makes it an annoying bugfest.”
    • “As of right now, insanely buggy and practically unplayable.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is derived from its quirky graphics and gameplay, but it is overshadowed by a lack of content and repetitive mechanics. Players find it amusing that the game requires an internet connection for a multiplayer experience, yet can be tedious when played solo, as it involves navigating levels manually without a search option. The comedic element is further highlighted by the absurdity of having to pay to re-enter levels after dying, adding a layer of irony to the overall experience.

    • “The most funny part is there is not even a search/ranking option and you have to select levels all by hand then review their content.”
    • “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.”
    • “This is not a game to play alone (funny is it that it requires an internet connection), but the real meaning of this is that even playing alone would make the experience very boring.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for delivering good performance with minimal effort required from players to achieve it. Users report that it runs smoothly without any significant performance issues.

    • “Runs very well, no performance issues.”
    • “Good performance.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers high replayability, with players consistently noting that its diverse mechanics and multiple pathways encourage repeated playthroughs. Many users appreciate the variety of choices and outcomes, making each session feel fresh and engaging. Overall, it stands out as a title that invites players to return for new experiences.

    • “The game offers endless replayability with its dynamic storylines and multiple endings, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
    • “I love how every decision I make leads to different outcomes, encouraging me to replay the game and explore all the possibilities.”
    • “With a variety of character builds and strategies to try, I find myself coming back to this game time and time again.”

66%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews

Buy Next Up Hero

8h Median play time
8h Average play time
8-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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