One Way Heroics
- February 28, 2014
- Smoking WOLF
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam"One Way Heroics Plus" is an indie pixel RPG where you play as an adventurer trying to stop the end of the world by defeating the Demon Lord. The screen's left side is constantly consumed by darkness, forcing you to move right and confront various creatures and obstacles. With multiple classes to unlock and an endless supply of procedurally generated worlds, the game offers nearly infinite replayability. The "Plus" DLC adds even more content, including new classes, enemies, and features.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique gameplay mechanic of constantly moving right adds urgency and strategy.
- High replayability with randomly generated worlds and multiple classes to unlock.
- Charming graphics and soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
- Can feel repetitive after multiple playthroughs.
- Some classes are noticeably weaker than others, affecting balance.
- The UI can be cluttered and overwhelming for new players.
- gameplay491 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is characterized by its unique mechanics, including a constant forward movement driven by an encroaching darkness, which adds urgency and strategic depth to the experience. Players appreciate the blend of simple controls and complex systems, allowing for a variety of playstyles and replayability through random generation and character progression. While some find the mechanics initially overwhelming, many agree that the engaging gameplay loop, combined with charming visuals and a captivating soundtrack, makes it a worthwhile and addictive experience.
“The combination of RPG and strategy elements, random level generation, and compelling gameplay make it an engaging and entertaining experience for any fan of the genre.”
“Addicting gameplay loop, amazing music, and surprisingly deep amount of freedom and flexibility to play how you want.”
“The gameplay mechanics are relatively straightforward, with players needing to gather resources, upgrade their equipment, and manage their health and stamina as they progress.”
“The gameplay is very simple, there's not much of interest in terms of character development, and the constant pressure from the encroaching darkness leaves little time for exploration, even at times when there's actually something to explore.”
“The gameplay gets a little repetitive, especially considering that an unlucky run might run 5-20 minutes.”
“However, bad RPG game mechanics I find to be intolerable have allowed me to see this game as having unfair game mechanics.”
- story301 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as simple and somewhat generic, revolving around a quest to defeat an evil demon lord and stop encroaching darkness. However, players appreciate the depth that emerges through character interactions, unique backstories, and multiple endings, which add layers to the narrative despite its initial simplicity. Overall, while the main plot may not be groundbreaking, the engaging characters and evolving storylines keep players invested throughout their runs.
“The game's plot centers around a world that is being consumed by darkness, and the player must journey through various environments to reach the 'last demon king' and stop the spread of darkness.”
“The story is surprisingly deep and well-written, with party member plotlines and NPC dialogue helping reinforce the overall theme.”
“There's a surprising amount of hidden story in here, but I'm not sure if I'm patient enough to see it all.”
“The story is not particularly deep (and upon further inspection is actually kind of stupid) but I still enjoyed how the plot subverted expectations in ways I did not think possible.”
“There's not much to the story at all - just a quick explanation of the game's gimmick.”
“The story is sparse and not very detailed, but what is there is excellent and really inspires imagination.”
- music291 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its great variety and quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience and fitting well with different game scenarios. Many players appreciate the nostalgic feel of the soundtrack, reminiscent of classic JRPGs, and express a desire for more access to the tracks, highlighting their enjoyment of the melodies even outside of gameplay. While some reviews mention occasional repetitiveness, the majority find the music to be a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's charm and atmosphere.
“The music is all royalty free, but the quality and range of music is great in my opinion.”
“Each region/big boss comes with its own piece, and even after hours of gameplay and listening to the same songs over and over, I still find them pleasant to listen to.”
“The game also features a fantastic soundtrack that really helps to set the mood and create a sense of urgency and danger.”
“It's extremely bland and the music makes everything even more dreary than it should.”
“The music is ear-bleedingly bad and manages to sound repetitive without actually being repetitive.”
“The soundtrack isn't something that I would download on my phone but it gets the job done.”
- replayability266 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptionally high replayability, with numerous paths, classes, and unlockable content that encourage players to return for multiple playthroughs. Procedurally generated worlds and various difficulty levels further enhance the experience, making each run feel unique and engaging. Overall, players find the replay value to be immense, often leading to hundreds of hours of gameplay.
“Replayability is through the roof.”
“The cool part is that it has massive amounts of replayability everywhere, including in the dialogue between followers.”
“The game costs $3.50, and there is enough replayability for several hundred hours.”
“The game has a few interesting objectives woven into it to drastically increase replay value, such as daily campaigns that change up the rules of the procedurally generated worlds you play in, multiple bosses to defeat, 4-5 different difficulties and 4 different ways to 'win' a playthrough.”
“The procedural generation makes the replayability of this game practically infinite, and the ability to store and keep items across playthroughs gives you an edge if you choose to utilize it.”
“With a multitude of unlockables (character classes, starting perks, slots in the 'shared stash'), there is a tremendous amount of replayability here.”
- graphics205 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are predominantly retro-style pixel art, evoking nostalgia for classic 8-bit and 16-bit RPGs. While some players appreciate the charming simplicity and cohesive aesthetic, others feel the visuals are dated and could benefit from upgrades, particularly in animation. Overall, the graphics serve the gameplay well, though opinions vary on their appeal depending on personal taste in art style.
“The graphics blend well with the old-school RPG feeling of the game and controls work well.”
“The graphics are appealing and the difficulty is fair.”
“The graphics, music, and translation/humor are also spot on.”
“Short and generic story, ugly design and graphics, even for that kind of game.”
“Graphics are dated, and the overall presentation is average at best.”
“The graphics are the only 'lacking' component.”
- humor54 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "One Way Heroics" is widely praised for its lightheartedness and charm, featuring a mix of funny dialogue, quirky character interactions, and unexpected comedic moments that enhance the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to blend humor with engaging storytelling, often leading to hilarious scenarios and memorable exchanges. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and replayability.
“One way Heroics is also a pretty funny game and it doesn't really take itself too seriously, which fits well with the overall simple style of the game.”
“Some of the dialogue made me bust out laughing; other times it was weird and unexpected. Either side is offered by pretty much every character you speak to.”
“The amount of content and humor in this game is definitely worth the money, especially when it goes on sale.”
- grinding25 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Reviews on "grinding" in the game present a mixed perspective. While some players find the grinding aspect tedious and repetitive, others appreciate the incremental progress and engaging gameplay that keeps it fresh and enjoyable. Many highlight that the game successfully avoids the pitfalls of traditional grinding, offering a more dynamic experience with constant exploration and new content, making it feel less burdensome and more rewarding.
“I never thought I would love grinding this much :)”
“Unlocking new content as you play isn't tedious, especially since none of it is required to win a playthrough.”
“-UI is not really tedious.”
“The diagonal movement and positioning is tedious.”
“I think this game has some interesting concepts but it is quite tedious and boring.”
“As a roguelike game, it fails because it is much too grindy to be any fun, and as an RPG, it fails because other than having your hero level up, it is missing any other RPG elements.”
- emotional18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its wholesome nature, touching stories, and the ability to form strong attachments to characters in a short time. Many reviewers mention experiencing deep feelings, including sadness and joy, particularly through the game's impactful endings and music. Overall, the game effectively evokes a range of emotions, making it a memorable and engaging experience.
“The strategy, the music, the art (which I freaking love) and the lovable characters just make this game somewhat perfect, without talking about the endings that are straight-up emotional rocks thrown at my face.”
“The game balance is very well done, gameplay is fun, music makes me want to cry, and the story actually made me cry.”
“This game has an incredibly touching story and nearly infinite, if not infinite, gameplay.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has improved significantly post-launch, addressing initial performance issues and poor porting, which were highlighted in early reviews. Players appreciate the meta-progression system that rewards performance with "hero points" for unlocking new classes and perks, encouraging repeated playthroughs. Overall, while there were initial concerns, the game now runs smoothly, even on mobile devices, and offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy optimization and performance-based gameplay.
“With Steam Link for iOS and Android, it even runs smoothly on phones.”
“Your performance will be rated and you will get an amount of hero points based on how well you did.”
“It isn't as good as this game, but still great, despite its bad reviews on Steam (the majority of them being related to performance issues, poor porting, and bad design decisions that were mostly mended after launch).”
“At the end of each play, you are awarded hero points that depend on your performance in the game (lower levels, monsters killed, dungeons explored increase your points) and those are used to purchase perks and classes, which gives you a reason to challenge yourself while playing.”
“Every playthrough allows you the chance to purchase perks and transfer items with your hero points (how much you gain depends on your performance).”
- character development7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as limited, with few options for customization and a streamlined approach that detracts from deeper exploration. While the versatile character design allows for some class tweaking and the humor adds charm, the overall experience lacks the depth found in more complex titles. However, the game does reward players with points for character development even after failed attempts, providing a sense of progression.
“Versatile character design lets you tweak any class.”
“The character design and great humor guarantees some good laughs and is quite refreshing.”
“Even a failed adventure yields points to put towards overall character development for subsequent runs, which you may or may not choose to use.”
“The gameplay is very simple, there's not much of interest in terms of character development, and the constant pressure from the encroaching darkness leaves little time for exploration, even at times when there's actually something to explore.”
“The one downside to this game I'll mention is the character design.”
“With comparatively few options for character development, streamlined combat, and limited variety to be found even in the mix-and-match biomes of the extremely linear maps, One Way Heroics doesn't run quite as deep as the games it seeks to emulate.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a blend of challenging terrain mechanics and a slightly dark tone, enhanced by well-composed midi soundtracks that complement the visuals and gameplay. This combination creates a nostalgic homage to older JRPGs, fostering a sense of pressure and emotional depth that enriches the overall experience. The appealing graphical user interface further contributes to a unique and immersive presentation.
“The game has a slightly dark atmosphere; the MIDI soundtracks are majestically composed and every bit memorable. The graphical user interface is both appealing and simple, giving the game a unique presentation.”
“Game sets a nice atmosphere with music and visuals (if you don't mind the style) and pays homage to older JRPGs.”
“The game has a slightly dark atmosphere; the MIDI soundtracks are majestically composed and every bit memorable. The graphical user interface is both appealing and simple, and it does the job of giving the game a unique presentation.”
“The music is also extremely well-done; it contributes to the atmosphere without distracting.”
“That small sense of sadness coming from them fits very well with the atmosphere and the plot of the game.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The monetization model is praised for its absence of in-game purchases and microtransactions, offering a straightforward experience where players pay a low upfront cost for the game without additional financial pressures. Users appreciate this approach, especially in a genre often associated with hidden costs.
“Wtf DLC? This is 2016! I don't want microtransactions!”
“Honestly, I didn't expect much for my $0.87, especially from something advertising itself as a roguelike, which is usually code for badly disguised roguelite.”
“It means no microtransactions, no extra bells and whistles tugging at your wallet. What you pay for is what you get, and at a mere $3.50, it might as well be free!”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users praising it for being bug-free and enjoyable, while others report frequent crashes and significant performance issues, leading to frustration. Overall, experiences vary widely, with some players recommending it and others advising against purchase due to instability.
“They're all either people complaining about it being 'too hard and frustrating' or complaining that it crashes and is buggy.”
“This buggy mess has not been able to run for more than two minutes without crashing, do not buy.”
