Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,342 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • grinding
Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos Game Cover
Rogue Heroes: Ruins Of Tasos Review – Simple Pleasures
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In "Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos," players explore a procedurally generated world as a hero from one of four classes, battling monsters and bosses to save the land from a ancient curse. Cooperative multiplayer allows for up to four players to team up, and permadeath means that death is permanent for that playthrough. Players can build and upgrade their own village as they progress, providing bonuses and new abilities.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,342 reviews
gameplay68 positive mentions
grinding106 negative mentions
  • Fun gameplay reminiscent of classic Zelda games, particularly A Link to the Past.
  • Engaging co-op experience that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • Charming pixel art style and a variety of classes to choose from.
  • Numerous bugs and glitches, especially in multiplayer, leading to frustrating experiences.
  • Difficulty balance issues, with later dungeons being significantly easier than the first.
  • Lack of meaningful content and depth in the story and character classes, making the game feel unfinished.
  • gameplay238 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, drawing heavy inspiration from classic titles like "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," which offers a nostalgic experience with its dungeon crawling and exploration mechanics. While many players appreciate the engaging core loop and cooperative elements, criticisms arise regarding repetitive gameplay, poorly implemented mechanics, and balance issues among classes, leading to a somewhat uneven experience. Overall, the game is enjoyable for those who appreciate retro-style gameplay, but it suffers from bugs and design choices that can detract from the overall fun.

    • “With its colorful pixel art, cooperative gameplay, and a variety of upgrades and secrets to discover, it offers a fun and dynamic experience for both solo and co-op players.”
    • “The gameplay loop consists of exploring the overworld and going into dungeons that you find in the world and dying or succeeding.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and not so intense that you can just play the game while relaxing.”
    • “The mechanic itself has some promise but it's poorly implemented as-is.”
    • “The gameplay grew repetitive and rote fairly quickly, and was a mix between very easy and very difficult rooms.”
    • “This is one of those games where it has enough visual polish to appear well made and full of potential, but once you get beneath the surface what you find is a very barebones, unimaginative roguelite with subpar controls and very limited, grindy gameplay that doesn't even really attempt to be mediocre, let alone live up to its potential.”
  • story174 mentions

    The game's story is widely criticized for being shallow, generic, and forgettable, often feeling like an afterthought compared to its gameplay mechanics. While some players appreciate the simplicity and humor in certain moments, many find the quests poorly written and confusing, leading to frequent reliance on external guides. Overall, the narrative lacks depth and character development, making it less engaging for those seeking a compelling storyline.

    • “The pixel art is awesome, the story is simple but great, the other characters all serve a significant role and most importantly this game perfectly blends the methods of a Zelda game with the rogue-lite formula.”
    • “The story was pretty fun to follow along with and the dungeons were pretty good.”
    • “With all that being said, the game is very solid, nice story and a great pick up for fun with friends.”
    • “The story is completely forgettable, but to the game's credit, it is not at all the focus here, and thankfully, any mention of the story is kept short, so you and your potential party members won't be stuck reading paragraphs when you'd rather be dungeon delving.”
    • “The quests are generic, the characters, story, and lore are just forgettable, but the actual content and gameplay side of things is where this game truly shines.”
    • “The story is very simple; however, it's not bad.”
  • grinding108 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and excessive, particularly in relation to farming and fishing mechanics that feel underdeveloped and largely unnecessary. While some appreciate the grinding as a means to enhance character progression and enjoy the challenge it brings, others criticize it for being overly repetitive and lacking meaningful rewards. Overall, the game offers a blend of grinding and exploration, but the farming and fishing elements are often seen as superfluous and not integral to the gameplay experience.

    • “Overall, I think it's pretty easy, but also not grindy, which is super nice.”
    • “This is one of those games where it has enough visual polish to appear well made and full of potential, but once you get beneath the surface what you find is a very barebones, unimaginative roguelite with subpar controls and very limited, grindy gameplay that doesn't even really attempt to be mediocre, let alone live up to its potential.”
    • “There's a farming system which is extremely generic (rainy weather doesn't even water your crops!) and it's pretty much a waste of time, as all you get for doing it is gold, which has almost no uses.”
    • “My main gripe with the game is that it has a grindy progression that gatekeeps you very early.”
  • stability100 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous bugs, particularly in multiplayer mode, leading to significant frustration and loss of progress for many players. While some find the glitches amusing and manageable, others describe them as game-breaking, making the experience feel incomplete and unpolished. Overall, the stability issues detract from the enjoyment, especially in cooperative play, and many recommend waiting for patches before diving in.

    • “It's a fun game and relatively bug-free in single player, and if that's all you will do, I recommend it.”
    • “It's a fun game to play and I would recommend it, but there are some annoying glitches in the game, so it would be nice if these are addressed in future updates.”
    • “The game is extremely buggy in multiplayer, and I’ve lost multiple hours of progress because of these issues.”
    • “Game is extremely buggy, to a game-breaking level.”
    • “Unfortunately, it is also a buggy mess.”
  • graphics77 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as cute and charming, with a pixelated art style that pays homage to classic gaming, particularly reminiscent of titles like "Zelda: A Link to the Past." While many players appreciate the aesthetic and find it visually pleasing, some critiques point to a lack of innovation and polish, suggesting that the visuals could benefit from further development. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's nostalgic feel, though opinions vary on their execution and impact on gameplay.

    • “An adorable art style I love.”
    • “The graphics are cute and fitting.”
    • “Rogue heroes’ 16-bit pixel graphics look fantastic.”
    • “The artwork for the game is somewhat deceiving.”
    • “Yes, it's a style - but let's be honest here, if 16-bit tiles looked better in the 80s than your current-gen ones, you should probably consider altering the game's art style.”
    • “You can't remap a gamepad (unless you override it through Steam itself), you can literally drown to death by triggering story while swimming, enemies are unbalanced, the graphics range from decent to something made in MS Paint, and the procedural nature of the levels can make them feel soulless and unmemorable.”
  • music57 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic, repetitive, and lacking memorable tunes, although some highlight the boss music and specific themes like the froggy music as standout moments. Critics note that the soundtrack feels more atmospheric than adventurous, which may detract from the overall experience, especially in a game inspired by the Zelda series. While some players appreciate the ability to mod the music, the overall consensus is that the audio does not significantly enhance the gameplay.

    • “The world is imaginative, the gameplay is smooth, and the music is great.”
    • “The music is amazing, and sometimes I just take a break to vibe to it.”
    • “Boss music is fun; the rest is somewhat forgettable but not irritating.”
    • “The music isn't anything to write about.”
    • “It's all royalty free stuff, which tells me that the devs couldn't afford a composer to make the whole soundtrack, but the tracks chosen lean more toward being 'atmospheric,' rather than exciting and adventurous, which might take the wind out of some people's sails, since the music is such an important part of a Zelda-style game's appeal.”
    • “The soundtrack consists of three songs that play regardless of where you are at, and sound just like - you guessed it - Zelda.”
  • humor22 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky glitches, unexpected game-breaking moments, and the absurdity of certain gameplay mechanics, which often lead to hilarious situations, especially when playing with friends. While some players noted that the humor can occasionally detract from the experience, many found it to enhance their enjoyment, creating memorable and funny moments throughout their playthroughs. Overall, the game is described as a fun and comedic experience, particularly in co-op mode, despite its technical issues.

    • “After dying a couple of times, we were hilariously overpowered and first-tried everything except the penultimate boss (fudge these ice physics, man).”
    • “Throwing bombs at your teammate and watching them auto-catch them is hilarious, and this game just makes you want to keep playing... and if it wasn't for us having to actually do work and sleep, we would have probably been at over 100 hours already.”
    • “Funny enough, I had a lot of fun insulting the game with my partner when some stupid jank crap happens every 10 minutes.”
  • replayability20 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players enjoying the procedural dungeons and character upgrades that enhance replay value, while others find it limited and repetitive after a certain point. Many reviews suggest that multiplayer can improve the experience, but the lack of varied content and challenging modes diminishes long-term engagement. While some aspects, like town building and character customization, offer potential for replay, the repetitive dungeon layouts and minimal incentives for grinding post-story leave players wanting more.

    • “Plus, the replay value is off the charts.”
    • “The procedural dungeons increase the replay value, and multiplayer adds another layer of fun as you watch your friends fall into traps you've just set off. The roguelike Zelda-style gameplay is enjoyable, but it could use a bit more polish!”
    • “The upgrade system for equipment and character stats adds a lot to replayability and provides something to build your character around.”
    • “Replayability is very minimal after the 20-hour mark, so let that be your guide.”
    • “It was fun for a playthrough, but doesn't have much replay value.”
    • “Dungeons are boring and heavily repetitive; there are just like 5 different rooms in every dungeon you run every time. Some rooms are even the same in every dungeon, just with different colors. Boss key rooms are also always the same. Procedurally generated? I haven't seen any roguelike doing this worse than this game. It makes absolutely no sense to run a dungeon twice because you know all the rooms already, so replayability = 0.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its nostalgic and immersive qualities, enhanced by simple yet charming graphics. However, some reviewers note that the royalty-free soundtrack leans more towards being atmospheric rather than memorable or exciting, which may detract from the overall experience for fans of the genre. Despite this, the effort put into creating a cohesive atmosphere and engaging puzzles is recognized and appreciated.

    • “Love the atmosphere this game gives off and I can't wait to complete it 100 percent!”
    • “Makes the atmosphere of the game so much more nostalgic.”
    • “The overworld submerges you into a well-tied-together atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real depth.”
    • “Despite the effort put into the game, the atmosphere fails to engage or immerse the player.”
    • “The overall ambiance is disappointing, making it hard to feel connected to the game world.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, particularly the misleading hit boxes that detract from the emotional engagement. However, the immersive music and sound design enhance the overall experience, drawing players into the game's atmosphere despite the combat challenges.

    • “The immersive music and sounds made me feel completely engaged in each area.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing significant stuttering even on high-end systems, while others report solid performance despite encountering bugs. Many hope that future updates will address these issues for a smoother gameplay experience.

    • “Solid performance.”
    • “While I ran into a few bugs when playing single mode, this is day one of its release, and I hope the developers will work out all the kinks to keep the game running smoothly.”
    • “Poorly optimized, and constantly stutters on a 32GB RAM & 5.3 GHz computer.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization model primarily relies on microtransactions, which have received mixed reviews from users; while some appreciate the optional nature of purchases, others criticize the potential for pay-to-win scenarios and the impact on gameplay balance.

    • “The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel intrusive, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers a variety of cosmetic items for purchase, but they don't affect gameplay, which keeps the experience balanced.”
    • “The developers have done a great job of providing free content updates while also offering optional paid features that enhance the game without being necessary.”
    • “The game is riddled with microtransactions that feel exploitative and detract from the overall experience.”
    • “I feel like I'm being pushed to spend money at every turn, which ruins the enjoyment of the game.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

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Play time

14hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
10-25hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs

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