Vertical Drop Heroes HD
- May 20, 2014
- Nerdook Productions
- 10h median play time
It's a good game, but it has some issues with multiplayer and a few gameplay mechanics.
Get on Steam"Vertical Drop Heroes HD" is a procedurally generated platformer RPG with roguelike elements, featuring split-screen local co-op and destructible terrain. With a variety of skills, abilities, traits, and powers to unlock, each playthrough offers new challenges and opportunities for strategic combat. The game's hand-drawn art style and unique combat system make for a memorable and engaging experience.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Xbox
Reviews
- Endlessly replayable with a variety of characters and abilities to unlock.
- Charming art style and addictive gameplay loop that keeps players engaged.
- Offers both single-player and local co-op modes, enhancing the fun with friends.
- Combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth, often relying on basic attack mechanics.
- Some players experience crashes and bugs, particularly in multiplayer mode.
- The game can become frustrating due to random enemy placements and difficulty spikes.
- gameplay98 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is characterized by its simplicity and addictive nature, drawing comparisons to roguelikes like Rogue Legacy. However, many players find it repetitive and clunky, with some mechanics feeling frustrating or poorly executed. While the game offers a solid foundation with engaging elements and a charming art style, it struggles with depth and variety, leading to a mixed reception regarding its long-term enjoyment.
“This is a very simplistic roguelike with a very addictive gameplay loop, so you shouldn’t expect too much from it, but for the price, this is a very solid little game with a nice art style.”
“The core mechanics are spot on though and, if you like this kind of game, it will be hard to put it down until you reach the end of the game.”
“Overall, this is a fantastic 2D platforming rogue-like with fast and light-hearted, but deeply strategic gameplay.”
“The gameplay gets repetitive real fast.”
“The issue is that the gameplay feels very flat and clunky.”
“Unfortunately, while the levels are distinct from one another and are home to their own enemies and hazards, the gameplay ultimately just gets too repetitive.”
- graphics59 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its colorful and charming retro art style, while others criticize the simplistic and sometimes clunky visuals reminiscent of early web games. Some players appreciate the cartoonish aesthetic and vibrant colors, finding them enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay, while others feel the graphics lack depth and polish. Overall, the visuals are seen as adequate for an indie title, contributing to the game's charm despite some shortcomings.
“The graphics are excellently done - everything has the same 'feel' to it, the animations are excellent and you know what's happening very easily.”
“The graphics look great with a bright, crisp, almost cartoon-like look to them.”
“The game has a great level design and artwork; it's really colorful and refreshing, and somewhat addictive—you just can't stop looking at it. I really love this style.”
“Graphics and animation are really basic.”
“Low quality and unintuitive graphics.”
“The biggest flaw of the game I notice is that the graphics themselves are very mobile-esque.”
- music32 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the fantastic soundtrack and its ability to fit the game's atmosphere, while others find it repetitive and occasionally annoying. Overall, the soundtrack is described as catchy and enjoyable, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, though some players noted that certain tracks could become tiresome over extended play sessions.
“Fun little game with cute characters and an amazing soundtrack.”
“The graphics are nice, the music fits the atmosphere of the stages, and the progression of the game with the new abilities was really enjoyable.”
“The soundtrack is amazing.”
“Has a super cheap feel to it and if I perceived correctly the music doesn't really even loop correctly, just kind of starts over.”
“My only criticism would be the music which I ended up switching off in the end as it was just too repetitive.”
“- Halloween mode has the same music over and over again playing level after level.”
- story31 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story in "Vertical Drop Heroes" is minimal and largely serves as a backdrop for gameplay, focusing on the player's descent through randomly generated levels while completing simple quests and battling bosses. While some players appreciate the straightforward narrative that emphasizes the journey of repeated attempts and character selection, others find the lack of depth and backstory disappointing, especially when compared to more immersive games like MapleStory. Overall, the game caters to those who prefer engaging gameplay over a rich narrative experience.
“The story itself is also simple but very befitting; so often do games tell of the great hero that overcame evil with the dozens of game-overs in between never even being acknowledged.”
“Knowing that each failed attempt is simply another step in the story makes me even more anxious for the next attempt.”
“The story explains that a great hero will enter the portal at the temple of knowledge and fight their way through strange lands in search of the holy sanctuary that holds a great secret.”
“The story... well basically it doesn't have one.”
“The game doesn’t have much of a backstory, but that doesn’t matter since you’re just trying to work your way downward through randomly generated levels gathering money and treasure keys.”
“It's easy to ignore the bad AI, short length, and no real story just because it's still fun at the end of the day.”
- replayability29 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, largely due to features like randomly generated levels and the inclusion of a new game+ mode. While many players find the game endlessly enjoyable and worth the price, some note that it can become repetitive after extensive play. The combination of fun mechanics, character variety, and the potential for long-term engagement makes it a solid choice for those seeking replay value.
“Endlessly replayable game.”
“There’s also some replayability as once you clear the main game you can unlock New Game+, which is an endless game where you shoot for a high score.”
“Tons of replay value and a very unique flavor on rogue-lites.”
“In addition to that, this game barely has any replay value after achieving everything.”
“Replay value is alright to an extent: about 5-10 hours worth in my experience.”
“Vertical Drop Heroes does have local multiplayer (however I have yet to try it) so that may increase the replay value down the road, but as a single player game it gets a little too repetitive.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that "Vertical Drop Heroes HD" features a significant amount of grinding, which can be both enjoyable and tedious. While some players appreciate the opportunity to collect coins and upgrade heroes, many find the repetitive nature of grinding and the frequent deaths can lead to burnout. Overall, the game is seen as fun but is criticized for its grind-heavy mechanics, which may detract from the overall experience.
“But despite this design choice, it’s a fine game to play on short sessions, especially if you’re aiming for 100%, because it can get grindy and repetitive.”
“The levels are all pretty samey in execution and appearance and you more or less constantly do the same thing grinding improvements on future heroes so you can reach further levels.”
“Overall, the game is quite easy, money grinding is time consuming and doesn't really reward you enough to keep doing it so you'll just use all your cash on level skips instead.”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes, crashes, and bugs that disrupt gameplay, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players find enjoyment in the content and value, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, making it difficult for many to progress without losing their progress.
“My only complaint is that the game freezes sometimes and I lose all my progress.”
“Multiplayer is insanely buggy.”
“It works sometimes but then it glitches or crashes.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it both whacky and straightforwardly funny. However, some comparisons to other titles, like Rogue Legacy, suggest that it may lack the same level of humor and engaging content, particularly in its final stages. Overall, the game is described as enjoyable and humorous, though not without its flaws.
“The skills arsenal of skills were everywhere from wacky to straightforward, and hilarious.”
“This game is too funny.”
“A great game, but I find it funny that it only crashes when you're doing really well on the final level.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization model is perceived positively, as players find a wealth of content available for a low cost, primarily supported by website ads. This approach enhances the overall enjoyment of the game, exceeding expectations for its genre.
“A lot of stuff to play for a low price of website ads.”
“It wasn't until two days ago (as of writing) that I actually launched the title - and, admittedly, I had more fun playing this than I had expected from a 'metroidvania roguelike puzzle platformer action RPG extravaganza' or whatever catchy buzzword advertisements are currently affixed.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by appealing graphics and fitting music that complement the various stages, while the progression through new abilities adds to the overall enjoyment.
“The graphics are stunning, and the music perfectly complements the atmosphere of each stage, making the progression through the game with new abilities truly enjoyable.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its well-designed optimization, enhancing the overall fun experience, similar to "Rogue Legacy."
“It's like Rogue Legacy, but it's actually well-designed and optimized for having fun.”
“The optimization in this game allows for smooth gameplay, making every session enjoyable.”
“I appreciate how the developers focused on optimization, ensuring that even on lower-end systems, the game runs flawlessly.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not prominently highlighted, as the focus is primarily on its randomized action mechanics and simplistic combat system. Players may find emotional engagement limited due to the straightforward nature of gameplay, which centers more on action than narrative or character development.
