Has-Been Heroes is an action, roguelike strategy game where the player is tasked with controlling three heroes as they fend off hordes of enemies. Frozenbyte, the developers behind the Trine series, place their own twist on the rather bland narrative by making their heroes live up to their title. Most of the characters that the player will control are old, retired heroes. These heroes are embarking on one last quest…to escort the royal princesses to school.
At the core of this roguelike adventure is the unique and complex combat system. It vaguely resembles a rhythm game, with players having to decide which enemy to attack with each hero. The general concept behind the combat is very easy to understand, but with the number of enemies that the game throws at you, it is by no means easy. Small mistakes can result in catastrophic failure that brings runs to an end. The amount of strategy required is very satisfying, if sometimes overwhelming.
Has-Been Heroes as a very odd control scheme. I was playing the Switch version of the game and I often thought that the game was much better suited for mouse and keyboard controls. After an hour or two of play I became pretty comfortable with the controls. I did occasionally find myself struggling to properly change my heroes’ position from time to time. The controls get the job done, but add to the learning curve of an already complex and difficult game.
The art style of Has-Been Heroes is a strong middle-ground between realistic and cartoon-ish. It didn’t necessarily blow me away, but it was pleasant to watch the few cutscenes the game has. The interface can become cluttered at times. The music is a tad hit or miss. I really enjoyed some of the game’s tracks, but others are pretty forgettable. The writing suffers from similar issues. Some lines are genuinely funny and showcase the game’s entertaining characters, and others are fairly bland. In a game with such a silly premise, I expected a larger focus on humor in the writing. The narrative simply exists as a catalyst for the gameplay and does little else. It feels like a missed opportunity to entertain the player with humorous dialogue between the intense battles.
The combat of the game stands out as being easy to understand, but difficult to master. Some of this is caused by the game’s extremely light tutorial, which leaves a lot of the games more subtle mechanics to be discovered by the player. While this amount of faith in the player can refreshing to some, others may find it frustrating when they lose a run because of a mechanic that was never explained. That being said, players accustomed to the “git gud” mentality of the Dark Souls franchise should feel at home here.
Between bouts of combat the party will explore a randomly-generated maze of roads that intersect at “crossroads.” At these intersections players will find shops, resting spots, and battles. The contents of the surrounding crossroads are revealed to the player, allowing informed decisions about the optimal route to the end of the map. Once the group reaches the end of the map, they battle against a randomly selected boss. They then move on to the next map until they eventually reach the final map and they fight against the game’s end boss. If defeated, the player receives one of multiple endings for the game as well as a new character to use in their party.
The bosses pose a massive difficulty spike that can feel very disproportionate to the challenges immediately preceding it. The bosses often introduce entirely new mechanics or force the player to juggle insane amounts of threats at once. These encounters are far from impossible to overcome, but can often be an unpleasant slap in the face to any player foolish enough to think they were masters of the game already. Difficulty in a roguelike is definitely expected, but it would have be nice to have a more gradual difficulty curve leading up to these bosses. Of course, getting the snot kicked out of you only makes it feel all the better once you finally take that boss down.
Has-Been Heroes combines a bit of humor with an incredibly rewarding combat system. It leaves the player willing to embark on another journey just to get another taste. The vague tutorials leave a lot to discover, even after several runs. At times, the game feels quite old-school in design, expecting you to fail and struggle with the game in order to overcome the challenges it presents. The difficulty spikes can be discouraging, but once you force yourself into another run you find yourself sucked right back in. New items, enemies and locations are introduced at regular intervals, but none of it is truly engaging enough to make each run of the game feel unique. The combat, for as fun as it is, can definitely feel repetitive after an hour or two play session. Even so, I kept returning to the game for an hour or two at a time again and again. At a price tag of $20, fans of roguelike games will find enough to enjoy to make the expense worthwhile.
Despite the numerous praises players have showered upon Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, there is one particular aspect of the game that has garnered nothing but criticism: the perplexing wording of its retry screen, which players encounter when facing a Game Over. Fortunately, the developers have discreetly resolved this issue in the game’s latest patch. They have fixed the Platinum Trophy progression, resulting in a slightly less confusing experience for players.
If you don’t possess exceptional combat abilities, chances are you’ve come across the game’s notorious four options: “Retry from Current Battle, Retry from This Battle, Retry from Before Battle, or Resume.”. As an avid gamer, I must admit that I’ve experienced the frustration of losing precious time due to my own foolish mistake. In this particular instance, I found myself engrossed in fine-tuning my matrix and equipping my party, only to have it all go to waste when I encountered a formidable enemy. To compound my error, I made the ill-advised decision to retry the battle, resulting in an hour of agonizing repetition. Lesson learned!
The “Retry from This Battle” option has become a source of frustration for players who are struggling with the game’s final boss encounter, leading to a significant number of rage-quits. Without giving away any surprises, opting for that choice after being defeated would result in players being sent back to the beginning of the final boss encounter, needlessly forcing them to forfeit approximately an hour’s worth of hard-earned progress in battle.
After the update, players now have the option to select “Retry from the Current Phase” instead of “Retry from Before the Current Battle.”. It’s worth noting that this change is only slightly improved. It’s rather disappointing that the screen is overly convoluted, which may lead to players feeling frustrated. While it’s better late than never, we can’t help but wonder if this issue will persist in the future.
Gaming
Baldur’s Gate 3 has received an impressive haul of 5 BAFTA Awards, with the prestigious title of Best Game among them
Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to solidify its position as a standout title, garnering five prestigious BAFTA awards, including the highly coveted Best Game accolade. In addition to the top accolade of the evening, the RPG created by the talented team at Larian Studios also emerged victorious in the categories of narrative, music, players’ choice, and performer in a supporting role.
Several games for the PS5 and PS4 received BAFTA awards. Alan Wake 2 won for Audio Achievement, Cyberpunk 2077 was recognized as an Evolving Game, Viewfinder was named the Best British Game, and Nadji Jeter received the Performer in a Leading Role award for his portrayal of Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Standing on the stage that night, Swen Vincke, the founder of Larian Studios, expressed his disbelief: “It’s truly incredible to be here.” The effort and dedication poured into creating Baldur’s Gate 3 is truly commendable. It’s truly remarkable, and I extend my gratitude to Bafta and everyone involved.
Here are the winners of the BAFTA awards for 2024:
- Debut game: Venba
- Audio achievement: Alan Wake 2
- Multiplayer: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Evolving game: Cyberpunk 2077
- Game design: Dave the Diver
- British game: Viewfinder
- Artistic achievement: Alan Wake 2
- New intellectual property — Viewfinder
- Narrative: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Performer in a supporting role: Andrew Wincott, Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Family — Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- EE Players’ Choice — Baldur’s Gate 3
- Animation — Hi-Fi Rush
- Music — Baldur’s Gate 3
- Game Beyond Entertainment — Tchia
- Technical achievement: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Performer in a leading role — Nadji Jeter, Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Best game: Baldur’s Gate 3
V Rising, a vampiric RPG, made its debut on PC in 2022 and is set to grace the PS5 in 2024. The game clearly showcased a strong influence from Castlevania. Now, Stunlock Studios is fully embracing the opportunity, officially teaming up with Konami for a captivating DLC with a gothic twist.
Featured in The Triple-i Initiative’s recent digital indie showcase, Legacy of Castlevania offers players the opportunity to immerse themselves in the timeless visuals of hair, cloth, and character design from one of the most beloved vampire franchises in gaming history. The pack is set to be released in May, and it’s possible that we’ll gain further insights into the PS5 port at that time. In the upcoming game, players will have the chance to encounter the renowned vampire hunter Simon Belmont, who will serve as a formidable adversary. Additionally, fans will be delighted to know that they can dress up as the enigmatic Vampire Prince, Alucard, with a special cosplay set.
There will be three distinct shapeshifting variants for players to fully embrace the darkness. Among the options available are the Wolf Form Variant, Soul of the Wolf; the Human Form Variant, Glamour of Maria Renard; and the Toad Form Variant, Guise of The Flea Man. In addition, you’ll have access to luxurious furniture and decorations to adorn your sanctuary, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a gothic masterpiece.
The Legacy of Castlevania Pack is a cosmetic DLC that lets you embrace the iconic majesty of Castlevania!
Behold the details for yourself: https://t.co/2wQ4IWkFgF pic.twitter.com/qWLELFE3oa
— V Rising (@VRisingGame) April 10, 2024
Did V Rising catch your attention? What are your thoughts on the Legacy of Castlevania collaboration? We eagerly await your thoughts in the comments section below.
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