I’ve played plenty of games that were challenging and sometimes seemed impossible to beat, but I’ve never played a game like Has-Been Heroes .
Has-Been Heroes is a lane-based roguelike game that will force even the most experienced players to decide whether to continue to learn and get better, or chuck their controller out the window.
And despite all of that….I still really enjoyed this game.
The fast-paced action, the strategy and the way Has-Been Heroes brings out my competitive and never-say-die attitude really makes this game a blast to play.
The story of Has-Been Heroes revolves around two heroes past their prime and a new up-and-coming hero as they escort two princesses to school. But you’ll need to protect them amid all sorts of terrain and fend off wave after wave of enemies.
It’s a simple story and the art style reflects that. The 2D art and animation, coupled with the lane-based action and tower defense mechanics, is similar to Plants vs. Zombies (if the plants wielded giant broadswords).
But the appeal of Has-Been Heroes is the gameplay, and there’s plenty to talk about. Players will control the three heroes as they run through a map a section at a time, periodically having to battle a wave of enemies.
Each hero offers a different way to play. The Warrior, for example, only strikes once while the Rogue strikes about five times but the Warrior is much stronger and has a higher defense. All three heroes also have different cooldowns on their spells and weapon attacks.
Players will need to keep all this in mind as they attack, switch lanes and try and fend off waves of enemies. It’s very fast-paced and you’ll need to train your eyes to look all over the screen for the next best move.
One especially useful aspect of Has-Been Heroes is the pause button, offering players a chance to pause the action at any point during battle. You’ll definitely need it. Among the chaos of enemies creeping ever closer to your heroes, sometimes you’ll just need to pause to see which hero is ready to attack and which is in more danger of taking damage, so you can plan accordingly.
The action is addictive and you’ll really feel a sense of accomplishment for surviving just one battle in this game, but what gets frustrating is the permadeath. That’s right, when one of your heroes falls the game is over and you’ll have to start over from the beginning, no matter how far you’ve gone in the game.
This becomes increasingly frustrating when certain bosses can actually one-shot your heroes. But again, it’s so satisfying to see how much you’ve learned and become a better fighter as you progress further than you did last time. It’s like being a Saiyan, with every battle you become stronger, wiser and more experienced.
However, I do wish Has-Been Heroes gave more hints and tips on how to get the most out of every battle. The tutorial does explain stamina, spells and how to switch lanes. But you’ll have to learn on your own that when heroes go back to their starting position after battle they can actually damage every enemy in its way, this is invaluable information.
A few other things the game won’t spell out: you are better off taking the long way to the map’s boss, so you can pick up as many items and spells along the way. Also, DO NOT go backwards to a section you’ve visited before, you’ll lose light and when it becomes completely dark you automatically lose. I learned that the hard way.
As for the controls, there are only a few inputs and with most fast-paced action games, you’ll need to train your fingers to switch lanes as quickly as possible. I’ve fumbled switching lanes so much; don’t be afraid to use the pause button as much as possible, it really helps.
Overall, Has-Been Heroes is a very enjoyable experience, despite the difficulty level. While I wouldn’t recommend this game for younger gamers as they will probably get too frustrated, this is definitely something players with patience can really sink hours and hours into. The Nintendo Switch version is especially great, as Has-Been Heroes is a perfect game for putting a few hours into the game wherever you are.
With the maps, items, spells and enemies changing every time you start over your experience will always feel different and for the $19.99 price tag you will definitely get your money’s worth.
Has-Been Heroes releases for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC on March 28.
