Legacy Review: Underhero
Underhero
Underhero
is a friendly and fun adventure game with RPG
and platforming elements built into
it. Right off the bat, I was drawn by the aesthetics
and characters of the game, both of
which presented the game in a welcoming
light. Later, the combat system
also won me over with its more unique
style. I also definitely enjoyed the game’s narrative, exploring the well-designed
game worlds and all the humor along
the way helped as well. Overall, I would
recommend picking this game up, even at its asking price.
Introduction
Underhero
is a story about a random underling haphazardly thrust into the role of a hero
as a direct consequence of his rash actions.
The journey
begins inside a castle owned by a weird but evil tyrant known as Mr.Stitches.
Here, you will meet many underlings just like yourself and interact with them
as if they were normal NPCs. Jumping around the castle, lurking around the dorm
rooms and running around in the other rooms such as the kitchen and theatre,
you get a good feel for the game and the world its trying to portray. A feel
that keeps you happy, engaged and wanting to play and see more.
Eventually,
you receive your tasks and set out to explore the world outside the castle. A
world that is not only beautifully drawn but also well designed with puzzles
and hidden secrets to get your brain going. Sounds good? You bet it does.
So you head
out into the world, filled with excitement and joy. After flailing about for a
while, you soon encounter something all too familiar.
“Oh hey!”,
you shout as you see one of the very minions you saw in the castle just moments
earlier standing before you.
Eager to
greet your fellow minion, now waving back at you, you invade his/her personal
space……. only to discover that the game has other things in mind for this
loving reunion.
Combat
So, yes,
you are a minion but you also end up fighting other minions who are technically
supposed to be allies. In fact, they won’t even make the first move and you
even have the option to talk to them or give them money to bribe them. The only
thing logical that is missing is the option to simply walk away from the
encounter, but I suppose that would just be making it too easy.
Entering
combat, you may first get the impression that it is turn-based combat. The
layout of the combat UI indicates as such, after all.
However,
the game doesn’t use a traditional turn-based combat system.
No. That
would be boring.
Instead,
the game utilizes what’s known as time-based combat, which is essentially
real-time combat taking place within a turn-based environment.
So, beyond
just picking the right move, reaction times and energy conservation come into
play in these battles. Not only is the battle system fun and challenge, it also
has a unique feel to it, definitely a plus point for Underhero.
And as I
mentioned earlier, the option to casually talk to them before initiating combat
really adds to the game’s unique flavor whilst emphasizing the pleasantness of
the game world. I mean, what game has let you freely chat to your enemies
before bashing their heads in?
It helps
that the combat is also challenging, and will demand a fairly high level of
skill as the game progresses. Some enemies are also harder than others and you
will also find that some enemies are more annoying than others. On that note,
it is admirable that every single species of enemy has their own unique battle
style. Luckily, you will usually have
the option of just paying off the enemy to avoid an unfavorable battle, or just
jumping over them to avoid them altogether.
Boss
Battles
At this
stage, the spoilers should stop, but I do have to say that the boss battles are
incredibly enjoyable.
You’d think
that with the pseudo-turn-based combat system the game employs, boss battles
would be awkward.
But really,
they’re not. Even the boss battles thrust you into the same battle system, but
only after thoroughly exhausting them by demonstrating your incredible
platforming skills. There may be several games where boss battles share some
similarities to Underhero, but I think the battles you will experience in this
game are still one of a kind and absolutely worth your time.
Story
The story
is good. The characters in the game are also excellently designed and you may
even find them to be fairly memorable.
The best
part about the story is that it manages to be humorous, engaging (enemies and
companions are a constant presence), immersive (you do feel like you are part
of the game world) and also has its fair share of twists and turns.
I would say
it is on par with most RPG games, and compliments the gameplay well.
Platforming
Well, the
platforming in the game is fairly standard. It’s what you would expect from a
platformer, just that it avoids the common problem of being pixel-perfect.
As
mentioned previously, the game also has puzzles and secret areas that come into
play during your platforming adventures.
The puzzles
are mostly well thought out and never feel frustrating to solve. I don’t think
the platforming was frustrating at any point either so ultimately the
atmosphere of the game is well preserved.
The only
problem you may observe is wasteful wandering around, which can and will
happen, especially in the more complex regions of the game.
RPG
Elements
Well, other
than the obvious venturing out into the world and talking to NPCs, the game
also has a level-up system which allows you to choose one of three upgrades for
your character each time. I appreciated having the choice and I think the
choices do make a difference on the difficulty level of battles in different
ways.
Upgrade
your energy, and you can attack and dodge more easily.
Upgrade
your attack, and you can win more easily.
Upgrade
your health, and you can experience more difficulty in dying.
In
addition, you can get other upgrades either by buying them or by finding them
in the world, so character development is quite well taken care of in this
game.
Random
quests from NPCs are also a nice touch, though the game could possibly have
used a lot more of those as extra things to do, as long as they did not induce
repetition.
Best
Points
Unique
“time-based” combat system you are unlikely to find elsewhere
Good story
that is on par with most RPGs
Aesthetically
pleasing and well-designed game world, characters, lore and puzzles
Inviting
and comfortable environment – low energy and easy to play
Congruency
of the different aspects of the game
Humor
Gameplay
Improvements
The game
likes to crash when I open it and either talk or open the inventory. The
crashing did make me fearful of hitting certain keys
Frequent
walking back and forth, but not to the point where it becomes frustrating
The
difficulty curve can be a bit wonky as it also depends on the upgrades you
choose.
Boss
battles also seem to get easier instead of harder.
Conclusion
Overall, I
had fun playing Underhero, and it is actually one of the games that kept me
wanting to play it on a regular basis. The mark of a good game is one that is
comfortable and fun to play, and there is no better indicator of that than
wanting to open the game without fail every week.
I also have
to commend how all the little bits of the game gel together to create a living
breathing world that keeps you content from start to finish. Even talking to
the enemies has its own purpose, as you’ll find out.
Overall
Grade
S
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