Hero Seekers breaks the mould with its unusual approach to the genre. Many RPGS lead you from the underdog story to a meteoric rise. This experience is vastly different. A reverse amnesia, if you will. You witness the end battle and destroy the antagonist, but in reality, this never happens. Instead, the world of heroes is wiped from everyone’s memory. Accordingly, the antagonist gets to live another day and change the rules of the game.
This unusual RPG was developed by VANGUARD and published by KEMCO. It is a single-player experience where turn-based combat, dungeon crawling, and village exploration are linked to the central plot. Therefore, there is little reward for exploring and few opportunities to do so. This was unusual as the developer normally encourages that behaviour. Consequently, fans of this gaming partnership may be thrown off by the change of pace.
Hero Seekers tells a strange story.
Undoing what you’ve witnessed can be tough. However, Hero Seekers makes this a key element. The Demon King is a powerful and cruel nemesis. His taunting ways and deep, dark powers run deeper than anyone could predict. Furthermore, his desire to reign supreme overrides every other emotion. Subsequently, the idea of a hero and the success you have tasted is wiped from everyone’s memory.
You play the role of Lunette, who can remember the truth. This hero must search the overworld and try to write the wrongs they see. This is easier said than done, as the Demon King’s minions stop at nothing to appease their boss. However, with the power of the memory stones and 20 unique heroes to collect, you can rewrite history and make the world a safer and brighter place.
Kept on a tight leash.
I was surprised by the lack of freedom offered when playing Hero Seekers. Furthermore, exploring the overworld or dungeons was a little confusing because of a lack of a world map. This is RPG 101 basics that the developer has forgotten. The result was a confusing exploration despite the lack of freedom and the linear approach.
When you tackle enemies, the game focuses on normal combat, magic, and party synergy to get you through. Additionally, there is a clear turn order list to help you to manage your tactics. This was particularly important when using synergies, as you could destroy more powerful opponents or focus on the group’s strengths and weaknesses.
Where Hero Seekers excels is in its quality of life mechanics. Auto battling, 3x fight speeds, and the ability to leave a dungeon with magic were welcome elements. Yet, this wasn’t clearly explained in the tutorial, and it took some trial and error to get things right.
Hero Seekers is dated but great.
I adore pixelated RPGs, and Hero Seekers didn’t disappoint. The vibrant colours, basic backdrops, and rudimentary villages and dungeons were a joy to look at. Even the text was pleasant to read and easy on the eye. It is this early console approach that works perfectly with this genre, and many developers could learn a thing or two from VANGUARD.
The audio is just as good with its shrill sound effects and dramatic soundtrack. I adore the blend of euphoric moments and the often OTT fanfare. Furthermore, the ability to create tension with the use of sombre and aggressive songs was wonderful.
Basic controls.
There is plenty to understand, and the mechanics could have been better explained. However, Hero Seekers has basic controls. Once you know the fundamentals, you’ll skip through battles, explore dungeons, and become a hero in no time.
Replay value is limited. Although there are 20 heroes to collect and use, the story is somewhat limited. This impacts the desire to return and the sense of originality once you complete a playthrough. Luckily, the first attempt is great, and this makes it worth every penny.
Hero Seekers is a good, old-school RPG.
I was impressed with Hero Seekers’ change of pace. The anti-amnesia design was interesting, and it worked extremely well. Moreover, the unorthodox party recruitment mechanic was a joy to experience. However, the lack of full guidance and the missing world map were unforgivable. Accordingly, despite these complaints, I recommend buying it here! Can you remind the world about heroes? Grab the memory stones, build your party, and thwart the Demon King.
