The game actually has a story of sorts, but it is really not important to mention here because it does not make much difference. What is notable is how the game forces you to gradually unlock different starting weapons, and while there are different characters to unlock who have their own starting weapon, there is not really any excitement to be had. It feels like needless padding rather than any actual growth, especially due to how much gold you will need to earn to unlock the more powerful weapons.
A big reason Vampire Survivors worked so well is that it took in ideas from slot machines and gambling mechanics and used them to create a game that would not have the harmful problems that come with gambling. The developer understood how to keep people hooked on the game and make it fun at the same time. It is not a bad thing to try and emulate that formula and innovate on it, and there have been some amazing takes on the formula. In fact, Vampire Survivors was itself inspired by another Survivors-style game, but Hero Survival just lacks that same spark of innovation.
The environment feels dull and the repetitive layout just doesn’t help at all, especially with how some parts of the environment such as foliage, just are there for decoration and can be walked right through. What does help is the way the perks and upgrades are handled here, with you needing to fight for every upgrade and never giving you a feeling of being OP. If it was not for the fact that there is so much needless grinding, this would be a great game that offers more of a challenge, especially with how you are limited to four weapons, but the grinding gets in the way.
Visually, there is not much to make Hero Survival stand out, and the music does not help much either. So why is Hero Survival not a complete failure? That would be the aforementioned use of its difficult nature to develop its own hook for the gameplay. it genuinely feels like a challenge, and it is frustrating to see that the game fails to capitalize on proper progression.
Ultimately, I cannot recommend Hero Survival, because there are too many other great Survivors style games that offer more variety and better quality. There is a spark here, but it is just not enough to make the game worth getting. Perhaps future updates could make the game better, but as of now, this is a pass.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
