If you’re itching for something brand spanking new to play and slaying waves of monsters is your thing, then Hero Survival would like to tempt you in with big guns and bigger hordes.
This pixel-art action roguelite brings a bunch of action hero tropes to the table. Given the glut of similar games that are coming to market right now, I was immediately skeptical.
However, having the coordination to release a game across multiple platforms on the same day is impressive, and so I was prepared to give this one another look.
What is Hero Survival?
Hero Survival should be a licensing nightmare, as the aim of the game is to fight off hordes of monsters while controlling characters inspired by classic action movies. But hey, if Broforce can get away it…
You start off as a nobody, however – some dude who is pulled into this weird world because he’s a top gamer with a great aim. Thus, you’ve got to show off your skills in order to stay alive. It’s a paper thin story, but we’re not here for that!
As you’ve no doubt deduced, Hero Survival is an auto-shooter bullet-hell with roguelite elements where you’re constantly dodging a horde of angry monsters. Yes, it’s very much inspired by Vampire Survivors.
There are a few differences that set it apart from this obvious point of comparison, though. The biggest difference being the weapon system. Here, you’ve got four slots orbiting your character, and you fill them as you move through the levels.
Hero Survival characters
As you play, you are constantly levelling up your selected character, but each level is locked to a timer. Once that runs down, the enemies on screen all scarper away and you’re given a bit of respite.
They quickly return, however, and then it’s back to running around each arena, trying to stay alive for as long as possible, and improving your arsenal as you go. It’s a simple enough gameplay loop.
Filling all four weapon slots inevitably leads to a power fantasy where you’re skirting around the map, blasting everything that comes near. At one point I had two uzis, a sniper, and a shotgun all firing in different directions all at once – it’s nice and silly.
You can pick a skill at the start of the run, so for example your enemies might drop bombs that can explode posthumously, thinning the horde. There didn’t seem to be much chance to change this skill during a run, though, so I think it locks you in to that first choice.
Once you bite the proverbial bullet, it’s back to the menu screen where you can see your progress. Using gold earned in-game you can unlock new heroes, including allegories for Van Helsing and Indiana Jones. That, along with some weapon unlocks, seems to be the core of the meta-progression.
Each character has different starting stats, and each one is more expensive than the last to purchase, so there seems to be a chunk of game to unlock.
Hero Survival maps
In terms of the arenas, I’ve only seen the first two thus far, so I can’t confirm how many are in the game, however, I can say that they’re quite small. It’s a design decision that gives the game more of an arcade feel than I was expecting.
The maps are actually another key difference that separates this from Vampire Survivors. Here, the player is running around smaller arenas, with less interactive aspects. You’ll have to drag your enemies around whilst thinning the horde because there’s no escape.
At times, I felt like the Pied Piper, herding my enemies to the edge before I tried to zip into the centre of the map and pick up all the gold coins that were sitting there.
In terms of map variety, the launch announcement press release promised “lush green meadows, eerie cemeteries, icy wastelands, and warm sandy beaches”. I hope there’s more but I’m not sure if there is.
Hero Survival release date and platforms
When it comes to platform availability, just about anyone can play. The game, which was made by PigeonDev and publisher Sometimes You, is available on PC (it landed on Steam back on October 18th), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X.
As mentioned in the title, the game is out today, October 27. Given the horror theme, that’s just in time for Halloween, which was no doubt the plan. Could it have done with a bit more time in the oven, though?
Some of the menus translations seem rushed, and some things aren’t explained at all. The weapon system feels intuitive and the combat is fun, although the arenas you play in seem on the small side and don’t have much in them.
As you may have inferred, Hero Survival, is intended to scratch the same itch as Vampire Survivors. Whether this more arcade-focused approach will offer enough to pull the masses away from Poncle’s smash hit is another story. I suspect it won’t manage that, but with a few more updates, there could be a decent game here.
For more games like Hero Survival, check out our list of spooky games!
