Loop Hero Review
At first, Loop Hero might look like just another deck-building game, sprinkled with dime-a-dozen terms that come together when one doesn’t keep their eyes on Steam’s front page: “indie,” “pixel ,” “rogue-like ,” “RPG.” However, the game’s popularity is well-earned, and it’s the perfect example of why indie games are so important – sometimes they can turn into something really unique and special using even the most basic parts. Loop Hero combines familiar mechanics and tropes into something that feels utterly refreshing, and it’s worth immersing yourself in for a while. In Loop Hero, players take on a role similar to that of a Dungeon Master in a TTRPG. True to the name of the game, a small hero goes around in a loop, where the player is filled with tiles that spawn monsters, give bonuses, or have more complex effects. For each enemy the hero defeats, steal in the form of items and new tiles to put spill out into the hero’s inventory and the player’s hand of tile cards. The gameplay loop is simple: Manage the hero’s items to keep them alive, use hand cards to increase the challenge, reap the rewards of defeating tough enemies, and guide the hero back to the beginning of the circle that path safely. Then, return home to camp and buy upgrades, or venture out for a spin again.
The light tutorial is over in about a minute, but the game gets more complicated from there. What Loop Hero doesn’t hold in the player’s hands are the compound effects of different tiles, items, and enemies, all of which are learned through trial and error. What’s more difficult is mastering the perfect balance of making a tough loop to get good items and upgrade materials, while still making it forgiving enough that the auto-walking hero can make it through the final cycle that without dying. At its core, the gameplay heightens the joy and challenge of cleverly combining item effects to create a beautiful build. Loop Hero is all about watching numbers increase and stack modifiers, both on the hero’s route and on the hero’s own equipment. Everything else that normally goes into an RPG – even combat – has been stripped down and automated. It has a similar feel to playing chess against oneself – setting up a difficult challenge and then working to overcome it and reap the rewards. It wouldn’t work well if the game didn’t also constantly push the difficulty and encourage players to think constantly and carefully about what they put where and which items to prepare. That may sound boring to some, but items and upgrades come so quickly and have so many different effects that managing the inventory and landscape is just as engaging, if not more so, than actively fighting others more similar games. There’s a certain purity to how easy everything is, but the gameplay is quick enough that even the basic mechanics of inventory management and auto-scrolling are fast, challenging, and rewarding. Discovering the hidden effects of combining different tiles and items also adds to a sense of discovery and problem solving, even if the adventurer himself is just walking in an increasingly deadly circle over and over again. again.
The main gameplay in “expedition” mode is broken up by occasional conversations with NPCs or trips back to camp to buy upgrades and continue the main story. The conversations are light and funny, while the story itself is mysterious and genuinely intriguing, with dark undertones that touch on memory, forgetting, and rebuilding an imagined world from nothing. None of this is cynical, and it’s usually a welcome respite after an intense nail-biting battle over whether or not the hero gets back all their loot. There are three hero classes to choose from, Warrior, Rogue, and Necromancer, all of which require a different type of planning. There are countless types of tiles to unlock, and four chapters in a respectably long (for a small rogue-like) campaign. The music is delightfully retro-funky, and the pixel-art is done just right, with careful use of color and pleasingly nostalgic designs. Above all, there is a layer of polish, attention to quality of life, and intuitive design. Little details like the battle screen pausing when the player hovers over an enemy or inventory item, in case he wants to read an opponent’s stats or switch weapons on the fly, go a long way. Downsides include the frustrations of randomized loot, an occasional grind to get enough materials for the next camp upgrade, and the fact that by the time the fourth and final chapter rolls around has a few more secrets and combos to discover. Still, the game is a real gem, and at $15 full price, it’s worth getting hooked on. Loop Hero is available on PC. Today Technology was provided with a code for this review. MORE: Loop Hero’s Unique Roguelike Mechanics Are Innovative