Game: Loop Hero
Genre: Strategy, Roguelite, Deckbuilder
System: Nintendo Switch (also on PC through Steam, Epic Games, and GOG)
Developers | Publishers: Four Quarters | Devolver Digital
Age Rating: US Teen | EU 12+
Price: US $14.99 | UK £13.49 | EU € 14,99
Release Date: March 5th, 2021 (PC) | December 9th, 2021 (Switch)
No review code was used; I purchased the game myself.
Loop Hero feels like caring for an advanced Tamagotchi. It’s addictive and cute (in a gothic way).
It’s not a simulation game, though. While marketed as an “endless RPG,” freedom to role-play is absent, so Loop Hero strikes me as a strategy game. There are deck-building and town-building elements. There’s a kind of story and surprising amounts of lore, but they’re just icing on the cake. Some have likened it to an idle game, yet it’s hardly idle as I’m micromanaging my Hero a lot. Whatever this game is, though, I’m loopy for it!
Let’s Get You in the Loop
If this is an RPG, you’re the gamemaster as much as the player. You decide what enemies to toss in, plus when and where. It’s about balance: adding enough challenge so the Hero will grow stronger, but not too much that he expires prematurely.
At the end of each loop around the road, the Hero heals partially at a campfire. There’s no traditional levelling up. Improvement in stats comes solely from equipment, terrain cards, and camp upgrades. You get these through loot from defeated enemies.
What else happens? You figure out the rest by trial and error, which is part of Loop Hero‘s fun. I’m 20+ hours into the game, and there’s still more to discover.
Run or Risk?
Enemies grow more powerful each loop, though so does the equipment they drop. When things get too hairy, you can bolt for home. Two options here. You can wait to reach the campfire, which allows you to retreat to “Camp” with all resources collected (though all equipment is lost). Or, you retreat mid-loop and keep 60% of your resources. It’s a painful but good compromise.
Either option is better than dying because death means you only keep 30% of your resources. That may seem generous for a roguelike/rogue-lite, and it is. But the real penalty is feeling that you’ve wasted time grinding for resources.
That encourages me to play safe. Still, the lure to keep going is strong. More than a few times, I’ve chosen to risk and regretted it. But most of the time, my Hero reaches the end of a loop and heals, which is relieving and exhilarating. I get pumped up for another round.
It’s these risk-reward tensions that make the basic loop engaging. About 10 hours in, I noticed how much I enjoyed these expeditions and had forgotten about fighting the chapter boss. Loop Hero is the kind of game that’s still fun even when you make little progress towards the main goal.
Home Sweet Home
At times, I’m so focused on collecting resources to upgrade the Camp that I forget about fighting bosses.
Each time you start a new expedition, you begin from scratch—an empty road, no equipment—except for permanent benefits from Camp buildings. Camp buildings provide a wide variety of benefits.
Some are directly helpful for boss battles, like the ability to resurrect once per expedition or to drink healing potions. Other buildings unlock new terrain cards like the Arsenal (granting the Hero an extra equipment slot) or Vampire Mansion (adding an enemy Vampire to every nearby battle). Two buildings unlock new Hero classes.
The point of all these Camp upgrades is to grow strong enough to beat the game’s four main bosses. It’s up to you when to tackle these showdowns.
Staying in the Loop
What happens if I build this or equip that? Will I discover a secret new terrain if I play my cards this way? It’s nice to discover new enemies (they have cool portraits and interesting dialogue). These mysteries are a double-edged sword, though. I like surprises and figuring out the game rules. But Loop Hero errs from being too opaque and too hands-off about teaching the player.
As for variation, every run is different enough. I’m not always aiming for the same goal each run. Having to grind for different resources encourages me to play different terrain cards and confront different enemies.
Also, there are currently three Hero classes to experiment with. Warrior is the starting class. Rogue can potentially deal more damage quickly but receives no new equipment until the end of each loop. Necromancer is physically weak but can summon skeletons to fight for him. Of these three, the Necromancer is most interesting.
All three classes are enjoyable, bringing different rules, Hero stats, unique traits, and equipment types. The developer is still working on new content for Loop Hero, and adding a new class seems to be part of their plan.
I’ve played the game on two platforms. PC controls are more convenient. But Switch controls aren’t bad either, though pressing the shoulder buttons is slightly tiring. Even for a Switch Lite, the font size is fine, so I’ve stuck to the handheld version. It’s great for 10-minute sessions in between activities.
Conclusion
Loop Hero is unique and addictive. I’m always up for another round. I love the gloomy but charming art and music. The only thing I find annoying is how expensive Camp upgrades are, which means lots of grinding. Still, grinding doesn’t feel pain because the basic gameplay loop is so enjoyable. It’s fantastic value for money and not a tough game, as roguelikes go.
Final verdict: I Like It A Lot
