Random Heroes Gold Edition Review (Switch)

Review code provided with many thanks to Ratalaika Games

Random Heroes is a simple 2D action platformer of the jump and shoot variety. You control an un-named character and your task is simple: stop the the alien invasion and save the day. No long drawn out story opening here, just straight into the jumping shooty action.

Go for 3 Stars

The game has nine chapters based around a specific environment like a factory or sewer. You know the usual video game tropes. Each chapter has eleven levels and then a boss fight. Your goal in each level is simply to get to the goal, or the door, and proceed immediately to the next. You have the opportunity to gain up to three stars per level which includes: killing all the enemies, finding all the secrets, and not getting hit once. These small objectives give you the incentive to spend just that little bit of extra time in each level. I was particularly driven to 3-star as many levels as possible.

The stars are required to unlock additional random heroes. New heroes come with additional perks like more health, damage or speed, so changing characters frequently is a good idea. It’s a shame the game doesn’t tell you this considering the opening level gives you an overview of the controls and mechanics. I didn’t realize I had unlocked any new characters until I had finished a game session quit out to the main menu and saw the ‘heroes’ tab there.

Jump and Shoot

Gameplay is simple. Jump and shoot is the name of the game. You start off with a simple random hero with a very basic pistol. Shooting enemies get you coins. Collect enough coins and you can buy a better gun to take down the enemies quicker. It was quite a slow start to unlock my first new weapon but once the ball started rolling the pace of the game quickened and became much more fun. The levels are paced at a more entertaining speed once I unlocked a gun that could take down the enemies in a few hits rather than many. The variety of guns is quite welcome: from shotguns to alien lasers. The final unlock-able weapon felt like a rather funny joke, but I won’t spoil that here.

Simple Design

Level design is very simple there are platforms with your basic placement of spike traps and enemies. Finding secret walls with hidden coins or health upgrades was not that difficult. It was entertaining discovering a variety of new enemies and learning their attack patterns, if just to gain that no hit star. It’s a shame the game doesn’t let you duck or move the camera to see hazards below you. Sometimes I would jump down from a platform only to fall into a pit of spikes robbing me of a star opportunity. The only solution being to learn and remember for next time, which wasn’t desirable especially in the longer levels.

You can play as a lot of random characters.

Boss Time

The boss fights at the end of each level were a very welcome diversion from the usual level layout. Though the pattern was sometimes a little too predictable to follow. Something that may suit casual gamers looking for an easy experience, but it could be a possible turn off for more experienced gamers of this genre. It was fun to replay older boss levels with a more powerful weapon and take them down much quicker than the first time round.

Retro Looks

The graphics are somewhat of a mixed bag. I liked the enemy and character designs. The enemies being these funny zombie cyborg like hybrids. The various random heroes you can play as: like princesses, lunatics, firemen, etc., were quite amusing. In this game it felt like anyone could be a hero. It was a lot of fun unlocking them. Simple pixel designs stand out and were quite appealing to me in a fun retro way. The same can’t really be said for the detail of the level backgrounds. The first two areas you visit appear as just dull brown brick-like environments. Not really standing out. Things do pick up later in the game with the areas adding more colour and variety. But it all feels just very simple.

Background design can appear boring at times.

Familiar Territory

Random Heroes doesn’t reinvent the wheel. This style of game has been done many times before. People familiar with Woblywares previous titles like Devious Dungeons will notice a lot of similarities in terms of the graphical style and even how the game plays. Both appearing to use the exact same platform design. Only the others have swords.

A Coffee Conclusion

Random Heroes is a fun retro looking game at a cheap price. I consider this a good coffee game. By that I mean it’s a game you can shut your brain off and play through a few levels at your own pace. Ideal for a quick coffee break, a wait at the bus stop, or if you just don’t fancy an in depth game. Unfortunately, it’s simplicity is also its downfall. Just a bit more depth to the game’s mechanics and some overall polish would make this stand out much more. It’s a cheap title which I had fun with. I was left wishing for just a bit more though.

Final Verdict: I Like it