Hero-U is a spiritual sequel to a game series that was released in the ‘90s called Quest for Glory and after playing Hero-U Rogue To Redemption I’m intrigued by the Quest For Glory anthology of video games as I missed those titles the first time around.
You start off in Hero U as a common thief who is sent on a task to steal a coin in order to get access to a Thieves Guild. During your escape from the successful robbery, you are confronted by a random guy who gives you an ultimatum that basically gives you a choice of going to jail to rot with the rats or go to Hero University to enhance your thief skills and und use them in a more productive way.
Playing this game gave me strong Fighting Fantasy vibes and I fell for it immediately. I was especially pleased with taking my aptitude test when I joined Hero University as it felt like I was creating a new and unique character in the form of Shawn O’Connor. Granted you don’t get to choose your character class as that is already mapped out for you but the aptitude test does give you a base set of stats for your character to build upon.
I really liked the way that most actions that you undertake throughout the entirety of the game gradually builds up your skill and attribute levels in things like sneaking, throwing, strength, lockpicking and disarming traps. That nice touch enables you to do lots of exploring without it feeling like you’re wasting your time as you will at the very least increase your stats by being nosey.
Your days at the Hero University are mapped out and the game centres around Shawn’s daily tasks that need to be undertaken to progress into the game. Shawn needs to make sure that he attends his Rogue class complete with the odd exam to attempt so pay attention!
As the term progresses Shawn can also take on an elective course which will then enable Shawn to refine his Rogue skills to align with those of other character classes. Shawn can receive training in magic, potions, gadgets and many other useful subjects.
Hero-U also features a reputation system which tracks Shawn’s social standing with his classmates and teachers which can take you down the route of attempting to romance a fellow student or even just to become a pain in the arse for everyone, the choice is yours how you play it and the options are varied.
As time goes on Shawn will get to unlock different quests and tasks around the University and this where I really enjoyed the games balance of daily grind and then some fun quest elements to keep things fresh.
It is worth mentioning the dialogue as it jam-full of puns at every single turn and while some might say that this can be a little tiresome after a while I would say that I liked the way that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously and is true to its ‘90s routes and inspiration.
The graphics within the game feel very well designed and the art style gives a lovely hand-drawn and detailed look to all the environments that you find yourself in. I also liked the look and feel of the UI as it makes it a pleasure to use. It’s retro-looking feel but with nice touches to the presentation.
Old school RPG gamers will be in love with this game and I think it hits a great sweet spot between old school look and feel but with enough quality of life improvements that bring this type of game right up to date and relevant for modern switch gamers.
"Right, I’m off to kick the cat and fail the tutorial mission before I even get to become a disbarred bard!"
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