Roguelike games have been growing in popularity over the last few years. They bring a sense of nostalgia back for older gamers that grew up in an era where roguelike wasn’t just a genre, it was a way of life. There was no saving your game and picking up where you left off. You played the game until you died and then started over. Thankfully, games have evolved over time. However, for those still yearning for those days – games like Vertical Drop Heroes HD can scratch the itch.
Story
The story here is thin but, compared to most roguelikes, at least there is a reason behind why you start over with each death. There is a legend that claims a great hero will enter the Portal at the Temple of Knowledge which will lead them on a journey as they fight their way through fantastic lands in search of the Holy Sanctuary where the secret of their very existence will be revealed. The problem is everyone thinks this prophesy is about them – so many brave, yet stupid folk will set out on this journey only to meet their demise. Time and time again they go through the portal and fail to return. This happens until the true hero makes their way through the portal and unlocks the mystery they all set out to learn.
Gameplay
The one thing that sets Vertical Drop Heroes HD apart is the way you traverse through the levels. As the title alludes, you are traveling through each world trying to get to the bottom of each level as opposed to the normal East to West traversal most platformers have. This adds a new level of challenge to the level since passing an object on your way down all but means it is gone for good. The levels are procedurally generated so the enemies and objects you find constantly change with each play-through which helps the game from going stale way before it does.
Each hero is equipped with a weapon unique to the character and they range from heavy axes and two-handed swords to projectile weapons like a bow and arrow. Before your journey you can pick a hero to send to their probable doom, but if any are not to your liking you can refresh the three you choose from and pick one more suited for your game play style. There isn’t a lot to consider when choosing a hero outside of the weapon, stats are relatively the same and since the one true hero won’t make themselves known until the end there is very little to set the others apart. One thing to think about when choosing a character with a bow is the that the arrows run out and you must collect them back once you’ve fired them. Get to the bottom of the level without any and the boss will be nearly impossible.
Once you’ve defeated the boss you can travel through the portal and continue your way. There are ways to travel through the portal without defeating the boss that you’ll find as you go along.
There are tons of items to collect from coins to more health. Coins will allow you to buy things to hep you on your path that would otherwise be impossible. After each character dies you keep the coins collected and can buy things for your new hero before setting out again. Arrows can be fired by all characters in limited quantities and require a charge to do so. Much like the health vials you collect along the way you’ll collect ones to replenish your charge as well. Make sure you have enough of each before reaching the bottom to take on the level’s boss.
There are ten levels followed by the Holy Sanctuary so only the bravest of warriors can make it to the end.
In case you don’t want to go it alone, Vertical Drop Heroes HD offers local co-op so that you and a friend can unlock the secret of existence together.
Recommendation
Vertical Drop Heroes HD is going to appeal to fans of the genre looking for a roguelike to take on the go now that the game is finally being released on the Switch. Unless you are truly passionate about the genre you’ll probably get frustrated early on and find that the game gets stale after a few playthroughs. A lot of the glitches and issues that the PC version had early on seem to have been addressed and the game has never played better. The colors really pop, especially in handheld mode, and the controls feel good no matter which mode you’re playing in. Vertical Drop Heroes HD releases October 4th on the Switch.
*Vertical Drop Heroes HD was provided to the reviewer by the publishing company but this fact did not alter the reviewer’s opinion*
Check out our Review Guide to see what we criteria we use to score games.
