A Retro JRPG with a Twist on Forgotten Legends
There comes a point, whenever a new KEMCO game drops through the letterbox, where I start sketching out the review in my head. What’s good, what’s bad, how does the story shape up, you know the drill. I’ve reviewed enough of these games to know what is what.
Still, what this lengthy preamble is leading up to is the release of yet another retro styled JRPG from KEMCO (I know, I was shocked too) which goes by the name of Hero Seekers. So, does this game offer anything new, or could I just copy and paste from any of the other KEMCO reviews I’ve done in the past?
A Premise of Rewritten Worlds
Kicking off with the story, this is the acid test for any RPG. As I have said a million times before (and no, I never exaggerate) the story of any JRPG has to not only suck you in, but keep you invested for the long haul. And here the news is pretty favourable, as Hero Seekers does not only provide us with an interesting premise, but continues to develop as you get further along.
Bearing in mind the need to avoid spoilers, the basics of the story are as follows: the world is ruled by the Demon King, and his terrible Demon Army. Every so often, a Hero or group of Heroes will arise in order to challenge his power. We play as Lunette, one of a group of three Heroes who succeeded in taking down the Demon King. However, when the game begins, the Demon King is not only alive and kicking, but still in charge of the gaff. It turns out that he has the power to rewrite the world, and that has caused Heroes to be forgotten. Luckily, Lunette not only remembers what has happened, but has the ability to summon the souls of other Heroes who have been forgotten, bringing them to fight alongside her. Sounds good so far, right? Well, I’ll leave the rest of the story to you to find out…
Business as Usual
How does Hero Seekers play? Well, suffice it to say that if you have played any of KEMCO’s other offerings, you are going to feel right at home here, as this one is very much the same as any other retro style JRPG, not to put too fine a point on it. That means you’ll get to wander around the overworld/dungeon and have a few battles every five paces (or so it seems, anyway).
There does seem to be a lot of busy work, for want of a better phrase, in Hero Seekers either. As an example, we have to go to meet a King at a certain point in the story, but in order to get an audience, we have to go through a maze and kill a creature. So far, so normal, yeah? After this however, comes the need to find and explore another labyrinth (crawling with enemies, naturally) in order to advance the story. This wouldn’t be so bad if there was, as in so many other KEMCO titles, a map; whether that be a mini map or a bigger one. However, in Hero Seekers, wandering around aimlessly hoping to stumble upon the place we’re looking for is all part of the “fun”.
Summoning Souls
Other than this, the rest of the gameplay is surprisingly solid. The battles that we engage in, while numerous, do also provide enough of a challenge to make sure that you are on your toes. As in most KEMCO games, you can choose to let the computer do the fighting by putting the team into auto mode and they do do a pretty good job, to be honest; more than capable of holding their own against regular foes. However, for bosses, it is better to stay in control, as things can go bad very quickly indeed!
Keeping everyone upgraded and with the best gear that all your plundered gold can buy is vital, as is finding a team that works for you. You see, in battles and in chests, you can acquire memory stones, and with these new Heroes can be summoned to your side. It is a somewhat random process, and while the existing Heroes can be powered up; getting new guys is always more exciting. With a wide range of abilities to make use of, finding a team that works well together takes some experimentation, and this adds greatly to the fun of the game.
Standing Tall in the KEMCO Library
But of course, Hero Seekers is still very much business as usual. The sprites are small and cute, the characters when they appear alongside their words in the cutscenes are suitably manga styled, and the enemies are, if not massively original, at least well drawn. Add in some stirring battle music alongside swishing attacks, and Hero Seekers covers everything that you might reasonably expect it to be, and not a tiny bit more.
Hero Seekers does just enough to lift itself above the rest of KEMCO’s output. The Hero system is interesting, and the story is compelling. As for the rest of it? Well, it’s very much a retro styled JRPG. Give it a whirl – you may just like it.
Important Links
The World Forgot Its Heroes – This New JRPG Is Bringing Them Back – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-world-forgot-its-heroes-this-new-jrpg-is-bringing-them-back/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/hero-seekers/9n73f5v3d2l8
