The apocalypse has happened, the wasteland is radioactive and humanity’s chances of survival look pretty grim. Fortunately, Ground Zero Hero isn’t particularly interested in survival.
Available for £8.39 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Play Anywhere support, as well as on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, this chaotic action roguelite instead asks you to embrace the mutation and become the biggest monster in the wasteland.
At A Glance
- Game: Ground Zero Hero
- Developer: Rowan Edmondson
- Publisher: Acclaim, Inc.
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Play Anywhere, Switch, PlayStation
- Price: £8.39
Absorb, Mutate And Become A Monster
Ground Zero Hero throws players into a post-apocalyptic world packed with mutated creatures and enough radioactive chaos to make a quiet life impossible. The twist is that the creatures aren’t simply obstacles – they’re also the raw material for your next evolution.
Every defeated enemy can provide resources for mutations, allowing you to combine abilities and upgrades into increasingly ridiculous builds. With more than 80 upgrades spread across multiple progression paths, there is plenty of room to experiment and discover combinations that completely change how a run plays.
No two attempts need to play out the same way, with each run becoming another opportunity to create something even more powerful. You know the drill…
Bullet Hell Meets Roguelite Mayhem
Things can get particularly frantic once the enemy hordes arrive. Ground Zero Hero throws screen-filling waves of mutants at you from every direction, with each wave escalating the pressure as you attempt to keep your build alive.
There are more than 60 enemy types to contend with, alongside multiple biomes featuring their own environmental challenges. Dodging incoming attacks is only part of the battle, as you’ll need to keep moving, collect resources and make smart upgrade choices if you want to survive for longer.
For players looking to push beyond the standard experience, an Endless Mode and 60 challenges offer further reasons to return to the wasteland.
A Very Different Kind Of Apocalypse
Ground Zero Hero certainly isn’t taking its radioactive setting too seriously. Its hand-drawn visual style takes inspiration from irreverent animated comedy, while the gameplay is filled with bizarre touches that ensure the wasteland never feels particularly predictable.
You might be destroying piñatas for candy one moment and absorbing the remains of mutated enemies the next. The developers aren’t exactly afraid of embracing the weird either, with the promise of everything from a dynamic soundtrack to the rather unexpected possibility of giving birth to a man in a chicken suit.
It is this sense of chaotic humour that sits alongside the serious roguelite systems, giving Ground Zero Hero its own identity rather than simply delivering another trip through a familiar post-apocalyptic wasteland.
“I’ve spent three years doing everything from code to art to music, trying to make the best cheeseburger I possibly could,” said Ground Zero Hero creator Rowan Edmondson. “This isn’t about winning a Michelin star; it’s about cramming as much dopamine into some silly fun as I possibly could. If you like a little weird with your weird, then this is for you.“
“Ground Zero Hero is weird, loud, radioactive, and absolutely refuses to behave,” said Marc Anthony Rodriguez, Director of Publishing & Strategic Partnerships, Acclaim. “It’s the kind of game that reminds you why games are supposed to be fun in the first place. That’s Acclaim territory.”
Time To Embrace The Mutation
With fast runs, hordes of enemies and a mutation system built around experimentation, Ground Zero Hero looks ready to turn the apocalypse into one very strange playground. Whether you’re chasing increasingly powerful builds or simply curious to see just how weird things can get, there is plenty of room for another run.
Available now for £8.39 through the Xbox Store, playable on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Play Anywhere support, Ground Zero Hero offers a suitably chaotic reason to stop worrying about the end of the world and start making the most of it. You’ll also find it on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation if you so prefer.
We’ll let you know how it plays in full review soon.
