Ho boy! We all know the classic tale of most 2D platformer games. You are the chosen one. The one which, legends predict, will save humanity from utter dismay and destruction. The one that will defeat the evil Overlord that reigns with an iron fist over the entire kingdom. The Usurper that drains the lands of everything that lives, leaving only death and disease. You are the one that will go into the castle, dungeon, overworld or underworld to slay whichever demon or beast that would prey upon the living… Only to be squashed by a chandelier..? What? Yes! Ladies and gentlemen, this is how Underhero starts. You play as, if you couldn’t have guessed it by now, an evil minion that lucked out and killed the all-knowing and all-powerful hero of the game! After you take upon yourself his trustworthy sword? You’ll come to find that it’s not just a regular sword, but a sentient one. It is your task to save the world. Yes, I know… AMAZING RIGHT? Boom, plot twist! So, want to know how this game plays? Then read on in our review of Underhero!
What we liked!
- Gorgeous graphics: Underhero does NOT underperform when it comes down to its graphical qualities. My god, is this game gorgeous! It’s every platform gamer’s dream, to have a nice looking platformer, that performs great, has good music, and great mechanics. Yup. That’s right, this game almost has got it all! That’s right… Almost. But don’t get me wrong. The engine that’s being used here really does it’s work. Their art department really went all out (in my honest opinion) to deliver this gorgeous little tidbit! With no frame-drops, I immediately fell in love! And I’m sure that you will too!
- Funny dialog: Say what? Yup! Underhero has such witty banter amongst every character. Be it from our talking sword (because yes, we have a talking sword), or the NPC’s? They just crack jokes all day long, and they won’t stop until the cows come home! Though some punch lines are far fetched, others just? take the cake and had me chuckling and wiggling like jello!
- Original combat system: Turn-based meets Time-based. It is how I would call it! First of all, it’s weird, but in a good way. Do you know what I mean? You choose your action, and then you got to time it just right for those extra damages! It not only feels good but fun at the same time. Though it does get repetitive. More on this below!
Somewhere between
- Save System: Okay, so we all know what save systems do. In Resident Evil, for instance, you’d be collecting ribbons for the typewriter. In Super Metroid, you’d hook yourself up into reloading stations to save your progress. Here? You’ll be using a punch clock. And sure, you think, I just to to the puncher and save. Right? Wrong. Each new puncher you’ll find, you’ll have to pay a tribute for in gold coins. … What? What just happened? Why do I need to pay a small amount of gold to save my progress? Sure you could say it’s an added difficulty. And I am pretty sure that there will be speedrunners or 100%’ers out there that will do like 1 Punch clock playthroughs. But for the casual gamer? Why? Why! This just makes no sense!
- Somewhat repetitive: While the combat system is really interesting, it tends to teeter off the more of the same enemy type that you encounter and defeat, over and over again. Sure you’ve got your variants, or elites, sort to speak. But at the end of the day, they all do the same movement patterns. Maybe a bit faster but, yeah. That’s about it. And this might be okay for the first 100 or so of the same enemy type you’ll encounter.
What we disliked
- Floaty jumping: What? Why? You did so well! Why did you screw this little piece up! If there’s one thing that I hate in my games? Then it’s this facet! It shouldn’t be that hard to get a somewhat decent jump mechanic. And it’s not as if it’s the entire thing! Because the up movement is very fluid and smooth. It’s that downward trail that just irks me so. It just feels as if you’ve got weights strapped to the bottom of your shoes and is so unresponsive! I don’t know why or how, but it just is. So, if you’re going to play this, and this part irked you in other games as well? Be sure to take this into account!
Underhero is such an amazing game to play! It’s quirky dialog, the fluidity of how it plays? The absolutely amazing graphics and soundtrack? Wow! Paper Castle Games surely knows how to treat its players! You’ll come to find yourself chuckling at the in-game jokes and quips toward other games as well. Because they just don’t shy away from tropes that dictate a lot of these. Honestly, guys, if you are into 2D platformers? Be sure to add this one to your collection! It’s an amazing tribute to the genre and I would love to see what this developer does with their next game(s). They clearly know what they’re doing and every tiny bit helps! Undertale is a recommendable game in my book and a worthy addition to anyone’s collection!
