Heroes Trials Review

The Final Steps of Our Journey
By Brett Wolfe
Reviewed on Xbox One
Released on January 23rd, 2019 for Xbox One, PS4, and PS Vita (Also Available on PC and Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Shinyuden
Publisher: Ratalaika Games

Heroes Trials is an isometric action-adventure RPG developed by Shinyuden and published by Ratalaika Games S.L. It tells the story of siblings Elia and Zoel on their journey to become guardians, local heroes that protect their community. Years of training is finally behind them and this will be their last series of tasks before someone is chosen for the coveted position. Destiny has brought our heroes this far, now it is up to you to fulfill their wildest dreams. These trials won’t be easy and watch your back, another group is on your tail and striving to take your spot. It will be a battle of wits and race against the clock, so I hope you are ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
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Heroes Trials comes across more as RPG-lite when it comes to the mechanics. We are still treated with decent exploration and character development, but then lacks aspects such as interchangeable skills or evolving move sets. However, not all is lost as both protagonists provide diverse abilities with their polar opposite style. Elia is a spellcaster that benefits in long-range combat and elemental damage. On the other hand, Zoel is a sword-wielder that is able to deal and receive slightly more damage than his counterpart but loses the sense of security that comes with distance from those dastardly foes. Each level is staged as one of the various trials that we must embark on, starting with a piece of parchment explaining the final goal that we must accept. An interesting design choice that I actually enjoyed. The game is very much linear, but you can explore the environment at your leisure and allowing the player to decide when they wanted to embark on this specific task is a great way to allow us to play at our pace. However, this idea and the timer mechanics are underused and could honestly be removed, and it would not change one thing.

One of the characteristics that stood out the most to me would be the assortment of content expressed. A sprinkling of fetch quests here, a few boss fights there, oh and an auto-scrolling maze section to round out our special chart of diversity. All joking aside, the auto-scrolling segment was the most fun I had during my time. It was unique, provide some basic problem solving, and it just came out of nowhere. I was running through forests and caves killing enemies and collecting relics, then I was met with a portal to a marbled labyrinth of excitement. Heroes Trails may have been pretty basic in some parts but seeing something like can really add to the experience, especially when it is jammed in during the lull I was experiencing.
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The visuals of this title provide an interesting environment to traverse throughout your playthrough. The graphics are a bit lacking and fall short even for the cartoon aesthetic present throughout. However, this is almost entirely forgotten when you notice the variety of landscapes that you traverse. From forests to tundra to a dingy cave inside an active volcano, our adventures are literally sent to hell and back to achieve their mission. I was pleasantly surprised by this for a title of this caliber and paired with some of the puzzles that I experienced made this a rather stellar game. Unfortunately, I was not as impressed by the design and diversity of the adversaries. While a few creatures would fit in their environment, like giant insects in the woods or bats in a cave, others would just feel out of place. In addition, a few of the monstrosities that plagued the world would just be recolored versions of one another throughout. I guess it makes sense for the horde of cycloptic globs that started an infestation, but why is one brown, then red, and then one blue. I would have rather just seen them pick on color and express the invasion of the dreaded sludge monsters.

Overall, Heroes Trials is a decent game with a modicum of fascinating things to do. I really find nothing wrong with this game except for the outdated look and the awkward nature of Zoel’s attacks. However, you always could be playing as Elia and only switch off when necessary. The game is priced at $6 USD and I feel that it is completely worth it. The game lasts around 4-6 hours and could take longer if you fancy walking around the colorful environment. So, grab your sword and favorite scroll, our adventure is about to begin, I hope you are ready!
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*Note: A copy of this game was provided for the purpose of the review.

Final Score: 6.5/10

+Colorful Environments
+Interesting Segments
+Various Playstyles
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-Outdated Graphics
-Controls can be Awkward
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