The Cruel King and the Great Hero Reviews
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a pure charmer of an RPG. The playful storybook art and lovely soundtrack strike an adventurous tone, and all the characters from Yuu and the Dragon King down to the random monsters are adorably designed.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a gorgeous looking JRPG, but its slow pace and amount of random battles make it a painful experience.
The Cruel King and The Great Hero could have been the right evolution of its predecessor, but for every step forward there's one back. It remains, however, a nice fairy tail to play with the youngest.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In short, if its place in the world of video games is questionable, there is no doubt that there is material in this creation of Sayaka Oda to give rise to an excellent illustrated book.
Review in French | Read full review
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a delightfully innocent game that looks to bring in newcomers to the JRPG genre with its simplistic controls. However, I feel veterans of the genre will simply find this game way too easy with its linear and basic approach. There just isn’t enough depth within its core gameplay and becomes repetitive real quick.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero combines an excellent storyline and an exceptional art-style with a significantly simplified gameplay, which wouldn't be an issue if not for the tons of very repetitive fights that end up constantly interrupting the narrative flow. Perhaps more exploration and less combat would have served the game better, but unfortunately that's not the case.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a sincere production, which aims neither to distort the canons of the turn-based role-playing game, nor to amaze with who knows what technical innovation.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If your main focus is a highly polished, big-budget arrangement with lots of action — and there’s nothing wrong with that — this game will likely be underwhelming for you. But if your priorities lie in story, a more nuanced perspective and an experience beyond just the game within a game, then The Cruel King and the Great Hero is worth picking up.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a heartwarming adventure game told in a children's storybook style. Follow Yuu on her quest to become a great hero, just like her father. Whether she's helping the monsters in her kingdom, doing good deeds for those around her, or fighting enemies to keep her kingdom safe, her tale is always charming and fun.
Despite all its charm, The Cruel King and the Great Hero is hard to recommend.
A beautifully handcrafted JRPG, The Cruel King and the Great Hero is more great than cruel.
I rarely fall in love with games at first sight, but The Cruel King and The Great Hero captured my heart from the very first time I laid eyes on this fantasy RPG. Mind you, it does have its flaws (and quite the frustrating ones), but they can be forgiven. Just focus on the enchanting melody and the aesthetically pleasing visuals and you’ll be golden! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to my bedtime story.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero shines with its captivating art direction, but lacks deepness in gameplay mechanics and would have enjoyed a far better pace.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The character designs can only be viewed at very specific angles and are not emotive. It is a major drawback to the style chosen. Even with the better aspects of the art supporting the game; The Cruel King and the Great Hero is ultimately a very hallow and bare bones RPG with severe pacing issues.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a game with interesting ideas, a unique visual style and a lot of potential, but it ends up failing in key points that take it away from its best and force the player to deal with its most negative points, spoiling quite an experience that could have been so much more.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a beautiful game and aesthetically unique compared to other RPGs, it's the core gameplay and super slow pacing that stops this from being something I'd recommend over more standard RPGs that do almost everything else better. I'm sorry, Yuu, you're probably one of the most adorable protagonists I've ever played as, but that just isn't enough!
It may not be the deepest RPG but The Cruel King and the Great Hero is certainly one of the most heartwarming. In fact, I adored its story and cast of characters so much that I highly recommend it to anyone with a soft spot for unconventional lighthearted tales.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a cute RPG, I can’t deny that, but it, unfortunately, doesn’t fully invest in any of its features. The combat is tacted on, the story is predictable, and missions feel like unnecessary padding. Still, the charm is there with a more laid-back narrative than your thrilling style RPG. If you’re someone that just wants to wind off and take a break from stories that make you grip your head in fear and confusion, then perhaps this game is for you.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a wholesome, endearing JRPG fans of all ages will find both fun and meaningful.
I really love the relationship between the King and the Hero. From the very beginning, you understand how much he loves the little girl. As you take Yuu out into the dangerous world, the dragon can be seen in the background watching over her. He even helps in battle, unbeknownst to Yuu. As a father, this really hit home with a four year old. Wanting your kid to go out on their own, but also watching from the shadows and doing what you can to help, whether they know it or not resonated deeply with me. There are twists and turns to the relationship, and it’s really something worth checking out if you’re a parent.