The Cruel King and the Great Hero Reviews
It’s great that this far into the Switch’s lifespan there are enough RPGs that even genre fans don’t necessarily have to be upset that every title coming in the space isn’t something they’d dig...
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a cute story with lovely characters and simple gameplay that makes it easy to pick up.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero brings us an RPG with a charming and gorgeous art style, coupled with a plot that's very appealing and a gameplay that's designed to be accessible for players less versed in this kind of games. At the same time, more experienced players might feel put off by the game's accessibility and rather slow pace, but The Cruel King and the Great Hero puts up a good effort that would only benefit from a more in-depth combat system and faster pacing.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is my current contender for GOTY 2022; although it’s only April, I just don’t see this changing. With its wonderfully whimsical aesthetics, glorious soundtrack, blossoming world-building and character development, and delightful turn-based combat combining action and slight brainteasers, it cannot be overstated how phenomenal The Cruel King and the Great Hero truly is. It’s probably the only game I’ve ever consciously desired to give a standing ovation, tears welling up in my eyes as the credits rolled. The sum of a thousand tiny details done correctly, The Cruel King and the Great Hero achieves greatness through the lens of a bold and brave young girl, following her heart and her dreams, with her supportive dragon dad by her side.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a very delicate game, a particular experience, which does not want to upset any such style and faces a fairytale tale with calmness and serenity.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a simple game, but it has a lot of heart. The characters here are wonderful, and they tell a great story with messaging I think we can all appreciate today. I think this one is well worth the $29.99 asking price, even with my few minor complaints. The physical Storybook Edition of this one is great as well. It will set you back $59.99, but it comes with a nice hardcover artbook, a soundtrack download and very cute Yuu Plushie. The artbook is really neat because it has a great design and contains the illustrations you can unlock in game. I am very glad I decided to review this one. I had a lot of fun here, and this wonderful story will stick around with me for a while. If you’re fan of storybook adventures, RPGs or just want a good to experience a good story, this one is well worth your time.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a lovely RPG, carefully hand drawn, that presents us with a story of supplanting and growth. The players are presented with an exciting experience, even though quite elementar towards it's mechanics. The final sensation is that we are facing a fairy tale that is presented to us in a magical way. Despite the tedious random battles, the experience tends to reveal itself as captivating throughout its duration. Essentially, we consider a title that deserves to be passed by everyone at least once.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It’s been a long time since I played an RPG that I enjoyed as much as The Cruel King and the Great Hero. The mix of charming storybook visuals, memorable characters and sweet plotline is simply wonderful. In combination with a rapid-fire combat system and some quirky (if never groundbreaking) mechanics, and a host of interesting enemies, this was an experience that pulled me along from start to finish and I had me smiling all the way - I’d recommend it in a heartbeat.
The Cruel and the Great Hero is a delightful RPG to play for those looking for a relaxing, wholesome story. The game feels more like a small adventure than a large-scale epic like Final Fantasy, but that’s totally fine. Grab your twig and venture forth, soon-to-be-great hero!
This is a tough one to recommend because, while there are plenty of worthwhile aspects, there are just as many shortcomings. If you’re a diehard JRPG fan and like a more mellow experience, then you might enjoy The Cruel King and the Great Hero‘s charm. However, if you don’t like games with excess amounts of filler and an overally lack of strategic challenge, then you’ll more than likely find this game on the boring side.
Despite the tedious trophies, annoyingly numerous random battles, and lack of damage/experience information, The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a gorgeous and emotional experience that all turn-based RPG fans should pick up. I thoroughly enjoyed not only the main narrative but the numerous side-missions and random conversations you have with the friendly creatures who live within the world, leaving me with the desire and want to help out everyone, rather than making it feel like a chore. Certain trophies were a pain, yet it was incredibly satisfying to work out the solutions and complete them, requiring a little thought and thinking outside of the box.
Simply put, The Cruel King and The Great Hero is a charming tale and world that is worth visiting.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a fine example of Nippon Ichi Software's creative ability. It's a small-scope, low-budget RPG, but its consistent design makes it an engaging fairytale. The title is especially recommended for fans of simpler RPGs and children's narratives that present beautiful moral discussions.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Is The Cruel King and the Great Hero perfect? No, but it is adorable, heartwarming, and you’ll want a box of tissues on hand to cry into at a few places. It’s a lighthearted JRPG and I for one am very happy to have been able to sit down to it and look forward to the next fairy tale-like adventure from Nippon Ichi Software as they between this and the Liar Princess and the Blind Prince have a really good thing going.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is more a fairy tale than a game about young Yuu and her way of becoming a hero. The bookish fairy tale atmosphere gets enhanced through sweet graphics, handdrawn art and a great fitting soundtrack. Even though the turn based RPG gameplay is nothing new and to some degree even somewhat boring the game shines in the story department. The emotional side of things after the story picks up steam motivates to play through even grindy and tedious walking sections with too many random battles. If you like a good story that goes to the heart this sugary
Review in German | Read full review
The utterly unremarkable gameplay makes this fable tough to recommend, even if it perfectly captures a sense of childlike innocence through the storybook visuals and tone.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a gorgeous looking storybook RPG with an engaging story if a little lighthearted. However, the game doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, and with the pacing issues around the random battles, it can get repetitive quickly and become a little bit of a slog to reach the end.
The Cruel King and The Great Hero is as classic as JRPGs get, but its little touches of modernisation truly shine through. As the gorgeous art style and chirpy soundtrack complement the thought-provoking battle system with grace. Some story and character moments are left wanting, and there are a few missteps with the general gameplay. But overall, The Cruel King and The Great Hero is a timeless 15-hour adventure that demands at least one playthrough.
This RPG feels as if you’re reading an illustrated fairy tale. The story is heart warming and full of cutesy little characters. But something feels off in terms of the recommended consumer pricing in comparison to the very short play time the game provides. Either if the price could be lowered or an extended play time may be required to justify the current pricing.
Review in Korean | Read full review