Has Been Heroes Reviews

Has Been Heroes is ranked in the 20th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Evan Norris
Top Critic
Unscored
Mar 27, 2017

Permanent death and randomized everything might prove too unpredictable for some. The lack of a robust story might turn off others. Players who adjust to the steep learning curve, however, will find an engaging title full of action and strategy with high replay value.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 24, 2017

People keep saying the Nintendo Switch is light on launch games. I think they mean it’s light on big AAA games, because the Indie titles like Has Been Heroes are a bright shining light for great content on the Switch. Even if you don’t have the console, I’d suggest checking out the other versions of Has Been Heroes. If you like games like FTL, Darkest Dungeon, and other unique roguelikes that focus on strategy you’ll be more than pleased. It’ll be nice if Frozenbyte adds more and more to this game, but even if they don’t it’s a great experience. Recommended.

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Mar 28, 2017

Like its titular characters, Has-Been Heroes may look like nothing new, but has a charm and unique style of gameplay that should not be overlooked

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GBAtemp
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Mar 31, 2017

Overall, Has Been Heroes is...ok. If the RNG was fixed up a bit and the difficulty curve was altered so you're gradually introduced to the game, it would be a pretty good rogue-like. As it is now, it's simply too frustrated and luck-based to be up there with other great rogue-likes like Rogue Legacy or Darkest Dungeon.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
6 / 10
Oct 4, 2017

While Has-Been Heroes can draw someone in really quickly, it will wind up losing them just as fast. It's fast and fun, and the mix of roguelike and pseudo-tower defence elements actually work quite well together. The core concept here is entertaining enough, but the lack of variety winds up souring the experience sooner than it should.

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8.3 / 10.0
Mar 27, 2017

I'm not sure if the game would work as well for such an extended period of time if I were tethered to an Xbox One or my PC to play, but the Nintendo Switch appears to provide for the best gameplay experience.

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65 / 100
Apr 17, 2017

Has-Been Heroes is a solid tower defense experience that borrows attributes from Plants vs Zombies, while putting its own twist on the formula. Plenty of repetition and frustration - exacerbated by too many randomized elements - but the addictive and enduring gameplay shines through on occasion.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
8 / 10
May 20, 2017

Has-Been Heroes delivers an excellent challenge for the player and provides the perfect blend of tension and enjoyment. The combat mechanic definitely manages to be both welcoming for newer players, while still providing scope for tactical and strategic decisions through the use of spells, combined with good lane placement. There is not a lot of focus given to creating an epic memorable quest, and sometimes luck plays too big a part in victory - but this is a minor quibble when the main entertainment comes from the gameplay, which is challenging, but rewarding, both in personal rewards and tangible unlockable rewards. For a fairly modest price there is an abundance of content on offer, and with the potential for portable play it is unsurprising a Nintendo Switch port was developed alongside the Steam release.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
6 / 10
Apr 7, 2017

Has-Been Heroes is a funny and charming title that blends the age-old tale of heroes embarking on an adventure with the humour of them escorting the princesses to school.

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4.5 / 10.0
Apr 2, 2017

Despite having a lot of Items and unique heroes, Has Been Heroes lacks exciting gameplay. The levels become very repetitive very soon and winning some of the battles solely depends on luck. Although strategy plays an important role in the game, but if the game doesn't give you good items, reaching the final boss is virtually impossible.

Review in Persian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2017

Maybe I'm just a "kick me while I'm down and I'll still get up" kind of guy but the best compliment I can pay Has-Been Heroes is that it scratches an itch I never even knew I had, and I don't come along games like that often enough. Depending on where you are on the challenge-loving scale will likely determine where you'll stand, individual results will likely vary.

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Ofisil
Top Critic
6 / 10
Apr 2, 2017

Has-Been Heroes could be better if it had more depth, far more addictive if it wasn't as repetitive, and, most of all, an unquestionably worthy purchase if the gameplay didn't rely on randomness as much as it currently does so. Long story short: very one-more-try-ish, but also in definite need of some tweaking.

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Mar 24, 2017

Overall, Has-Been Heroes is a very enjoyable experience, despite the difficulty level. While I wouldn't recommend this game for younger gamers as they will probably get too frustrated, this is definitely something players with patience can really sink hours and hours into.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 24, 2017

I wish I would have gotten an opportunity to meet more of the Has-Been Heroes, like the anthropologist who became a luchador, and someday I will get there. Most roguelikes cause me to give up in frustration, but Has-Been Heroes is fun enough that I want to keep playing and someday have "teh urn".

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Gamefa
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Feb 28, 2019

Has Been Heroes had the potential to be a very good game, but some gameplay issues and weak narrative, don't let this game to break the walls of mediocrity. Combats are hard and based on luck more than anything else. Has Been Heroes is a fun game to play in its genre, but you must deal with its problems too.

Review in Persian | Read full review

8.6 / 10.0
Mar 27, 2017

Simply put, Has-Been Heroes is one of the most engaging strategic gaming experiences on the market.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 27, 2017

Maybe I'm just a "kick me while I'm down and I'll still get up" kind of guy but the best compliment I can pay Has-Been Heroes is that it scratches an itch I never even knew I had, and I don't come along games like that often enough. Depending on where you are on the challenge-loving scale will likely determine where you'll stand, individual results will likely vary.

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2.4 / 5.0
Apr 3, 2017

Has-Been Heroes includes good ideas but is let down by an insanely high difficulty level and a lack of reward. You'll enjoy it in bite sized chunks via handheld mode to begin with, but you'll quickly grow tired of feeling like you're making no progress.

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6.3 / 10.0
May 14, 2017

Has Been Heroes offer an interesting gameplay. It combines turn-based and rock-paper-scissors combat to give us unexciting, too difficult and unforgiving gameplay. It always leaves us unprepared for next encounter and gives us almost nothing in return for our blood.

Review in Polish | Read full review

May 12, 2017

Has-Been Heroes works for the Switch with its small and travel-focused design, but less so at home when there's other stuff on this console and other consoles to play. Has-Been Heroes could really benefit from an easier difficulty, because luck is just rarely ever on your side. There's some fun to be had, but it is far and few between each run you play. The tactics and strategy behind Has-Been Heroes is mostly satisfying, but is sadly undone by its difficulty.

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