Next Up Hero
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Next Up Hero Trailers
Next Up Hero | Features
Next Up Hero | Official Release Trailer
Next Up Hero | Join The Fight Trailer
Critic Reviews for Next Up Hero
There's plenty to like about Next Up Hero. Turning death into an applicable AI co-op mechanic is a neat spin on a game with a high death turnover, and its cartoon art style complements an impressively large menagerie of monsters to kill. Unfortunately, there are inherent problems with balancing and some disastrous technical problems. Its grinding takes too long, melee characters are all but pointless due to the high damage output of enemies, and those technical issues make committing time and effort a constant risk.
Online-only play taints Next Up Hero and obviously puts off potential players, but this bright and colourful world can be enjoyable at times. Repetitive gameplay prevents the release from becoming a standout indie title, but it may have enough charm to entice a few aspiring heroes for at least a few hours.
Next Up Hero is a very demanding, tough and unforgiving game based on dungeon crawling that joins the growing catalogue of the Nintendo Switch. Thanks to its colourful and cartoonish art style, the game invites the player to a very difficult adventure which is not without its problems and technical issues, but which will fit right with those who appreciate this kind of challenge.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Next Up Hero is a great game. The play possibilities are endless, the creativity is open to the players, and the gameplay itself is fun. This is a game I'd definitely go back to and play with friends.
Despite the largely negative review, Next Up Hero can be fun, it's just a very monotonous gameplay loop. All roads involve killing the same enemies, at the same locations, under the same handful of modifiers, to get resources that allow you to do the same thing, just at higher numbers. In a lot of ways, it seems like a fantastic title for the Switch. The idea of finishing a couple levels on the go or slowly chipping away at things works better on a portable console than a home one. But, in the end, Next Up Hero has some interesting ideas, such as using fallen players, including yourself, to help everyone finish the level (everyone who tries is also rewarded if it is successfully completed), it just ends up being an experience that is very simple. If this sounds appealing, odds are you'll likely have a lot of fun, where as if you want something closer to Issac or Gungeon, look elsewhere.
Next Up Hero feels a bit more like an online app or a means of promoting Mixer rather than a fully realized game. If you happen to have the Xbox Game Pass, this might be worth giving a try, just don't expect much substance or variety.
Next Up Hero is a fun and colorful online dungeon crawler with a nice difficulty curve and an interesting gameplay system with its echo companions.
Next Up Hero's intuitive gameplay and non-linear structure make it a fantastic game to play every once in a while.
