Heroes of Ruin review

Not the Hero of the Hack-and-Slash

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Playing online with your friends

  • +

    Finding rare drops

  • +

    Building your character

Cons

  • -

    The lack of difficulty

  • -

    The horrid pacing

  • -

    The short length

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

The hack-and-slash captures the art of simplicity with a standard, addictive setup: annihilate hordes of enemies, explore dungeons, and bask in the glow of stumbling upon rare item drops. However, because of its dependence on the same formula, this basic approach causes an obstacle for new games to carve out a unique identity. For a hack-and-slash to set itself apart from the pack, it must execute everything exceptionally well like standard-bearer Diablo, or establish a standout feature that breathes life into the genre. Unfortunately, Heroes of Ruin does neither of these things, and so the whole experience can be delineated in one word: generic. This isn't a game you're going to walk away from with fond memories; it’s simply a “one-and-done.”

It doesn't help that Heroes of Ruin features a familiar plot setup: you must find a cure for a cursed entity named Ataraxis, ruler of Nexus. Add in the dynamic of a royal family, and there's plenty of betrayal heading your way. Now, stories are usually a weak point in hack-and-slashes, and that rings especially true in Heroes of Ruin. But what's most disappointing is that despite having some gusto, the pacing is so poor that there's little intensity until the last hours of the game. Then the twists just spiral into an overwhelming climax. The pacing destroys any little strengths the narrative has, which would have benefitted from additional build-up. For instance, there's an insipid main villain that doesn't even appear until the latter portion of the game. He would have functioned well as a focal point, building up your desire to knock him dead the entire game, but thanks to his misplacement within the narrative, he’s just another generic plot device.

More info

Platform"3DS"
More