- Poor controls make navigating narrow paths challenging
- A vast 2D world to explore
- Lack of guidance for quests may leave you feeling lost
As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of pixelated role-playing games that promised the world but often fell short. Airoheart, unfortunately, is one of those games that had the potential to be great, but ultimately left me feeling frustrated and lost more often than not.
In the country of Engard, the atmosphere is tense, and conflict between the Bretons and the Elmers seems imminent. However, Airoheart, who traces his lineage from both sides, is prophesied to prevent this war. This pixelated role-playing game immerses you in a vast world where you’ll traverse various landscapes, engage in real-time combat with adversaries, and possibly play a crucial part in shaping the destiny of Engard.
Airoheart: A Tale as Old as the RPG
Airoheart
begins in a similar fashion to many retro RPGs; you are essentially the chosen one, and it’s your duty to stop a powerful evil. Living on Elmer territory, you’re considered an outsider due to your mixed lineage. After teaming up with some gung-ho Elmers to hunt down Bretons infiltrating the land, you learn a devastating truth; your long-lost brother is attempting to begin a war by raising an ancient evil.
Though the storyline holds interest, Airoheart’s unclear path guidance in the quest log sometimes makes navigation a bit of a guessing game. Unfortunately, there is no mini-map available for easier navigation. You can check your current destination by opening the map, but it’s left to you to determine the route.
Emphasizing exploration doesn’t automatically make something negative. However, the absence of guideposts for maps and quests can make sticking to the main plot challenging. Moreover, the controls sometimes behave erratically, which can turn simple parts of your journey into aggravating experiences.
Airoheart Suffers for its Controls
The controls for Airoheart, while simple, can also be rather annoying. This is in part due to your character’s stilted movement. Since Airoheart is a
retro-inspired game
, you can’t move diagonally – only up, down, left, and right. This presents a challenge when approaching an enemy at an odd angle. Birds can also fly diagonally at you, so you’ll have to determine which direction you should face to hit them.
Beyond that, the controls for movement can be sensitive, causing accidental falls when navigating narrow paths. However, I discovered that using an external controller improved the gameplay. Unfortunately, some actions, like making Airoheart activate his shield, didn’t work properly with my NEO S Frost Edition controller, preventing progress on a bridge with arrow traps. Additionally, there are instances where your character gets stuck in shield mode, hindering the ability to change directions.
Airoheart has Lackluster Combat
This pixel
RPG
features simplistic real-time combat. Coming into close proximity with an enemy will trigger it to attack. You can attack with your sword by tapping anywhere on the lower right half of the screen. You can also use your crossbow against your foes as long as you have arrows. To beat an enemy, you simply have to hit them enough times. Overall, combat feels kind of bland despite the vast number of foes you’ll encounter.
As you explore, you’ll uncover new locations and discover new weapons and armour. You’ll also meet many NPCs, although many of them feel incredibly flat. Still, exploring is where Airoheart shines. The beautifully rendered pixelated world features lush jungles, arid deserts, secret caverns, and more. However, it’s not enough to save it from the bland story, lack of direction, and problematic controls.
Airoheart appears to be reminiscent of traditional role-playing games, but falls short of meeting expectations. Despite boasting a beautiful environment to traverse, its unpredictable controls often hinder the experience of navigating through diverse locations. Additionally, the absence of a mini-map and explicit guidance for quests turns Airoheart into a chore rather than a fun pastime due to its lack of navigation aid and clear instructions.
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2024-12-09 13:18