Asterix & Obelix Heroes Review

Asterix & Obelix: Heroes is a card-based RPG developed by Gamexcite and published by Nacon. Based on the Asterix comics created by the late René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the series has been around since 1959 and is still ongoing. It's a very big franchise in France, having spawned films, TV shows, a theme park, and (of course) videogames. So let’s take a crack at this game and see what it offers to fans and newcomers.

The game follows the basics of the comics for its story. It's 50 BC and Julius Caesar has all but conquered Gaul, except for a few pockets of resistance. One of those pockets of resistance is a village called Armorica, defended by the small but heroic Asterix and his large and lovable lug Obelix. With the Romans making a large effort to take down the village, it's up to these heroes and their friends to stop the Romans, foil their schemes, and maybe even kick Caesar's butt personally. Now the setup for the adventure is fine, it's just that it doesn't quite pull me in with how it is presented. Most of it is told through dialogue boxes and the characters playing their idle animation. The writing is at least fine, but that's about it.

As for the art and animation, it's pretty okay too. The characters look close to their comic counterparts but with a lot more shading. However, the animations make them more like paper puppets. It works but nothing too notable.

But enough about that, let’s get into the gameplay. The game is separated into chapters, where each level you'll be encountering battles, treasure, and events in branching paths. You can't experience everything in one run, so it's encouraged that you go back and collect what you missed afterwards. Now, I found navigating the map a little finicky. Sometimes, just trying to drag around the map would cause me to accidentally choose a path I didn't want. It was annoying, but I just dealt with it and engaged in whatever battle I had to do.

The standard battle plays like Slay the Spire with cards, mana, abilities and what your opponent may do to consider before taking action. However, instead of going into a fight alone, you have control of four party members: three fighters and a support. Fighters share a deck but have different stats that can affect the cards when using them. Support characters are special in that they cannot attack, but in turn, cannot be attacked. Instead, they provide various buffs, debuffs, and status effects with their own deck of cards. Each character also has a special ability they can use that can help turn the tide of battle, however, it must be used at the start of the turn and have a cooldown afterwards. But, since this is an RPG, your characters can gain experience, level up and get better stats to make your attacks hit a little harder and make your turns come a little sooner. Additional characters from Asterix can be unlocked throughout the campaign, 24 in fact, either as a prize after winning a battle or in treasure chests in the chapter. You can switch up your party before entering a chapter so it's best to figure out what may be best for the chapter.

One important thing you have to keep an eye on is the party's Motivation. With each battle, they lose Motivation and after a certain threshold start to lower their stats and make whatever cards they use less effective. Some cards and campfires can restore it, but it is best to ensure you aren't overextending to keep your party happy and healthy at least until the final boss of the chapter.

After fighting through a chapter, your decks can be refined and improved in the Tavern, where you can also buy items and new cards to make those next battles a little more easier. You can also check out your collection, and achievements, and head to the next chapter of the story when you're ready.

I have to be honest here, despite loving these types of games, I wasn't feeling it with Asterix & Obelix: Heroes. It just felt so empty and passionless to me. There was barely any sound other than some music and a few effects, the animations were kinda lazy, and the battle system didn't give me that gratification for pulling off combos and finishing a fight in one turn. I may not be into the Asterix comics myself, but the game feels like it just slapped the license on an otherwise unassuming game. I don’t find the game bad or offensive, and there is fun to be had if you want an entry-level Slay the Spire, but for me personally, I just couldn't get into it.