Underhero Review

Underhero is a story-rich RPG platformer where you take on the role of an underling that gets recruited to become the next hero. Although I was charmed by the premise, I couldn't have anticipated how much I was going to love this title.

Underhero gets a lot of things right: the dialogue is well-written, the jokes are delivered properly, and the game mechanics are great. It feels like the developers never forget that you're playing a minion because they found ways to weave it into the gameplay. For example, the combat system is very similar to the Mario RPG-style titles, where you are given a few options for attacking (in this case, it's three different weapons: sword, hammer, and slingshot) and an ability to block, but you must hit everything at the perfect timing to get the maximum efficiency. There's a twist, though: not only can you chat with every enemy you encounter, but you can also bribe them out of fighting so you don't have to defeat them. I think this was very beautifully implemented, too, as you'll find mobs doing mob things like guarding doors and treasures! It feels a bit odd to go and chat them up before deciding whether they're deserving of your mercy, and I loved that. 

In addition to the three main weapons that offer a different fighting style, you are also given the rush mode, which you fill up throughout fights. This mode will empower the minion, causing them to not have to bother with blocking or dodging. It's quite handy to use if you're ever in a pickle. Regardless, the fighting is very fun, as I found it to be easy to understand and get used to (with some practice). 

Boss fights are the only moments the player will break out of the RPG-style battle, and I thought it was a fun mix. Although you can't swing your sword or block, the boss will be free from the RPG screen and attack you throughout the fight. Then, once you have them stunned down and can reach them, you will enter the usual HUD and be able to hit them. It added a nice change of pace! 

When you're not battling (or chatting up) foes, you will be exploring the worlds that you have access to. Although this game isn't a metroidvania, exploration is encouraged through some hidden treasures that can offer upgrades to your stats or an item that will help you through the journey, such as a potion or an anvil. Unfortunately, some of the later worlds become a bit more confusing and tedious to explore; thankfully, it was at the very end of the game, and unless you're achievement hunting or very thorough like my wife and me, you probably won't get stuck as hard as we did. 

I do want to warn that, obviously, the game is a bit dialogue-heavy at times, especially if you're going through it talking to all the mobs (which I highly encourage). But it's so top-notch that I didn't feel it was a bad thing! Plenty of great jokes and well-placed punchlines made me look forward to the next bit of text. One of my favourite aspects of the dialogue and jokes were the little winks at anyone that knows Spanish; plenty of silly references to words and phrases made my wife and me — who are Colombian — feel at home. 

I also appreciate that it was dialogue-heavy, as the story is a big aspect of the game. It’s clear that a lot of effort into crafting the world and its characters, as they’re all delightful and feel quite real. Although the story ended in a way we didn’t love, it was captivating and important throughout the entire game. I don’t want to spoil anything about it, so that is all I will say; just a warning about the story being important and the dialogue plenty.

Lastly, the graphics are quite charming. Underhero is a pixelated 2D game that really shines through in its colours, specifically at moments like the Puzzleman show! The enemies are varied-looking (as well as different attacks each), and it feels like everything comes together nicely with the charming music, which both my wife and I loved so much we bought the soundtrack. 

All in all, Underhero is underrated. The dialogue is fantastic, the worlds are very pretty, the music is catchy (in a good way), and the combat is fun. My wife and I had an enormous amount of fun playing the game, and I am so happy to have had the pleasure of being one of the few people lucky enough to find it.