Hero Survival | PS5

SometimesYou is one of the few publishers with onboard developers who truly think outside of the box. Each game, no matter how inline with gaming genres it may or may not be, always harbors a deeper meaning. These games with a moral message not only offer fun in spades, but also get those who would see the obvious ties to real life to reflect on our current reality, be it societal, political, or religious in nature.

With 'Hero Survival', an auto-battler with a hero twist, we find Jake (PWNMASTER69) summoned by the timemaster himself to prove his worth against insurmountable odds alongside famed personalities like Harrison Ford, John Rambo, Honest Abe, and Bram Stoker. Jake, and his famous heroic counterparts must live up to their persona or look like a fool in attempting to do so. Therein lies the game's deeper meaning ...

Jake, our initial hero among a roster of real world idols and celebs, takes up arms in a fight for survival. His fight, which is the very embodiment of the price one pays for seeking the spotlight, comes in the guise of a relentless and growing mob of Halloween themed baddies that each reflect the issues one faces when the audience that is used and abused for growth becomes a negative consequence. 

Creatures like the skeleton refer to any skeletons one might have in their closet. The ghost, on the flipside, is something that forever haunts the idol, and the Frankenstein monster, in kind, reflects in it's presence the sum of all the rotten things done to amass fame and fortune. Vampires also join in the mob showcasing the leeching done by celebrity personalities. Such things as using the audience as stepping stones or stolen ideals. Even Satan himself makes a noteworthy debut as a boss at the end of a run. Satan being the manifestation of what was sacrificed to become the idolized man or woman. That thing which comes calling when dues in life must be paid. Needless to say every aspect of the game harbors a deeper meaning pertaining to the high cost of idol worship, and the seeking thereof.

Gameplay, the other half of this innovative indie, is notably different from all of the other auto-battlers before it. It has new mechanics in the form of quad gun wielding, and a kill to level up system that leads to upgrades associated with three different playstyles. These playstyles include cryomancy, gunslinging, and bomb blasting. All tethered to automatic gun use. Each with their own mob controlling, and clearing benefits. Things like AOE (area of effect), damage dealt, and penetration come into play alongside stat based bonuses that increase weapon effectiveness and gold farming. Gold, of course, is the currency used for unlocking heroes, and starter weapons. 

Each playthrough on a pre-selected map, with a pre-selected hero, and a pre-selected weapon is a 10 wave affair in which outlasting the clock means the difference between survival, or a GAME OVER. You basically have to kill baddies that gradually increase in number as the timer grows in length. Leveling up as you do so, and unlocking upgrades in the form of weapons, accessories, skills, limited currency boosts, or stat boosts. Each of the guns in the game come in a different rarity, randomly. So too do the accessories. Stacking skill upgrades, which are an alternative source of damage dealing, will increase the gun's passive abilities. All while accessories boost both gun and skill efficiency through weighed stat pros and cons, collectively. Choosing a skill will assure that the upgrades that follow reflect that choice allowing you to improve upon things like AOE, penetration, and critical damage according to chosen build. That and shot accuracy or frequency. 

When it comes to guns, in particular, there is a variety to choose from and each with their own stats and color coded rarities. The available varieties include handguns, pistols, shotguns, rifles, flintlock, and Gatling guns or assault rifles. You can wield and swap out up to four guns as you continue to upgrade throughout the ten given waves. It should be noted though that the bigger upgrades, in relation to weaponry and skills, come at the end of a wave when the timer runs out. All else comes at a per level up basis on a kill count basis. Being it's an auto-battler the guns do fire, aim, and reload on their own making it your job as the chosen hero to simply dodge the pursuing mob as you clear it out, and attempt to outlast your enemy. 

All playthroughs are ultimately a singular affair that do not carry over in any capacity in regards to obtained upgrades. You're main goal in the whole ordeal is to put to use guns and skills efficiently enough to survive to wave ten wherein you'll face off against the lord of deception himself, Satan. Supposing you beat him you are awarded accordingly, and sent back to the main menu where you rinse and repeat until you have enough gold to permanently unlock all heroes, all starter guns, and all maps. Speaking of maps, maps and their obstacles vary according to theme. Making some more challenging by design. The more cluttered the map is with impassable objects the harder it will be to avoid the pursuing mob. Vice versa. 

The Verdict ...

I do so love me a game with a deeper meaning. Reviewing such a game brings out the intellectual in me, and lets me know the publisher/developer is one who truly innovates and offers something beyond the status quo. SometimesYou, and their developer for 'Hero Survival' did not disappoint. Not with the gameplay or with the underlying moral lesson. I think it's a message that is extremely relevant to the world today in that we all so desperately seek attention without a second thought. We want to be the next idol or hero never considering what it costs to live that supposed dream. We ignore the fact that stardom has destroyed so many lives, and has turned once famous people into the most hated and despised among us, even killing some of them.

Is it really worth it that we'd sacrifice who we really are to become the larger than life persona we aspire to be, at the cost of our own soul? That's the glaring question I see in this game, and for that it earns my deepest respect, especially with how every aspect of the game from the enemy creatures to the greed currency mechanic, and the heroes themselves were used to pass along this morally aligned thought experiment. Thanks to the developer and publisher for allowing me to once again review one of their games. It is an honor.