Hero Seekers Review

If you are a fan of turn-based RPGs like I am, Hero Seekers, developed by Vanguard and published by Kemco, might catch your attention. Right off the bat, we are tossed into an epic final battle against the Demon King, whom our three heroes are destined to fight. The characters we are battling with are Ruwan, the Gentle Hero; Ramsar, the Holy Sword Hero; and Lunette, the Starborn Guide. It seems like these three have been getting ready for this battle as they are all at a high level, with strong attacks and plenty of health.

Even though you aren’t given a tutorial on how to attack, if you have ever played an RPG, you will know exactly what to do. Hero Seekers does have a few different options, such as automating attacks or performing an all-out attack. One thing the game does that I have never seen before is in the turn order list. Besides seeing when everyone performs their move, you can also see the attack they are going to use, including the enemies’. This allows you to be strategic and select moves in preparation for what they will do.

When you win a battle, you can see how much experience was gained, each character’s current level, how much more XP they need to level up, and how much gold you earned. At the bottom of the screen, there are three boxes, one for each character. If they level up, you can see which stats were improved, such as strength, intelligence, and speed, along with increases to health.

Once your battle with the Demon King is over, Lunette awakens in a world where humans are enslaved by demons. She finds herself in the city district of the Demon Capital, which makes no sense; it is almost as if their great battle never happened. We learn that the world’s events have been rewritten, and Lunette is the only one who remembers the true history of what occurred before it was wiped away.

Lunette has a special summoning ability that allows her to save forgotten heroes who are trapped in never-ending nightmares. You will meet over 20 of these characters who will battle alongside her to help restore the world and uncover what happened to Ruwan and Ramsar after the fight with the Demon King. As you rescue heroes, they can join your team and aid you on your quest. Your party can consist of up to five characters at once, and you can adjust your team at any time. This allows you to customise your party based on each member’s strengths and abilities.

The music in the game fits the action perfectly, and the visual style in Hero Seekers is a mix of pixel sprites while exploring and anime-style character artwork during dialogue scenes. These aren’t just static portraits; they are animated to appear as though they are breathing, giving them life. Even the sprites are animated, so characters are never completely still. Like most RPGs, the characters are dressed quite extravagantly, which does not seem particularly practical when you are travelling on foot and constantly getting into fights…

The game also features some nice quality-of-life improvements. When you purchase equipment from a merchant, it is automatically equipped, so you don’t have to do it manually. You can also save your game at any time, rather than needing to find a designated save point. While the game does include an autosave feature, it is nice to have manual saves available, especially if you want to backtrack. There is also an escape spell that lets you leave dungeons instantly, so you are not forced to retrace your steps once you are finished.

My favourite part of Hero Seekers is the stories of the forgotten heroes you rescue. It is clear that a lot of thought went into their backstories, and some of them are quite heart-wrenching. One example is a girl whose village, including her parents, believed she was a burden and a waste of resources. Even after she became strong enough to defeat the Demon King on her own, their views never changed. I do not want to spoil anything else, but it is a wild story.

I have played many turn-based RPGs, but Hero Seekers feels unique compared to most of them. In many games, your main goal is to level up, grow stronger, learn new attacks, and ultimately defeat the main antagonist. Instead, this game places a stronger emphasis on helping as many heroes as possible by freeing their souls from the never-ending nightmare that traps them.

Hero Seekers is a title that fans of the genre should absolutely check out, especially if you enjoy games that focus on helping others rather than simply defeating enemies. Do not get me wrong, there are plenty of battles against demons, but that is not the sole focus. The game feels more heartfelt than many others, as you work to rescue forgotten heroes and learn their deeply personal stories. It feels more intimate than the average RPG, the story is compelling and constantly draws you back in as you travel and help more characters along the way. Hero Seekers is well worth trying if you want something a little different, with a great story and strategic battles.