Indie video games do not have to do their very own factor to achieve success (simply take a look at one thing like Prodeus), however Airoheart, a 2D The Legend of Zelda clone by means of and thru, by no means feels assured in its construction or design when it is not instantly aping Nintendo’s timeless collection.
The motion journey title tries to set itself aside by introducing a extra nuanced narrative to the traditional method. It tells a story of neighbouring nations getting ready to struggle, sprinkling a small forged of named characters into the combo as silent protagonist Airoheart tries his finest to take care of peace. Anchoring a Zelda-like to a wider story is an fascinating thought, however the writing is not particularly participating, and the personalities are pretty flat.
Airoheart might have doubled-down on the gameplay aspect of issues — making an attempt to enhance on its inspirations — however the harsh reality is that it would not match as much as its forebears. Fight will be frustratingly finicky by way of hitboxes and enemy positioning. Puzzles typically really feel overly fundamental, or annoyingly obscure. Exploration can appear utterly unrewarding at instances, and the shortage of dungeon maps results in loads of backtracking, particularly afterward.
We just like the rune system, a minimum of. As a substitute of lugging round a shed’s value of instruments, Airoheart makes use of a magical employees that may be imbued with numerous runes to change its results. Some runes assist out in battle, whereas others are wanted to resolve particular puzzles, or open the way in which to a brand new space of the overworld. It is only a neat method to maintain all your talents beneath one roof.
Airoheart’s, er, coronary heart is in the suitable place — and it is an okay Zelda clone general — however the recreation’s bought noticeable flaws. A possible advice in the event you’re determined to play one thing resembling retro Zelda on PlayStation, however that is about it.
