With PAX over and done it's time to reflect on the games we got to visit this year, starting with an upcoming arcade-style game coming from Devolver Digital.
Not A Hero is among the many indie titles recently to rely on retro graphics and gameplay, and in that sense is not particularly special. Its appeal lies mostly in the repetition. While navigating the first few levels I was actually reminded of the fun I had playing Mark of the Ninja, and the care and strategy that went into approaching each scenario, the heated promises of "I'LL GET IT THIS TIME!" as each trial resulted in error. I got addicted very quickly ("I really like how you shriek the whole time you play," the producer remarked) despite the simplicity of the premise and the self-admitted flimsiness of the narrative.
The game features six playable characters, each with their own weapons and abilities that will shape how you approach incoming enemies, from guns to katanas to bare-fisted melee strikes. Essentially their mission is to clean up the crime and gangs that have overrun the city by murdering all the evil do'ers, at the request of a mysterious but benevolent figure known as Bunnylord. There are twenty levels (each with both primary and secondary goals) and the three I played seemed to consist mostly of navigating the floors of several buildings, dispensing of various thugs and bossmen as you go. A basic cover system allows you to duck out of the line of fire and zip from wall to wall, giving the gameplay a panicked, high intensity pace. It's not the most innovative game in the world, but it's a helluva lot of fun.
Not A Hero is expected sometime this summer on PC (I would guess soon, given that it's already September and the game appears to be in a finished state). It will reportedly also come to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita "early next year".
