Heroes of Ruin Review

The Nintendo DS and 3DS both feature a pretty impressive stable of role-playing games (RPGs), except for one big blank spot: Until recently, there hasn’t been anything quite like the multiplayer-heavy hack-and-slash action that defines PC-centric RPG series like Blizzard’s Diablo. Square-Enix and n-Space decided to lay claim to that wide territory with Heroes of Ruin, an action RPG for the Nintendo 3DS. The final product won’t knock Diablo fans on their backs, but it’s still a solid and relatively enjoyable RPG that breaks new multiplayer ground on the Nintendo 3DS.

Developer: n-Space
Publisher: Square-Enix
Genre: Action/Role-Playing (RPG)
ESRB Rating: T
Compatible With: Nintendo 3DS

GOOD: Decent multiplayer options. Fun to play with friends. Menus are easy to dig through and manage. Good voice acting. Easy to play. Giant walking lions.

BAD: Uninteresting graphics. Might be too easy for some players. Hack-and-slash gameplay gets monotonous.

Heroes of Ruin takes place in the mythical world of Veil, a land that was nearly shattered to bits by war and conflict. Powerful beings called the Ruin Lords stopped the wars, and each Lord settled in his own city. One city, Nexus, is ruled by a wise Sphinx that can’t be roused from its deep sleep thanks to a curse. As a wandering warrior, it’s your job to find the cause for the curse and lift it.

There isn’t much to Heroes of Ruin’s basic story, but this action-RPG really focuses more on doling out lots of combat, most of which comes at you in the form of sidequests and other tasks. The town of Nexus serves as a hub for most of your quests and requests (hence its name!), so you’ll become familiar with its citizens in no time. Even though Heroes of Ruin is light on story, its writing is still quite good, and striking up conversations with non-player characters is an interesting pursuit.

You can choose to play Hereos of Ruin as a Vindicator (a leonine warrior that adheres to the morals of a Crusader), an Alchitect (a magic-user), a Savage (a brawny fighter), or a Gunslinger. Each class brings a different breed of gameplay to the table: While Savages and Vindicators tend to favor melee combat, Gunslingers and Alchitects prefer to attack from afar. You should try each class and see which one fits your style.

Fans of the Diablo series should feel right at home with Heroes of Ruin. You slay hordes of enemies, build up levels, and nurture a skill tree that yields super-attacks that come in handy in battle. Said attacks can be designated to different buttons on the Nintendo 3DS for easy access, though using them takes up magical energy.

Fear not, though. Restorative potions for your health and magic are everywhere in Heroes of Ruin, especially if you’re playing the game solo. Experienced action-RPG players might feel a little coddled, since the generous potion supply makes careful fighting unimportant for the most part.

Don’t bother saving up your milk money for armor, either. Your enemies drop loot like mad, and you can go ahead and adorn yourself with what you want, and sell off what you don’t need. Heroes of Ruin allows you to sell unwanted armor and weapons on the spot, without making you trek back to town. It’s a very welcome touch that lets you manage your limited inventory space with ease.

Heroes of Ruin features some pretty impressive multiplayer features for a handheld RPG, and (based on personal experience) there are few issues with lag or drop-offs, though it’s still possible to catch the server on a bad day. Looting dungeons is fun with your pals (up to four!), though whether you choose to play Heroes of Ruin single or with buddies, one fact remains: It’s kind of mindless. You hack, you slash, you fling some magic, you shoot some bad guys, and then you do it all again through another dungeon that looks a lot like others that you’ve visited. It’s not a bad experience by any means—it’s almost relaxing, in a hypnotic way—but Heroes of Ruin is not an intellectually stimulating game outside of some easy puzzles here and there. And with the way the enemies keep pouring in, fighting eventually becomes monotonous.

The graphics in Heroes of Ruin are, in a word, unexciting outside of a few cool ideas (huge bipedal lions with swords = very cool). The game’s dungeons lack distinguishing features or patterns, and if you’re not paying attention to your map you’ll get lost in about three seconds. The enemy designs are uninspired, though they’re well-animated, and slowdown isn’t a problem even when the screen gets crowded.

The game’s sound is good. Monsters squeal, gurgle, and roar, magic fire crackles, and though there isn’t much voice acting in the game, what's there isn’t embarrassing to listen to.

In spite of Heroes of Ruin’s average presentation, it delivers an action-heavy multiplayer experience that doesn’t often come home to consoles, let alone handhelds. By all means, if you’re looking for a Diablo clone on the 3DS for any reason—or you just want an okay multiplayer game, period—Heroes of Ruin is a decent choice. If you’re in the market for a solo RPG though, you’re better off looking elsewhere.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.