Developed by: Four Quarters
Published by: Devolver Digital
Loop Hero Released: December 09, 2021 (Switch), March 04, 2021 (PC)
Devolver Digital knows how to publish games that you’ll be addicted to. A couple of years ago Enter the Gungeon was released on the Nintendo Switch and it was my most played game that year. Not Breath of the Wild, but Enter the Gungeon. Loop Hero is the newest Devolver game to hit the Nintendo Switch and just like every other Devolver game, you will become addicted to this game. Let me tell you why Loop Hero is probably the last must-play game of 2021.
Gameplay Loop
In Loop Hero, your world is ending, and it is up to you and your lonely hero to discover the mysteries behind this event. Now, I must admit, I did not care for the story that Loop Hero is trying to tell. Yes, some moments are well written and there are times where the story can be considered thought-provoking. But that’s not the reason why I will continue to play this game.
The reason why I will continue to grind this game until the end is its gameplay and that gameplay loop. The easiest way to describe Loop Hero is a strategy RPG where you manage items, cards, and resources. Now in Loop Hero, you won’t be selecting battle moves, or even moving your character. In Loop Hero you’ll be your character’s manager. As you move through an endless loop you’ll find items that you can give your hero. These items will help you along your journey, but there is a catch. You get to determine how that journey will play out.
Loop Hero’s Battles
Remember when I mentioned you’ll be collecting cards, well these cards that you’ll be playing help you determine what enemies you’ll encounter. In Loop Hero, you get to choose what kind of challenges you get to put your character through. The harder the enemies the better the loot. If you decide to give your hero an easy loop, well your items/resources are not going to be good enough to help you progress through this story.
When I first picked up this game and I realized that I would be overseeing battles instead of participating in them I thought this would completely take away control from me. I could not have been more wrong. The game gave me total control by giving me the option to choose what my hero goes through when to retreat my hero to keep resources, and what my hero will be equipped for battle. This kind of control is something that I have never experienced in a game. It’s what makes Loop Hero so unique and great.
The Grind
There is one area where I thought Loop Hero could improve and that’s how grindy it can feel. For you to make progress in this game you’ll have to build new encampments. You have your usual RPG buildings, for example, you can build an armory or herbalist camp. While these are very early in the game, you would think you could get them right away. Well no. To build these buildings you have to get resources and in my opinion, grinding for these resources felt like forever. To build absolutely everything the game has to offer you will have to grind quite a bit. I am not sure people are going to be willing to do that.
Loop Hero Recommeded
As 2021 winds down and people make their top 2021 games list, it would not surprise me to see this game on there. With the pick-and-go nature of the Nintendo Switch, Loop Hero feels right at home. This is a game where you can spend hours grinding or just a couple of minutes here and there and you will still make progress. If it’s not obvious yet, I recommend Loop Hero even if you are not a fan of the strategy RPG genre.