In a nutshell, 88 Heroes has eighty-eight boards, the same number of heroes, and eighty-eight seconds to accomplish each level. Simple assumptions correspond to the simple gameplay, which can yet test the player.
We’re talking about a two-dimensional platformer where reflexes are key and the aim is always to get to the goal. Various opponents stand in our way, yet we may frequently dodge them. It all relies on our hero’s ability. The most crucial aspect of the game is that after each death, we restart the stage, commanding a different hero drawn at random from the pool. In actuality, this implies we can only die 88 times unless we acquire enough gold coins while leaping and running. Collecting a particular quantity of items allows you to resurrect one of the fallen heroes. The diversity of the characters is the production’s strength. The developers performed an excellent job. We play a commando, but also an invisible sheriff, a hamster in a plastic bubble, a flying monster, a snail attached to a tank, and a cat with laser eyes. There’s also a snake here that we can handle like a reptile using Snake’s phone, and we perish if we run into a wall or ceiling.
Some heroes are so unique that they allow you to cheat the game, such as allowing you to glide towards the desired exit from the level, allowing us to occasionally avoid all barriers. To avoid using such special abilities, the character changes not only after the hero’s death, but also at the start of a new level. The most significant component of the game is also a subject of contention at times. Some characters are difficult to play. Some individuals can only leap. Not all of them will be to our taste, but we may always choose to die on purpose. There is a boss battle every few dozen levels, although it is merely a little distraction. I don’t think these bouts received much attention – they’re not especially exciting, and the difficulty stems mostly from the fact that, as in the rest of the game, we always die after a single strike or touch with the opponent. The developers were obviously preoccupied with developing and constructing numerous heroes, but the board design suffered as a result. The maps are simply a mess of barriers and other hazards, as if they were formed at random. Platformers’ most crucial aspect is fascinating levels with engaging themes, but not in this case.
Diverse heroes are also insufficient to entice players to spend a significant amount of time playing the game, because we basically perform the same thing all the time – despite the characters’ varying attributes. Only after finishing the main campaign will two extra game modes be unlocked, and even then they are fairly identical – we merely have access to fewer heroes. The emphasis was on vintage style, which has recently become increasingly trendy. This mode is best suited for easy games. Humor is also key – we continuously see the primary adversary, the alien boss, who monitors our heroes’ deeds and remarks on their victories and failings.
88 Heroes is a fun platformer with an innovative gameplay concept. It’s a fun way to spend an hour or two, but there’s too little material outside of the title heroes to advocate buying it right away.