Has-Been Heroes Review

When it was first unveiled, roguelike Has-Been Heroes had unique expectations to meet–here was another game from Frozenbyte, developers of the Trine series, in which you control three heroes at once. But while their previous trios worked together well, this game’s eponymous heroes fall short. At the beginning of the game, the bland triumvirate–made up of two veterans pulled out of retirement and a newcomer, not that it matters–sets out on an uninspired quest to deliver two princesses to school on orders of the king. The plot aims for amusing whimsy, but it doesn’t land, so from the first cutscene on, Has-Been Heroes has a motivation problem. Progress is measured in inches across hours of playtime, with your victories coming more from luck than any discernible decision you made.

You’re given control of three heroes–a mage, a rogue, and a warrior–and sent on a series of brief journeys likely to result in death more often than not. Gameplay bo…