Heroes Tactics (iOS) Review

Heroes Tactics is exactly all its title claims it to be: a tactical RPG in which players take their team of heroes on adventures all over the world. It's simple and straightforward, with the plot kept to the bare minimum - complex storylines and long cutscenes are not what is sought after in an on the go free-to-play adventure, but rather a quick rush of fun to play on the go, and thankfully the system in Heroes Tactics succeeds extremely well.

Every single aspect of the game is simple, easy to grasp and, most importantly, quick to execute - something that's highly desired in a genre made for short bursts of entertainment, leaving as little dead meat and unexciting micromanaging as possible in the experience. Everything from the combat to upgrading heroes passes by quickly and seamlessly without too much unneeded hassle in between. They may be features that might be looked down upon by fans of deeper RPG settings, but they will surely be appreciated during a quick lunch-break play session.

The combat is extremely simple, yet very well-polished, with every single detail perfectly thought through. The combat is turn-based with the possibility for the player to take different actions: attack, defend, move, wait, or a special attack, which varies with each hero. These special attacks are charged whenever the hero engages in combat and reward aggressive and quick battles over slow-paced action, further streamlining the game. Finally there's the option to make the heroes fight automatically, which is a great feature to use when grinding for items in past areas.

Another useful feature in Heroes Tactics that improves the combat speed is the fact that the tiles on the playing field are hexagonal rather than square, offering six directions of movement in comparison to the genre-standard four. This not only improves mobility but also provides opportunities to swarm enemies, further speeding up the gameplay and promoting a fast-paced and aggressive style of play.

It's clear that Heroes Tactics is a game made to be enjoyed whenever players have a spare few minutes, and this is at odds with some of its more problematics aspects. For instance, energy is distributed at specific times throughout the day, rather than being a steadily flowing increment of energy to spend. This forces the player to log in whenever the game wants them to, rather than when they can, and could ruin the experience for some.

Another big issue is that too much of the game is spent on menial tasks such as item farming, which most will usually leave up to the "auto" feature, leaving relatively little actual gameplay and turning the entire experience into a regular chore instead of an interactive on-the-go game. It's sad, as Heroes Tactics is, overall, a promising concept with a lot of potential to be a fun and rewarding free-to-play experience.