4.5/5 ★ – Supergamerguy's review of Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos.

Rogue Heroes is a criminally overlooked indie title, and it's easily one that deserves more active players and continued support. Building off the foundation laid down by Link to the Past decades earlier, this game improves on LttP's gameplay elements in every way. Fluid movement, wide and aimable attacks, useful tools (in both traversal *and* combat), varied class abilities, and more! The overworld is also designed around these elements, with tons of secrets and extra items scattered around its many environmental areas. Add in some engaging randomized dungeons and much-needed skill tree options, and you have an indie game that will satisfy adventure fans for a long time to come. My issues with Rogue Heroes are mostly nitpicks, so I'll list them below rather that include them in the review proper, but I will mention that the music leaned more atmospheric than memorable. It's not bad by any means, but I'd be hard pressed to remember much of anything outside of the main village theme. Regardless, this is a must-play for any roguelite fans or Zelda-style adventure-game enthusiasts, *especially* if you're looking for the perfect co-op game (multiplayer, whether local or online, makes this game 150% better). Now, I think I should provide some constructive criticism on some nitpicks I have with this title. As of early January 2023, I'm still waiting on an update to fix these issues (and I hope the developers will stick with Rogue Heroes long enough to see it perfected): - No controller configuration is a HUGE oversight. The default controller configuration is pretty good, but not having *any* kind of customization for that is a significant fault on the part of the developers. - There is also a lack of Quality of Life features, although not with the core gameplay as much as the unique content. Little annoyances like a severe lack of Power Stone markers on the map (once you've obtained each stone), the map not updating with in-game terrain changes, not being able to move houses or clear unused land in the village. This little things add up over a complete playthrough, and can be more than a bother if you're going for 100% completion. - I was additionally disappointed to find out that completing the Fishing Log, Farming Quest, and mastering the Bestiary only rewards you with an achievement, instead of a useful in-game item or ability. - The online multiplayer has some glitchy bugs, especially when players don't have the strongest connection possible. I've run into some serious warping and screen-blackout issues on occasion, when playing with friends. - There are a handful of rooms that have some needlessly complicated or time-strict puzzles that should not gatekeep progression in the dungeons. Rooms in Fyrotek Castle and the (optional) fish dungeon come to mind. - This is a reach, but there is (sadly) no risk/reward mechanics for the tavern minigames, which makes them nearly useless (beyond an initial run of each minigame).