Guardian Heroes XBLA Review

When I was tasked at reviewing Guardian Heroes, I was not sure what I was in for. Going in, the only things that I knew about this game was that it was originally a Sega Saturn release back in 1996, renting it (dating myself here) back in the 8th grade, and loving it. I had to ask myself, was this because I was a young? Could this game from my childhood stand the test of time and still be a good game?

I am proud to say that Treasure Games’ Guardian Heroes, is still a masterpiece and will stand out above the rest when it joins the Xbox Live Arcade library this Wednesday, October 12th. Guardian Heroes is a side-scrolling brawler, with a slight touch of role-playing tossed in for good measure. Single player action involves questing through a fairly linear plot with lots of twists and turns, betrayals and vengeance, hilarious dialog; and very interesting multiplayer options are also available.

HOT

Replay Value
In story mode, you start the game by selecting one of five main characters; depending on whom you select the dialog throughout the game will be different in certain areas. As the game progresses, gamers are prompted with choices that will dictate what stage will be played next. For example, the first choice you are given is the either go through the woods, go back to town, or go to a “safe” village nearby. Each choice then leads to a different set of choices, which then leads to an even different set of choices. What’s even better is that once you make a certain choice, it then labels is with that level said choice will take you to for future playthroughs.

Game Mode Variety
Guardian Heroes features very unique and very different modes. Versus pits 12 players against one another in twelve different preset match types, or custom match types can be created via the rules editor option. Arcade mode sets a single player in a coliseum battle against an endless wave of enemies to see how long you can survive. Arcade mode also has leader-boards which will prove very interesting when players start gunning to beat their friends’ scores. There is a training mode that allows players to hone their skills as the combat is much deeper than first perceived.

Music and Sound
Guardian Heroes has a very JRPG sound to it; the music can be extremely upbeat, meticulously menacing, even depressingly dark at times. The soundtrack to this game is so good, that as I am writing this, I have the game playing it’s music from its Gallery feature. Sound effects are stellar; no two spells sound exactly the same and you can feel the blows as they land.

Graphically Beautiful
Taking queues from games such as the new HD remake of Halo:Combat Evolved, Guardian Heroes has to option to set the graphics to either an enhanced mode called “Remix” mode, or its original state where you can appreciate all of its 32-bit Sega Saturn glory. The only real differences between the two styles is that there are small tweaks to the controls and the art is much smoother in Remix mode than its original counterpart. Spells and combat moves have high quality animations; backgrounds are constantly catching to the eye, and the ability to go from middle ground, to background or foreground adds an extra layer of depth to the games artwork and gameplay.

NOT

Unbalanced Classes
I’ve always been under the impression that mages are indeed “squishy”, that is not where my problem with this game lies. My problem is that, and correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s because mages are squishy that they have a larger mana pool, which they do not. In Guardian Heroes, the only way to replenish a mana pool is by landing direct hits; that doesn’t go too well when you are a mage either. There is also no way to replenish your health other than surviving until the end of the stage; this caused me to sit back and block for large chunks of the game while the computer (who controls the other combatant in your party) killed everything, and giving me no xp. Maybe it’s because I normally don’t roll mage, but I can’t seem to beat the game as a mage.

VERDICT

Guardian Heroes is a must buy for any fan of the brawler genre. This game was a hidden gem when it first released on the Saturn and deserves to be played by all. For only 800 Microsoft Points it is a steal of a deal. I have already played through Guardian Heroes four times in the past two days and I can’t help but find myself going back for more time and time again and once more people get on the multiplayer it will give me even more of a reason to keep coming back.

[Editor’s Note: Guardian Heroes was reviewed on the Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]