Heroland

Heroland enters the fold as the ultimate “sit back and relax” JRPG. Even though the game has hands-off combat and long-winded dialogue sections where your participation is questionable, you have charm oozing from every pixel. The self-aware humor and quirky characters make up for most of the shortcomings.

With a very funny premise and full of references to popular culture, Heroland is the perfect title for those looking for something different. Thus, although its original battle system can be improved, the talent behind Heroland makes it a game that deserves your time.

Heroland has charming character art, hilarious dialogue, and a unique premise. Unfortunately, its style can't make up for its repetitive, monotonous gameplay and unwieldy length.

More a visual novel than an RPG, Heroland's charm is in its plot and characters. The gameplay mechanics, however, feel bland and the feeling is that the player is most of the time just watching the game playing itself. It also becomes a bit repetitive over time.

Heroland is very much style over substance. The graphics, while initially a bit off-putting, are actually quite charming in their own way, with the characters and environments bursting with personality. But the writing and dialogue are the true stars of the show. Make no mistake, this is a very funny game, and you’ll soon be agonising over which of the delightful main characters is your favourite. Unfortunately, it’s not quite enough to hold up the entire game – some folks will automatically gravitate to what is admittedly a unique approach to the RPG genre, but a lot more will likely desire something a bit more hands-on.