Unruly Heroes

Puzzled as to why so few reviews exist for this here but it's a treat. Was attracted by the visual and animation polish and in researching apparently has ex-Ubisoft devs involved (admittedly didn't realize at first it was a French studio that made this). Found it more enjoyable than my time with the original Ori, which it broadly shares some visual similarities with as another reviewer pointed out, though I consider this game to have more variety in that regard. Not a particularly challenging title, gameplay-wise, apart from like one or two exacting rope sequences (the physics of which are oddly specific) but it offered enough in the different levels and bosses that I was never bored with it and even playing solo I thought the switchable characters were handled well. The photo mode is also a nice feature which allows for dynamically zooming/panning around a scene while the action is frozen, among other options typically only seen in 3D titles, which was great for taking screenshots. The only primary criticism would be the voice acting, which is only just serviceable and the one thing that isn't as highly polished as the visuals. That said it's skippable. Would recommend if the style and gameplay shown appeals to you.

First of all, it should be noted that the development team is made up of people who were once also part of Ubisoft. Perhaps, for that reason, the game has a certain resemblance to Rayman. Unruly Heroes is based on the Chinese novel "Journey to the West", so if you are familiar with Dragon Ball you will more or less know what the story is about. Well, in Unruly Heroes you have four characters. The game mechanics combine action, adventure and puzzles. It's a bit like Blizzard Entertainment's classic The Lost Vikings for the PC DOS or SNES from 1992. To progress through the adventure, the gamer will have to make use of each character. Graphically, the videogame is very beautiful. The music is fantastic. The controls are quite responsive and tight enough to make the experience unforgettable. All in all, the feel of the game is solid. Strongly recommended!

This is the best non-puzzle 2D platformer I played in a very long time. I am not sure why I liked it so much - it might be I longed for classic Disney games of yore, and this game scratches that itch. Combat isn't tactical or challenging enough (except for boss fights) to describe it as a beat-them-up, but you do have several attacks and combos. Fights, as the genre dictates, are mostly about jumping around to avoid being hit and smashing buttons. On 'hard' (basically, no near infinite lives, so it really should be 'normal') they are just challenging enough to keep things interesting without dying that often. Only boss fights see a severe spike in difficulty, just about reaching frustration levels (with my casual reflexes and precision), which I count as perfect for this type of game. They are mostly more platforming, evading telegraphed attacks (the signals are enough similar to each other to keep you on your toes), waiting for that distinct moments when they become vulnerable, and then smashing buttons. While there are four characters you can switch between at any time, they come in two basic types - can double jump or can glide - and certain sections are much easier with the second type, any section can be in principle beaten with any character, and the differences between attacks, other than animations, are negligable. Most importantly, the levels are colourful, plentiful (29, including boss fights!) and varied enough. They can be divided into five distinct locations, with different visual themes, different enemies (with different attacks), and different tricks/twists employed. You are often granted temporary new abilities you must learn to utilise both in platforming and combat, so they don't feel the same and if there was a sequel, I'd likely download it right away. The only critisism I have is that 'bad translation from chinese' syndrome, but the story is non-existent anyway, so switch to chinese audio and enjoy a glimpse into another culture.

German: Wir haben das Spiel damals zu zweit in ein Paar Tagen durchgespielt und waren als alte Rayman-Fans bis zum Schluss sehr begeistert! + Grafik + Artstyle + Setting + Sound + Musik + Steuerung + Waffen + Geschichte + Humor + Spielbare Charaktere + Bosskämpfe + Leveldesigne usw. ... - Umfang (Das Spiel ist kürzer als man es von z.B. Rayman gewohnt ist, jedoch gerade weil es so gut ist/war, wollte wir natürlich nach dem Ende noch weiter spielen). Wir würden uns sehr über einen zweiten Teil freuen und können es jeden (vor allem Rayman-Fans) Platformer-Fan nur empfehlen! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ English: At the time, two of us played through the game in a couple of days and, as old Rayman fans, we were very excited until the end! + Graphics + Artstyle + Setting + Sound + Music + Controls + Weapons + Story + Humor + Playable characters + Boss fights + Level design etc. ... - Scope (The game is shorter than you are used to from e.g. Rayman, but just because it is/was so good, we of course wanted to keep playing after the end). We would be very happy about a second part and can only recommend it to every (especially Rayman fans) platformer fan!