At first glance, Big Helmet Heroes will remind gamers of the hit 2008 title Castle Crashers, which provided an incredible co-op experience on the Xbox. While anyone looking for something similar will be pleased, Big Helmet Heroes quickly establishes its own identity while remaining comfortably familiar to fans of the genre. Exalted Studio may not have reinvented the wheel with this title, but it has offered up a polished, compelling experience that highlights what makes beat ’em up games so fun and rewarding.
Players who jump into the action can unlock 29 different heroes throughout their journey to save the princess, but don’t expect each one to be entirely unique. Every character belongs to one of four archetypes: Warrior, Rogue, Monk, and Brute. Warriors utilize a sword and shield, Rogues wield dual weapons, Monks attack foes with a staff, and Brutes use colossal weapons that are both slow and powerful. Heroes further differentiate themselves by their unique Superpowers, which can be activated upon filling an energy gauge.
Lumbering around as a Brute and clobbering enemies with a hammer is satisfying, as each swing feels and sounds as if there’s sufficient weight behind it. The game really clicks when enemies fill the screen and, with the activation of a Superpower, the hero grows in size. Each stomp throws enemies back, dealing significant damage as the now-monstrous character defeats enemies around him with ease. In these moments, the game comes alive, and it’s true for just about every hero. Ray, a Rogue, darts around the screen, slicing up enemies on the battlefield, relying on speed more than power. Then, when the time is right, his Superpower allows him to fire a continuous beam across the screen, damaging any enemy in its path. It looks like something out of Dragon Ball Z, and can provide a sense of exhilaration in the heat of a tense battle.
Imagination Is the Beating Heart of Big Helmet Heroes
Exalted Studio meticulously crafts 20 imaginative levels for players to explore, and each one brings something unique to the table. While the initial levels stay true to what one may expect from a medieval setting, they quickly evolve to include fantastical locations imbued with beautiful art design and punctuated by touches of humor, like a massive Brute statue sipping a straw in the background of a level.
The story, which is simple and filled with humor, is conveyed through charming cutscenes that look as if they have been drawn by hand for a picture book. Big Helmet Heroes often feels like it offers the absurdity and comedy one might experience at a Renaissance festival. When chaining together combos, a group of bystanders will appear in the foreground and cheer for the hero, encouraging them to keep the streak going. Weapon variety is abundant, as there’s usually something useful on the ground to pick up and attack with. While Big Helmet Heroes does provide classic weaponry like a crossbow, players can also beat down opponents with oversized lollipops, flaming marshmallows, and so much more.
While humor plays a crucial role in making the title what it is, the boss fights in Big Helmet Heroes are where the game takes a moment to offer something serious. On easier difficulties, it is possible to overpower a boss with a flurry of attacks but on higher difficulties, it may be necessary to dance around, analyze attack patterns, and strike at the right moment. Whether facing off against an enormous Kraken or some mechanical monster, these moments are where the game asks players to utilize heroes to their full potential. Fortunately, the Big Helmet Heroes also offers forgiving checkpoints, allowing players to retry boss fights without running through the entire level again.
Imaginative levels and zany enemies are brought to life with stunning visuals in Big Helmet Heroes. Whether fighting off scorpions by moonlight or trudging through a snowstorm, players may find themselves taken aback by just how gorgeous the game consistently looks. This is true whether walking through a level or fighting off large amounts of enemies. No matter how many characters or effects filled the screen, the PS5 managed to keep the visuals crystal clear without frame drops or slowdowns.
Big Helmet Heroes’ Co-op Is a Missed Opportunity
While Big Helmet Heroes does offer players the option of co-op, it is limited to two players and only supports local co-op. This is excellent if gamers are looking to sit on the couch and experience the title with a friend, but a little lacking for those who may have wished to play with others online. With 29 heroes to choose from and four main archetypes, Big Helmet Heroes often feels ripe for four-player fun that simply isn’t present.
Players who do choose co-op may feel robbed of Big Helmet Heroes‘ normally robust amount of variety. When playing alone, one has the ability to choose two heroes at the start of a level. The player can then swap at any point, even in the middle of a fight. Whichever character isn’t in use is considered to be “resting” and regains health with every successful combo made by the active hero. When co-oping, each player can only choose one hero, taking away the ability to swap and robbing them of the ability to strategically heal heroes through combat. The inability to swap heroes in co-op makes it feel as if playing with a friend comes at a pretty steep cost, making the solo experience seem richer by default.
Replayablity Is King in Big Helmet Heroes
Big Helmet Heroes, with a robust number of unlockable heroes and secrets, seems to have been designed to offer gamers an experience they can play over and over again. When in the menu, gamers can choose to play any level they’ve already beaten while customizing the difficulty. Gamers who complete the main story of Big Helmet Heroes will also unlock a new difficulty, Exalted, which they can apply to any level they wish.
It took me eight hours to complete the main story of Big Helmet Heroes, but I had only found 14 of the game’s 29 heroes, meaning there were still a lot of secrets to uncover.
Perhaps most importantly, Big Helmet Heroes doesn’t just invite one to replay its imaginative and gorgeous levels, it compels players to do so. Upon completing a level, players will be shown their stats and just how many unlockable heroes they missed along the way. This title rewards players who scour each level, exploring the nooks and crannies while breaking every destructible object. When gamers do replay a level, they can do so with the knowledge of what they’ll be up against. This presents players with the opportunity to try new heroes and powers that may aid them in the quest to dominate the level. Unfortunately, while a final scoreboard does give players the opportunity to analyze how they did, it’s impossible to see the stats of any other players. In a game that seems ripe for time trials, the inability to compare stats with players around the globe may be a little disappointing.
Big Helmet Heroes wears its inspirations on its sleeve and manages to reach the heights of many great beat ’em up adventures. It focuses on the fun of its combat systems and imaginative levels, providing a consistently satisfying experience without ever taking itself too seriously. Its major drawback comes from its limited co-op experience, which could have been one of its greatest strengths, making it a game more readily recommended for solo players than groups of friends. For gamers who love to unlock secrets and replay levels, there’s a lot of content being offered, which could provide hours upon hours of enjoyment.
Reviewed on PS5
- Developer(s)
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Exalted Studio
- Publisher(s)
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Dear Villagers
- Imaginative levels filled with rewarding secrets.
- A robust roster of heroes that feel both familiar and unique.
- Creative weapons that consistently add humor and fun to combat.
- Limited co-op that doesn’t feel as good as playing alone.
Big Helmet Heroes launches February 5 for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.