No Reload Heroes Enhanced Edition Switch Review

No Reload Heroes Enhanced Edition is an upgraded version of the original 4-player couch co-op twin-stick action game, and it is actually good fun whether you are playing alone or with friends. This is a rogue-like game unlike any other, and it is highly thanks to its nonstop shooting (You know, no reload), combination of co-op and PvP gameplay, and of course the Diablo-colored loot that lets you know what items are worth grabbing.

But is this enhanced edition of No Reload Heroes worth a revisit for players of the original? And is this an heroic adventure worth taking for casual players? Let’s answer these questions and many more!

Like most rogue-likes on the market, No Reload Heroes Enhanced Edition tasks you and your gun-totin’ mage to climb up Mephisto’s tower clearing floor after floor of randomly made rooms and enemy combinations on your way to defeat the final boss. Each floor brings new threats and challenges, which keeps the game fresh, and defeating mini-bosses on each floor reward you with a chest of sorts that grant you powerups and strong guns. There are also proper bosses along the way that provide a major challenge, especially in single player, and are well placed along the tower climb.

Now, before we go any further, I need to be upfront about the difficulty. This game is hard, so I cannot stress enough that more people means more fun and the potential for better progression. Single player, although not a bad experience, pales in comparison because there is no way to revive yourself to continue the tough climb.

Controls are rather simple, as the game is a twin-stick shooter similar to something like The Binding of Isaac. The one major difference in No Reload Heroes is the use of a dash to help get out of sticky situations. This is a really cool mechanic to add to the otherwise run-of-the-mill feel of the game, and learning how to maintain your composure while both shooting and dashing takes a lot of good practice.

Another unique thing about No Reload Heroes is the kickback. Shooting your gun knocks you back, hitting an enemy knocks them back, some enemies knock themselves back with their guns, and when you get hit it knocks you back. It it fine and all, but I honestly found it to be rather useless aside from knocking enemies back. You just learn to balance yourself quickly and don’t even pay attention to it (Unless it is an extreme situation).

There are loads of guns to find in No More Heroes Enhanced Edition, and similar to the Diablo series, the rarity of guns are signified by color. Green is basic, blue is better, purple is solid, orange is beast, etc. It is a simple yet effective way to catch your attention, and this is especially fun when playing with friends and frantically fighting over who gets the better guns.

As you progress in the game and defeat minions, you will be collecting these little blue circles that serve as experience points. If you are playing solo, they are yours alone, but if you are playing as a team, it is a shared pool. Leveling up allows you to choose an upgrade that will benefit you [and your party] as you make your way up the tower. Upgrades include things like increased rate of fire, less kickback, higher damage, etc. Your standard affair for these types of games.

The mini-bosses spread throughout the levels, located behind pink doorways with skulls on them, are honestly rather bland. They are essentially bigger versions of regular enemies and do not pose too much of a threat. However, the actual bosses, which have their own floors and do not require finding a boss door, are tough as nails and will require high alert, quick reflexes, and a solid rate of fire on them. The bosses are bullet sponges that require a massive amount of concentrated fire, so like I said earlier, fighting these bosses alone is really stressful while playing with friends is actually quite fun.

At the end of the day, what you are getting here is another rogue-like in the vein of The Binding of Isaac with up to 4-player co-op. The dashing is a solid mechanic that adds a lot to the gameplay, but outside of that, the game does not feel all that special. The Enhanced Edition is absolutely better than the original, but it only improves things so much. Essentially, the randomized levels are only so random, and the bosses are not.

One of the things that makes The Binding of Isaac so replayable is the fact that each and every round is a completely new and unique one: different rooms, different enemies, wildly different items, and varying bosses. With No Reload Heroes Enhanced Edition, I felt like I was visiting the same or similar rooms often, fought the same enemies ad nauseum, found the same guns or slightly different variants regularly, and fought the same bosses every single round. This made it hard to want to play again immediately after a failed round, which is the opposite of how I normally feel while playing rogue-likes.

Thankfully, the main selling point is the co-op, which is genuinely a lot of fun and requires good communication and teamwork. However, once you beat the last boss, there is not a whole lot of reason to come back, including the PvP mode “Zone Conquest”, which takes me to the price. This is a rather expensive title when compared to similar ones on the market. My advice is that I do not really recommend to buy it if you only plan to play solo, but if you have friends and family to enjoy this with, it is a worthy buy. Just don’t expect the experience to be of the same caliber as behemoths in the genre.

No Reload Heroes Enhanced Edition Review provided by Nintendo Link
Developer: Teatime Holdings
Release Date: March 11, 2021
Price: $24.99, £19.99, €24,99
Game Size: 378 MB