Loop Hero Switch Review – Round and Round We Go

When it comes to RPGs, it is difficult in this time and age to try something different. Well, Loop Hero sets out to do exactly that. What we have here is a board game-like experience unlike anything else (And it was nominated for Best Indie at The Game Awards 2021). Our hero (and you) are in charge of building upon a loop to increase challenge, difficulty, and loot en route to uncovering what has happened while trying to rebuild the world.

So does Loop Hero succeed in its venture to save the world? Or is this experience just repeating the same thing over and over again ad nauseum? Let’s find out!

The story of Loop Hero is a tale of the end times of sorts, and it is thanks to none other than that crafty Lich that threw the world into a timeless loop, causing the inhabitants to live in absolute chaos. Our hero is taking it upon himself to bare the weight of this never-ending loop and finds himself facing some of the most dangerous monsters in fantasy history.

As our hero makes his way around the loop, you begin to place cards down to fill up the empty world and give it more life and challenge. This in turn gives our hero more memory about things, because not only is the world in a chaotic loop right now, but no one is able to remember much of anything aside from their name. Loop Hero tells a fascinating story that hooks you from the start. The concept may be a bit overwhelming at first, but as it starts to settle, we begin to see a familiar world rebuilding before our eyes.

As the game progresses, more people begin to show up and add to the growing community. In classic RPG fashion, many of these people are masters of specific jobs, so the campfire eventually grows into a village that brings joy to everyone involved. Our hero begins to be hopeful that things are turning, but unfortunately, that does not quite stop the loop.

In almost like a roguelike status, each loop resets and presents you with a different map. Our hero eventually just accepts this reality and begins rebuilding from scratch again. Initially, the loop contains very little, like a handful of blobs, but as you defeat enemies, you gain cards and items that can be used on the fly. The cards increase the difficulty of the loop and the level of the items you pick up, because they introduce stronger enemies and bigger waves, depending on the cards you play. There are also cards that build mountains, rocks, and meadows, and each time you put those down, you begin to build bigger ranges and collect more resources from them.

The items come a bit differently, though, as you will constantly pick up weapons and armor after fighting enemies. Similar to your classic dungeon crawlers, items are noted by their numerical value as well as their color rarity. And there are a lot of pickups in Loop Hero, too! Between weapons, armor, shields, rings, shoes, helmets, and more as you progress, our hero is constantly upgrading themselves to be better equipped for the threat ahead. Unused items eventually get knocked out and turn into resources, which is a really nice touch, so there is no need to throw away items or feel forced to use them up. If you don’t like it, just let it naturally go away.

As is the case in your normal roguelike, once our hero calls it quits at the campsite (Or dies during the loop), all equipment goes away and the map resets, so all you take with you to the campsite are the resources you collected to use towards upgrading the camp. The purpose for longer looping is to collect rarer items from stronger enemies, and it is those rarer items that you desperately need in order to build certain things at the camp. Once you are done mingling and building, our hero once again goes through the seemingly infinite loop.

Gameplay is mostly management, as combat is automated. Our hero will plunge into battle in each square that consists of enemies, and then a screen will pop up that depicts our hero and the baddies that he is engaged with. The animations here look really cool, and I particularly enjoy some of the random conversations between our hero and the enemies who are also stuck in this infernal loop.

This is why Loop Hero feels like a board game as well, because the gameplay is slow and methodical. There is even a Planning Phase and an Adventure Phase while on the map, and pressing Y can switch between the two phases as most any time. The Planning Phase puts everything on pause to let us think and strategize as we make plans, and the Adventure Phase sets things in motion, allowing our hero to walk around the loop and battle enemies. It is an engaging gameplay style that is equal parts thrilling and relaxing.

The only major downfall about the gameplay is that it is not quite as random as other titles out there. Mass majority of the time, it will be an all-too-familiar loop around for a while until something new happens. Compare this to other randomized roguelikes, and it does feel less exciting in the early parts the longer you play. Because of this, gameplay can become quite repetitive after a while, especially if you sit and play for long sessions. The unique conversations begin to happen so seldomly that Loop Hero begins to feel mundane.

One of the brightest areas where Loop Hero shines, though, is in its graphical style and user interface. The pixel artwork in all areas, including the map itself, the battle scenes, and the conversations, look incredible. I love how dark and dingy they somehow made the pixel art look, and it only strengthens the story and narrative.

The user interface, too, surprised me, because clearly this is meant for a mouse, especially with all of the management. Thankfully, thanks to the screen setup and lovely design, everything controls really well, and I never found myself getting upset with the slowness of movement. The menus during gameplay, whether it be using the cards or equipping weapons and armor, are quite intuitive, and this should set a standard for management games on console like this in the future.

Music is brooding and sounds great, but honestly, it lacks something. None of the tracks are truly memorable, but they do provide a wonderful ambiance, even if they become repetitive (It’s almost as if they are on loop, too).

Loop Hero is a solid outing. Even though it has its slow and repetitive moments, it shines brightly in its unique gameplay, beautiful graphics, and compelling story. There is a ton of game here for those looking for a unique RPG experience, and there is even more if you enjoy the roguelike nature as well.

This is one of those titles that clearly found a great central mechanic and built around it. On paper, going around in circles over and over again should not work, but Loop Hero finds a way and makes it very engaging.

Ratt so infamously sang this premise in 1984:

Round and round
With love we’ll find a way, just give it time
Round and round
What comes around goes around
I’ll tell you why

And Four Quarters delivered this premise in 2021, because with love, they found a way to make this work in a game. Bravo is all I can say.

Loop Hero Review provided by Nintendo Link
Review also found on OpenCritic
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Developer: Four Quarters
Release Date: December 9th, 2021
Price: $14.99, £13.49, €14,99
Game Size: 218 MB