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[Clearos]

So I picked up a copy last night and finally got to play it at my lunch break.

I'm glad I did. My first play I got to the first boss and I lost with the boss only have a sliver of life left. I got a bit overwhelmed but due to my time limit(work) i was rushing a bit on my moves. As people have suggested, using your cool-downs frequently and the pause time to figure out your strategy is key. I got quite a few items on my playthru and it said i only found 0.8% so it will be fun collecting more as I go.

Not going to consume you like zelda but if you need a 15-45 minute pick up and play I highly recommend it.



EDIT: It actually is a great game to learn the buttons. I always have Y on top and X on the bottom in my head....you'll make mistakes early on changing heroes but it is a good learning tool.

 

[Kebiinu]

Impressions from y'all are making me want to dive in. Worried about backlog, but it sounds like this game will be handy to have around. Plus continued support from developers are always a good thing.

 

[bobbychalkers]

I feel like there's a good game in here but the balance of it all is super frustrating to me. I keep dying on the first level (usually due to my wizard catching it) and I'm not seeing enough of my unlocked stuff. I usually get super overwhelmed by the time I hit the boss and every time I die I see the unlock limit inch higher and higher.

 

[Tangeroo]

1- Look at green boxes, match your attacks to add up to that

2- ??? correct me if I'm wrong, but look at number on bottom right, and match your attacks to the stunned enemy? they are all 1x so i thought the 1x heavy hitter should be hitting them? ...... as I type this I'm realizing maybe that's just saying the enemy will single/double/ attack?

3- cheat with spells. this breaks the game in a good way where 1 and 2 are puzzles, 3 makes it not a one solution game

For question 2, I'm not sure which number you're referring to, but in general, once an enemy is stunned, you want to hit them with your hero that does the most damage (which prior to buffs will be your 1x hero). Granted, sometimes you're better off using a different hero to hit a stunned enemy if you are pressed for time and need to push the enemy back/reduce their max stamina meter.

 

[Niceguydan8]

I feel like there's a good game in here but the balance of it all is super frustrating to me. I keep dying on the first level (usually due to my wizard catching it) and I'm not seeing enough of my unlocked stuff. I usually get super overwhelmed by the time I hit the boss and every time I die I see the unlock limit inch higher and higher.

You can break the guard of the first boss real quickly, which allows your Knight guy to do a ton of damage. The first break is essentially free since there aren't any skeletons right away. Break his guard, hit him once, then do the following:


-Get the Knight in the same lane as the boss. Use the 2x attack rogue spell on the Knight and then have the Knight use his fire attack on the boss to break his guard. You will do double damage from the fire as well as attack twice due to the rogue spell. That does a *ton* of damage to him. Then it basically becomes about breaking his guard two-three more times and hitting him with the Knight to win the fight. I generally keep the two smaller guys on the outside lanes because there's no real need to kill those skeletons, rather just knock them back.

It's basically going to overwhelm the characters if you can't kill the boss fast enough, so getting in huge bursts of damage in a short time is key. I would suggest always getting damage in with the Knight unless your Rogue has a couple of +ATK items with a decent amount of crit.

Also, I unlocked something like 70 different things after beating the second boss.

 

[Volcynika]

Still trying to figure out the rhythm to the game, but it's scratching an itch. I beat one of the bosses (

Spoiler

the one that spawns shadow clones

) but got overwhelmed by the boss that just

Spoiler

summons tons of skeletons

. I had a good run on one of the bosses, but I had to just run into the enemies when they were on fire ;_;

 

[Clearos]

So got a second game in and was able to beat it. Unlocked a new character and one of the endings. Was a bit disappointed but tried a third game to try the new character and saw now there three map stages. The new boss was fun and required a different strat entirely (glad i didnt bench the rogue) so yeah i am finding the more i play the more i enjoy.

Got 86 unlocks on my 2nd run...only 11.6% of the items unlocked.

 

[Owlowiscious]

hahaha overkill but, boss with skeletons and has 50~ shield

Spoiler

I used 2x attack on rogue. 6 attacks stored. stalled. cast it again. 12 attacks. again.
24
48
96
tanked some hits from boss along the way
then did 96 attacks on the boss and one shot him

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I bought it today. I figured why not. Cheap and figured it might end up semi-rare somewhere down the road.

I think I really like it! The first 10 minutes were pretty frustrating as the controls are different but they eventually clicked. The gameplay loop is fine, I keep unlocking stuff every run and I seem to get a little further every time. Still haven't seen any more heros though, anyone have any idea when more of those night show up?

 

[Clearos]

I got a hero by beating the 2nd boss.

 

[Gsnap]

hahaha overkill but, boss with skeletons and has 50~ shield

Spoiler

I used 2x attack on rogue. 6 attacks stored. stalled. cast it again. 12 attacks. again.
24
48
96
tanked some hits from boss along the way
then did 96 attacks on the boss and one shot him

You can stack that? Holy crap.

 

[Owlowiscious]

Ok I beat it three times now. For beginners, either stack spells and items onto your 1x or 3x attacker. The 2x is just there to match numbers at the start imo.

Spoiler

Beating it each times adds a map to the overall game and adds more monsters and dificulty.
First playthrough: 2 maps
Second playthough: 3 maps
Third playthrough: 4 maps
And probably so on.

Each time you beat it a new character is unlocked, they are specifically 1x, 2x, or 3x and only replace those characters. So far?

After the first playthough:

Spoiler

You get a Bard. This is a 2x and can replace the wizard guy. The bard is nice in that it has a direct damage spell that can be used to skip stamina. So if you see an enemy with lots of stamina but 1hp from a previous attack, you can finish it off. Getting new spells to land in the right buff spots would be useful too. Either stack all your spells onto the bard if the buffs land correctly or give spells to the rogue because she gets faster cooldowns

After second playthough:

Spoiler

You get a luchadore wrestler. A 1x that can replace the knight. This guy is great. If you cast a spell, his melee immediately regens. Try to give him all the spells, hoping lightning buffs land in the right spots. Figuring out what spells to cast where to have him constantly attacking is a big part of this game.

His starting spell is also a good stamina breaker, like the fire spell the knight had.

Note bard uses water spells and luchadore uses lightning. You can combo wet somebody then lightning them for extra (2x?) damage.

After third playthrough:

Spoiler

You get a tiger monk girl like from kung fu panda. A 2x, she is actually a 2x with Ok attack power and heals on attack. So now your 2x slot can actually do damage~ I got tired of playing so I didn't test it much, but she seems alright. She has a fire spell that can do a lot of direct damage, but no stamina drain like the knight had.

Might be good but I might stick with bard/lucha for the water/lightning combo. Maybe the next character will combo well with the tiger.

 

[Phillips455]

So... is there anywhere in the UK actually have pre-orders up for this? Can't seem to find any. It's pretty strange as I have seen store put up listing for it like argos but now I can't find any.

 

[Gsnap]

Just got my third win too. One of the most important things in the game is just knowing what the items do. Then you'll know which character to give them to and that'll help more than anything, I feel. It's good to pay attention to the spell slot bonuses if you can, but the random factor won't always let you.

Also don't always worry about being class specific with how you dole out spells and items. Yeah you'll often want your heavy hitter to hit even heavier, but sometimes you'll want to throw those buffs on the rouge so she can keep up. And often you'll want to decrease the spell cool down on your rouge or heavy hitter because their spells are often really strong. You may think you'd want those on your mage or bard, but that won't always be true.

 

[Niceguydan8]

I bought it today. I figured why not. Cheap and figured it might end up semi-rare somewhere down the road.

I think I really like it! The first 10 minutes were pretty frustrating as the controls are different but they eventually clicked. The gameplay loop is fine, I keep unlocking stuff every run and I seem to get a little further every time. Still haven't seen any more heros though, anyone have any idea when more of those night show up?

After you beat the second boss you will unlock your first hero. Then, you get one more floor added, so you have to beat 3 bosses to unlock the next hero, and 4 for the third hero.

 

[Volcynika]

Thought I killed the second boss, but maybe had him at a sliver then got overwhelmed. nooooo.

 

[depward]

Thanks to the tips here, on my third run (technically second due to the game counting the prologue as one) beat both bosses and got that crazy amount of unlocks.

Fun game! Liking it so far..

 

[Niceguydan8]

I'm pretty surprised that it's getting the scores it's getting. It's definitely flawed in the sense that I think the game does a terrible job of giving you at least a vague idea of the mechanics in the game (elemental combos, backstabs, and even the stamina stuff isn't totally clear), but the game seems pretty deep and really fun once the player starts actually understanding what's going on.

I would put it in 70-75 territory for me.

 

[Owlowiscious]

Just got my third win too. One of the most important things in the game is just knowing what the items do. Then you'll know which character to give them to and that'll help more than anything, I feel. It's good to pay attention to the spell slot bonuses if you can, but the random factor won't always let you.

Also don't always worry about being class specific with how you dole out spells and items. Yeah you'll often want your heavy hitter to hit even heavier, but sometimes you'll want to throw those buffs on the rouge so she can keep up. And often you'll want to decrease the spell cool down on your rouge or heavy hitter because their spells are often really strong. You may think you'd want those on your mage or bard, but that won't always be true.

I try to put all +melee damage onto rogue because that's 3x more effective than putting it on your 1x character? then i try to put combo bonus onto the 1x because I try to break shields with 3 and 2 and combo the stunned monster with 1.


oh also note for others, you can click L stick to switch to item descriptions, and look at the item a person starts with to basically see what that class does. like the rogue lowers spell cooldowns by like 35% or something

 

[Matbtz]

I guess here is no way to choose which position you want a spell in ? To benefit from emplacement bonuses.

It's a shame you can't decide (maybe it would be too easy if you could) and I find it hard sometimes to know if the spell benefit or not from the bonus, for certain spells it's a bit ambiguous. It should be highlighted maybe.

I'm playing currently with this roster

Spoiler

the mexican wrestler, which I stack a LOT of spells to benefit from his ability to recharge his attack. And the Tiger which hit quite hard and the rogue. With a lot of spells on the mexican guy and an item that recharges faster his spell and attack, I destroyed everyone in my run and unlocked the fourth hero

 

[Qvoth]

just played for the 1st time on pc, dead on the 1st battle of the 2nd stage
this game's pretty hard huh, really has to think carefully
might be a bit too troublesome for my taste

 

[faridmon]

so has the Switch version gotten the patch?

 

[Niceguydan8]

just played for the 1st time on pc, dead on the 1st battle of the 2nd stage
this game's pretty hard huh, really has to think carefully
might be a bit too troublesome for my taste

It can be punishing but it's really not terribly difficult outside of some bosses once you get the hang of the game. It took me about 4 runs to really get the hang of what was going on in the game.

 

[SickBoy]

I'm pretty surprised that it's getting the scores it's getting. It's definitely flawed in the sense that I think the game does a terrible job of giving you at least a vague idea of the mechanics in the game (elemental combos, backstabs, and even the stamina stuff isn't totally clear), but the game seems pretty deep and really fun once the player starts actually understanding what's going on.

I would put it in 70-75 territory for me.

I agree with this. I'm not sure *how* deep it is, but I guess it's deep enough that there's probably more to it than I'll ever pick up.

At it's core, I think it's a fun game, though I feel like I had a head start because I watched Nintendo's Treehouse stream, so I had some inkling of how things worked (that video was the reason I bought it — I had watched the trailer prior and thought it looked kind of lame, and that's a first impression that probably isn't doing the game any favors, either).

Maybe some people in this thread went in blind, so I'd be curious to know what kind of curve they faced... I do get the sense from the reviews I've looked at that some people are just totally baffled by the game (Pocket Gamer being the one that immediately comes to mind).

 

[Niceguydan8]

I agree with this. I'm not sure *how* deep it is, but I guess it's deep enough that there's probably more to it than I'll ever pick up.

At it's core, I think it's a fun game, though I feel like I had a head start because I watched Nintendo's Treehouse stream, so I had some inkling of how things worked (that video was the reason I bought it — I had watched the trailer prior and thought it looked kind of lame, and that's a first impression that probably isn't doing the game any favors, either).

Maybe some people in this thread went in blind, so I'd be curious to know what kind of curve they faced... I do get the sense from the reviews I've looked at that some people are just totally baffled by the game (Pocket Gamer being the one that immediately comes to mind).

I actually went in blind and it took me about 2hrs to really get the hang of what was going on. I notice that I learn something new most of the times I do a run.

 

[SmiteOfHand]

Played a bunch of this and since reviews are a bit down on it figured I'd throw my thoughts out there. It is kind of an odd mish-mash of ideas so I'm going to make references to a bunch of games not because they are strongly related but because they are the easiest points of reference for me.

The lane combat is a little bit Plants vs Zombies and a touch of Threes. Yes, the mobile game that was unjustly cloned. Hear me out here. PvZ is a little too sporadic and spammy for me. It isn't a bad game just demanding in ways that don't light up my brain. The pause in Has Been Heroes is huge. Someone compared it to Infinity Engine pause combat and I think that is apt. Being able to kick back and plot out three moves ahead with the simple math is real nice. As far as I can tell there is always a path to victory, it is just how well you plan and execute. And then plan even further ahead for the next row. A smidge of luck doesn't hurt either. This is where the Threes thing comes in. If you are familiar with that game you get a random tile each move, most likely 1-3. It is easy to lock out your options if you are not paying attention but the math is simple enough it never feels too overwhelming. Likewise making sure you are utilizing you heroes 1x, 2x, or 3x so you are always keeping your options open has a similar satisfaction for me when it all comes together. Threes is obviously a 'purer' game in the Tetris sense, but I enjoy it in somewhat similar ways.

It is a roguelike (lite if you must) but similar to Rogue Legacy, and probably others, has unlocks after a run. I hated this system in Rogue Legacy. It is a fundamentally​ different game when you have double jump and air dash making the early game a grind of playing a different sort of platformer, but I digress. I like the way they have done it here. You don't unlock a permanent upgrade, you unlock for an item, spell, etc... to start showing up in the game. It is a subtle change but makes all the difference as each run is still going to be unique from the previous in terms of ability, like a roguelike. I know there are complaints about being tutorial light but I think this is a clever way to introduce you to things, keeping the early game tight and not overwhelming with hundreds of items. I like my roguelike to throw you in the deep end sink or swim, not endless tutorials, so I think this is a good middle ground. Also means you are getting a constant drip of new stuff that the kids crave.

I wish the individual combat encounters were a little shorter even just say 25%. The length of the boss fights feels right, but by the time I have reached them I definitely start feeling combat fatigue. Now that I am getting into 3+ floors I'll probably shift to more of a one or two runs a day sort of deal. Speaking of, a daily dungeon would be nice.

It feels like something with DLC or even a second pass on a sequel where they could really tighten it up and have something really cool, but unfortunately that looks unlikely based on reception. Cool game all the same, and worth checking out if any of my above rambling made any sort of sense to you.

 

[depward]

Good write-up, Smite.

Agree with encounter time. Would like to see it cut down a bit... sometimes they feel like they drag.

Aside from that, really, I'm enjoying it. Helps keep my brain fresh, as it needs you to be constantly looking for stamina break situations.

It's also a VERY suitable game for Switch, as I find small slices of time to play this compared to playing it on a living room TV or monitor. So I can appreciate the Switch version, specifically for that purpose.

 

[SmiteOfHand]

Ohh, that is why puddles and wetness are so prevalent. Chaining and grouping just unlocked in my brain in a big way. Who knew Zelda isn't the only Switch game with a chemistry engine. You're alright, video game.

 

[Niceguydan8]

Ohh, that is why puddles and wetness are so prevalent. Chaining and grouping just unlocked in my brain in a big way. Who knew Zelda isn't the only Switch game with a chemistry engine. You're alright, video game.

Yeah, that revelation really helped out my future runs.

I'm really digging this game.

 

[Wiitardation]

Trying to decide if i should go physical or digital on Switch.

Does the physical version have art on the inside of the case?

 

[one_kill]

Played for about 15 minutes today in my down time and liked what I played. That said, it'll take me some time to get my head around the mechanics and control.

Trying to decide if i should go physical or digital on Switch.

Does the physical version have art on the inside of the case?

AUS release doesn't have one.

 

[depward]

Asked a question about wtf is backstabbing and got a nice response.

Check it: https://www.reddit.com/r/hasbeenheroes/comments/63ceuc/backstab/

Very interesting. I had no idea about this... but will start incorporating it into my lane switching strategy.

 

[Niceguydan8]

Asked a question about wtf is backstabbing and got a nice response.

Check it: https://www.reddit.com/r/hasbeenheroes/comments/63ceuc/backstab/

Very interesting. I had no idea about this... but will start incorporating it into my lane switching strategy.

There is a hero that you unlock that encourages that sort of play. On his weapon it says "If enemy is hit on the way back after attack: 50% damage for next melee combo."

 

[Seik]

Just received my Switch physical copy!

Will try it later tonight, I'm prepared for something hard as fuck, so I assume I won't be disappointed. :lol

Trying to decide if i should go physical or digital on Switch.

Does the physical version have art on the inside of the case?

Nope, it's as barebone as it gets, there's not even something printed on the back of the cover, pure white and your cartridge once you open the case.

 

[Glix]

So this game is great.

But i would never ever reccomend it to anyone i know lol.

You have to really be down with roguelike gameflow AND ats battle systems.

Additionally you cannot brute force at all. You must battle "correctly" as in matching up your hits with their stamina bar.

I have unlocked three heroes to give you a sense of my progress.

Protips -

1. Crits are MEGA important. The hit for full power even if the enemy still has stamia.

2. The 20 stamina guys that you commonly see have low hp. Even crappy spells wreck them.

3. Giving the rouge crit+ items and then ising his default buff on himself is very effective.

4. Hp buffs are pretty useless i find. Once you are out of stamina, you are not long for this word.

5. Like most rougelikes you want to hit as many spaces and battles as you can NOT find the path of leadt resistance to the boss

6. If even one hero is off the back line you can switch anyone into any lane by swapping them around.

 

[whyreggielie]

I've put a lot of time into this game and it really gets complex upon the 5th character unlock. I'd recommend the second mage over the third as water spells are crucial for keeping enemies slowed down on the 5th map. I was at the point of literally being able to constantly reset attacks and I was still having trouble, I can't even imagine the next run as that was so damn hard. Very rewarding though if you can make it.

4. Hp buffs are pretty useless i find. Once you are out of stamina, you are not long for this word.
them around.

Mostly true with the exception of fire mage bosses. Early in the game HP+ is absolutely useless though.

 

[Glix]

I've put a lot of time into this game and it really gets complex upon the 5th character unlock. I'd recommend the second mage over the third as water spells are crucial for keeping enemies slowed down on the 5th map. I was at the point of literally being able to constantly reset attacks and I was still having trouble, I can't even imagine the next run as that was so damn hard. Very rewarding though if you can make it.

I like the third mage because his melee hits are decent. And he is really cool looking lol. But you are further than me so i will take your word for it.

Protip - on the boss that makes the shadow versions of himself that die in one hit, you can change lanes after an attack and hit them on your way back and it will kill them.

Protip 2 - the luchadors spell recharges his melee meter even if you give the buff to someone else.

 

[SmiteOfHand]

Protip - on the boss that makes the shadow versions of himself that die in one hit, you can change lanes after an attack and hit them on your way back and it will kill them.

I think this advice spans all attacks. You want to be getting as much bang for your buck out of every move. Backstabs being essentially free damage regardless of stamina is crazy useful considering it doesn't even have a cool down like spells. Might just be chip damage, sure, but utilize that backstab, folks.

 

[correojon]

I wasn´t interested in this game, but reading all you guys exchanging battle tactics has made me change my mind. It seems there´s a deep combat system in this game and it even expands the more you play, which is something I love. Count me in!

 

[SmiteOfHand]

I wasn´t interested in this game, but reading all you guys exchanging battle tactics has made me change my mind. It seems there´s a deep combat system in this game and it even expands the more you play, which is something I love. Count me in!

I think it is an easy game to dismiss and for understandable reasons. People are well into roguelike fatigue, and one of those with a fairly demanding and convoluted combat system is hard to "find the fun" quickly. It is like boardgames in that way where there is a pretty big wall of just understanding how it even comes together that can be off putting for some folks.

If none of that scares you off then there is a totally interesting game past that initial wall. I have something like two dozen runs and figure out something new and subtle every time. Which is the exact sort of nuance I like in my roguelike.

And my last run ended immediately in my first encounter because I wasn't paying attention to my mage. I like being kept on my toes.

 

[Whizkid7]

I originally didn't find much use for the 3rd unlocked character, because the fire spell doesn't seem to gel with anything really other than picking off high stamina guys. Then somebody told me fire + lightning can potentially cause an explosion dealing more damage and my eyes lit up. I was WONDERING why I saw big fire patches occasionally on my test run.

Still think water + lightning is easiest combo to run with for now, though. Game keeps teaching me new things!

 

[depward]

Just unlocked the third hero. Had a heck of a time with the

Spoiler

Lightning totem

boss but luckily had a spell that really helped me out the latest run.

Not sure how I did it, but I booted up the game yesterday and got to a debug mode. Googling it seems like it isn't a super rare occurrence...

I will say, I did select the "unlock all" option and I was able to see every single hero in the hero selection menu. Being the dummy that I am, I didn't screenshot this stuff (just the initial debug menu) but it was quite interesting

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Just unlocked

Spoiler

the luchador

really nice one-two with

Spoiler

the bard's

water abilities. Drenching the battlefield and doing lightening damage to the entire field and getting an epic kill is really satisfying!

 

[Nosgotham]

I'm actually hooked on this game more than Binding of Isaac. I can't believe the reviews. The more you play the more varied everything gets. Still figuring out all my strategies but it's a really addictive process

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I'm actually hooked on this game more than Binding of Isaac. I can't believe the reviews. The more you play the more varied everything gets. Still figuring out all my strategies but it's a really addictive process

If the in-game tracker is accurate, it says I've put a little over 25 hours in since I picked it up last Friday.

This game is not a 4/10.

 

[Seik]

Damn, my first try was rough.

Definitely need to read more on this game, because I was just throwing everythng I had on the closest enemy without thinking much. D:

 

[March of the Crabs]

I'm actually hooked on this game more than Binding of Isaac. I can't believe the reviews. The more you play the more varied everything gets. Still figuring out all my strategies but it's a really addictive process

I'm the same way. I'm always down for a few quick rounds of BOI, but with this game once I pick it up I can't stop until life forces me to.

 

[unrealist]

I am sure this has been asked, but did Switch get the patch yet?

 

[Clearos]

I really enjoy that the more you play the more that is unlocked for heroes and enemies alike. Smart way to introduce the game and have you keep coming back. I finally lost my first game to the 3 lane boss, like an idiot let my lowest stamina guy take a hit..........and he took a bit too much.

 

[kingofthedead45]

hahaha overkill but, boss with skeletons and has 50~ shield

Spoiler

I used 2x attack on rogue. 6 attacks stored. stalled. cast it again. 12 attacks. again.
24
48
96
tanked some hits from boss along the way
then did 96 attacks on the boss and one shot him

LOL nice, and total overkill but yeah, good on you. For reference if you freeze any enemy you'll not only knock down their Stam meter you'll also do direct damage even if they still have Stam. So I did something similar but only required 24 hits or so with the rogue. Fastest boss I've taken down so far. Very fun fight.