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Miss the nineties? Try this classic RPG- Hero of Aethric Quick First Impressions

5K View2022-11-30

I love the nineties, and playing Hero of Aethric brought me back to that time. With its retro stylings and nostalgic easter eggs, it’s definitely a link to the past. To be clear, this game is no Legend of Zelda, but it will satisfy anyone craving an old-school RPG.

THE STORY

Hero of Aethric is a follow-up to Orna: The GPS RPG. The game takes place on the continent of Aethric, eleven years have passed since the Falling, an event that brought beasts of lore to life. The Order of the Unfelled have vowed to protect what remains of humankind from this blight, and the player character seeks to join this order.

PLATFORMS

Hero of Aethric is currently available for iOS and Android in early access. I played on my iPhone 13, and everything was smooth, aside from a few glitches, which were warned about in the title screen and are to be expected in an early access release.

TIME PLAYED

I spent around seven hours playing Hero of Aethric while traveling back from Thanksgiving break. Even in its early stages, the maps are vast, and it’s easy to get sucked into the questing, leveling, and town-building this game offers.

WHAT’S AWESOME

• Retro feel. Hero of Aethric really succeeds with its nostalgia factor thanks to old-school pixelated graphics, 8-bit music, and frequent homages to ’80s and ’90s RPGs.

• Gameplay. Though still early, Hero of Aethric already has satisfying gameplay built around questing with your online guildmates, customizing your hero with your own blend of spells and gear, and best of all, building up your own town full of shops, houses, and more. New modes are promised with future updates as well, so this is really just the start.

• Monetization. Hero of Aethric provides plenty to do without breaking the bank. The in-game runeshop allows you to spend real money for sprite packs for cosmetic character customization, as well as additional classes if you're not happy with your initial choice of a warrior, mage, or thief. But I was more than satisfied running around Loton Woods and questing with my thief.

WHAT SUCKS

• Slow pace. From the character’s movement speed through the world map to the task of mindlessly walking around forests killing goblins to complete quests, parts of Hero of Aethric felt tedious and slow.

• Connection. Hero of Aetrhic requires an online connection, so you'll need a decent Wi-Fi connection or data plan to get the most out of it. In addition, I definitely hit bits of lag and small glitches in my playthrough, although some of that is likely due to the game being in early access.

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