Heroine Anthem Zero -Sacrifice- Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this game, and I’d recommend it to fans of fantasy stories and beautiful music—provided they can tolerate poor English translations and a lot of dialogue (this game is about 80% story). There were many aspects I loved, but also quite a few that needed significant improvement. [h3]What I Liked:[/h3] [b] The Music[/b] – Absolutely fantastic. It far exceeds the quality you'd expect from a game like this, perfectly fitting the tone and world. Even when looping, it's a pleasure to listen to. I have nothing but praise for it, and I’m glad they maintained this standard in [i]HA:Zero 2[/i]. [b] Art Direction & Quality[/b] – The visuals are polished and professional. The background art is stunning, and the character CGs feel lively, highlighting each character’s personality. Even supporting characters and town folk have high-quality portraits, making the main village feel bustling and alive. And of course, I have to mention the fanservice CGs—they’re [i]spicy[/i] as hell. [b] Character Designs[/b] – A crucial aspect of any story-driven game, and this one delivers, especially with the more lewd designs of the female characters. [b] The Story & Characters[/b] – While opinions may vary, I personally enjoyed the story and its cast. Wanin is a likable protagonist—friendly, if a bit plain. His little sister, Naire, and his fairy companion, Momo, are also very endearing. Some players found the story unfocused, but I disagree; it’s clear that Episode One is laying the groundwork for future installments. [b] Japanese Voice Acting[/b] – The voice work is excellent, featuring well-known talent like Yusuke Kobayashi ([i]Subaru from Re:Zero[/i]). It’s unfortunate that [i]HA:Zero 2[/i] couldn’t include voiced scenes, but given the studio’s struggles after the mixed reception of this game, it’s understandable. [h3]What Needs Improvement:[/h3] [b] Combat[/b] – To put it bluntly, the action is extremely barebones. There’s no dodging or blocking—you can only evade by jumping. There are only two attack variations: normal attack and charge attack. The normal attack combo feels weightless. While each weapon has a unique charge attack with different uses, it’s not enough to make combat feel engaging. That said, the movement is at least fluid. [b] Exploration[/b] – Severely lacking. At least 60% of the playable areas are just straight-line paths with minimal verticality or detours. Even the more open areas don’t offer much. Additionally, it’s often hard to tell whether a lower section is a platform or a death pit. [b] Dialogue-Heavy Gameplay[/b] – I’d describe this game as more of a text-based adventure than an action platformer. Personally, I expected this going in, so I wasn’t disappointed—but many players were. Since about 80% of the game is dialogue, it’s not for those who dislike reading or expected something like [i]Ender Lilies[/i]. The only major playable areas come in the final chapter. [b] English Translation[/b] – This is a major issue. A story-heavy game like this desperately needs a proper translation, but unfortunately, this problem remains unaddressed in the sequel. The Japanese voice acting helps make the dialogue more digestible, but with [i]HA:Zero 2[/i] lacking voiceovers, the translation flaws stand out even more. I really hope the developers fix this for the third entry. I also have minor pet peeves, like useless items and monster drops, but overall, the gameplay feels barebones and underdeveloped. Fortunately, most of these issues were addressed or improved in the sequel. I hope the developers continue refining the franchise and expanding their English audience.