ZHEROS

When it comes to videogames, you can never have too much polish. This is an underappreciated element of videogames, and let me tell you why: Most developers simply don't have the time. No matter the era, developers are constantly faced with impossible deadlines. Basically, not every "i" is going to be dotted, nor will every "t" will be crossed. However, if developers had the time to make even the slightest adjustments, they could turn a good game into something even better.
Since this is a review, you already understand where I'm going with this. Zheros is a nice beatemup. It has a solid foundation, some good ideas, and it can be pretty entertaining. However, this is a game that deserves a good polishing. The problems with Zheros could be measured in fractions and decimals. These issues are so slight, so miniscule, that people are liable not to notice them, but they'll still realize that something's wrong when they're playing the game. They'll say things like "What?" and "That doesn't make sense." or maybe just "Bullcrap!"
Jack and Dorian are a couple of Zheros out to stop Dr. Vendetta from doing evil things. Dr. Vendetta? I guess Captain I'mABadGuy and AdmiralBoneToPick weren't available. Anyway, the two playable characters team up to deliver fists of justice to a massive number of aliens and robots, over the course of 18 levels. Despite being a beatemup, this game is fairly long. Many of the levels can take more than 10 minutes to beat, some even as much as 30! In the time it takes to beat one level, you could probably play through the entirety of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or some other classic arcade brawler. Needless to say, it's greatly appreciated that progress is saved, after the completion of every level.
With the beatemup genre, we can expect at least some level of repetitiveness. Thankfully, Zheros does its best to keep things interesting with a large variety of enemies to battle. Jack and Dorian also have a wealth of combos they can perform. To add to this, the good guys can deflect both bullets and blows with a well-timed block. The brawling itself is serviceable, and it's fun just pounding baddies by the dozens. However, as you progress through the game, you're also liable to notice all of the little problems. At first they feel like nitpicks, but these complaints add up and start tearing away at the game. Allow me to share with you some of the issues that I've run into.
A lot of the enemies have melee attacks that are hard to read. The most common enemy is a small robot. Aside from firing their laser rifle, they also kick and swing their gun at the player. In the heat of the fight, it's never really clear what they're doing, and their range is so short you'll hardly be able to tell they're doing anything. Other, even smaller robots on wheels are harder to focus on. They rear back and do a lunging attack, but the lack of movement doesn't help them stand out. It's also annoying that the heroes drop everything, just to kick the bombs that these "dog-bots" drop. Kicked bombs don't suddenly explode and damage enemies, they're just moved to a different spot.
What you're more likely to notice is all of the damage you'll take while on your back. Certain larger enemies are capable of doing knock-down attacks. When they gang up on you, they can knock you to the ground, then continue hitting you. There's nothing you can do about this. It's a rare occurence, but if their attacks are timed at the right moment, they can deplete your health fairly quickly. While you can also knock the enemy down and continue hitting them, the larger foes can block your attacks at random. I've had my attacks completely deflected, even when the foe was lying down! Some other enemies will repeatedly dodge your moves, which is also annoying.
When enemies aren't randomly blocking your attacks, they can do a fantastic job at countering you. While the game would probably be too easy if your attacks had all of the priority, I'm of the camp that believes in "some is better than none". Your combos will get stuffed by enemy attacks at a constant rate. When foes group together, you'll find that it's extremely hard to get some moves in to spread everyone out. On the other hand, I think this aspect of the game adds a little depth. Beatemups are really enjoyable, when you have to work for those openings in the enemy's onslaught. Although, I also think that the heroes should yell "OUCH!" or "OOF!" when they take damage. Even when they're getting pummeled, Jack & Dorian don't utter the slightest grunt.
In level 1-8 "The Shelter", there is a section where you have to hit a button. This button causes a shutter to close, which keeps intense heat from sapping your health. However, this shutter re-opens in just a few seconds, which isn't enough time to get more than a couple punches on a huge cyborg bullman. This is one of those moments where two seconds, yes, two additional seconds of closed-shutter time, would have made that section far more manageable. Instead, you're going to be constantly distracted by the shutter, and trying to babysit it while also not being obliterated by one of the toughest enemies in the game.
Then there are the bosses. I didn't really enjoy fighting these clowns. Most of your attacks just don't do much damage. I had the most success with the Y, X, X, X, X, X, etc combo. Oddly enough, I had the least amount of trouble with the final boss, and that's because his attacks are the only ones that can be shut down by the block. The other two bosses require liberal use of the dodge button, and even that isn't guaranteed. On the brightside, there are plenty of health items, and the bosses don't do an excessive amount of damage.
What's telling about most of these complaints, is that all of them could be fixed via minor adjustments. Let's say that some attacks give the player 1 or 2 frames of invulnerability, or allow them a half-second to recover after being knocked down. The second boss would ever-so-slightly pause before their double axe-handle, allowing the player enough time (if they're paying attention) to get out of the way. The player should be allowed a distinct audible cue when their hero is getting hurt. These are all little things, the ones that are most likely to be overlooked, but they have a sizable impact on the game.
Despite my many complaints, Zheros is a perfectly serviceable way to spend a weekend or two. If you have a friend to play co-op with, then it's all the better. If you're flying solo and are prone to aggravation; consider sticking to the easy difficulty. This game's polish deficiency will cause you to repeat some headache-inducing sections, and there's no way to change difficulties, without restarting the entire game. That said, if you do decide to tough it out and play on normal or hard, you could eventually become accustomed to the wonkier aspects of this game. It might take longer than it should, but this game will "click" for you, if you allow it to.
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This is a very colorful game with awesome animations.
The effects are amazing, and because of this and the various fight combos you won't get bored.
The music keeps you energized and the characters look great. It's cool that you can also parry attacks, and all of it with nice graphics and colors.
It is nice to know that you are an intergalactic agent and you go into a mission to defend humanity.
If you like beat'em up games or generally games with action, then certainly you will like this game! I reccomend it!!!

ZHEROS is a side-scrolling brawler type game with a twist as it has a more 3D perspective to it.
Right off the bat as I watched the opening cut scenes it gave off a Saturday morning cartoon serial quality which I loved as I reminisced about all those shows I used to watch. The developers of ZHEROS have a great sense of humour as some of the cut scenes are hilarious and priceless. :)
You battle your way through the sci-fi setting using brute force or some occiasonal weapons. You want to to try and maximize your combo moves to boost your score. I really liked the way the controller layout in the settings illustrates with pictures exactly what each button will do for you so you can pick it up almost instantly and be an efficient brawler right away.
As you make your way through you can continue to develop your characters skills and improve their abilities. I have played with Mike only so far and I'm quite happy with his current skill set. You will also unlock some weapons and gear as you work your way through the levels.
While the combat is challenging I would have liked to see more from the computer AI as I find the bulk of your battles is just facing ever increasingly larger mobs of minions that come at you in waves and this can get to be a bit repetitive after awhile.
Visuals are very impressive and again I liken it to a saturday morning sci-fi cartoon which I love. Music and effects are upbeat and well suited for this type of game.
There is no online multiplayer but there is a local co-op which I'm sure this would make it even more fun but unfortunately I haven't had anyone here to play with yet but I will get my son to try it out with me when he comes home this weekend.
Overall I have enjoyed this game to date and it has served as a trip down memory lane for me as well. Even if beat'em up games are not your thing I encourage you to try this one as the story, humour and visuals might be enough to change your opinion of the genre.
Two thumbs up!!

Here's a link to my review video:
ZHEROS gets a 4/5. Overall I enjoyed the game. It had goofy and quirky characters, nice galactic feel to it, and a ton of different combos. It did take a little while to get a nice variety of enemies because they show up one at a time, but I kinda enjoyed watching their little introductions. The first half of the first world felt a bit repetitive, but after that the levels started having their own design and uniqueness to them.
-Graphics: Very nicely done cartoon graphics. I did get a bit of a headache when I first played the game though. That camera shake was just too much for me and I normally don't have that kind of problem with games. Thankfully you can change it in the settings and I brought my camera shake down to 20% and turned the depth of field off.
-Sound: Extremely up beat music made to amp you up.
-Story: You are a couple of galactic police officers trying to take down Dr. Vendetta and keep the galaxy safe.
-Single-player/Multiplayer: Single player and has local co-op. Unfortunately you cannot play online because I recommend having a friend to play with. Not only does it make the game more fun, but when you go down they can pick you up. In single player mode you will have to start at the beginning of the level or the last checkpoint. However, in co-op mode the RP is not evenly distributed between the two players so one person can easily end up weaker than the other.
-Controls: Very nice and you can change them in the settings. I highly recommend having a controller as it makes it easier to perform those combos and if you play with a keyboard you'll have to look at your controls setting since the tutorial will give you controller keys but not keyboard keys.
-Setting: The futuristic type music fits perfectly with the galactic settings.
-Characters: There are two characters to choose from. Mike is your basic meat-head who just wants to punch things. Captain Dorian is agile and fond of kicking. She also does a slam move that just makes me cringe because she lands in a split... ugh.
-Gameplay: Fun and full of minions to beat up. If you ever forget how to do a combo you can pause the game and look and the combo list to refresh your memory.
-Customization: Can't change a characters looks, but you can distribute your RP between combos, shield, or gun after each level.
-Dialogue/Well Written: There's really no talking in this game, just punching, kicking, shooting, and the grunting that Dr. Vendetta does instead of talking.
-Tutorial: The first couple levels are pretty basic. They go through which buttons do what (On the controller, for keyboard you need to look at your controls) and introduce enemies and traps.
-Other: I wish the beams and pillars in the foreground went transparent when you moved behind them, but that's just a small gripe. Enjoyed the additions in the background of little robots repairing stuff or being locked out of a door.
-Worth the price tag: I'm always in the mind set of catch it on sale. However, this is a pretty good beat-em-up so for fans of the genre I say go for it. Another positive is you only need one copy since it's local co-op.
Have Fun Gamers!

Zheros:
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Mike and Captain Dorian are members of the intergalactic team called, “Zheros,” which combats crime in the universe. This time, they are facing the evil Dr. Vendetta who wants to mutate every living creature and transform them into his minions. This is definitely not going be a walk in the park; it will be a challenging mission for “Zheros!”
Zheros is an action / 3D beat’em up game where you play either Mike or Captain Dorian from the Zheros squad in single mode, or you can play with someone else on a local co-op mode. This game is absolutely frantic from the start. You will face several types of enemy as you progress into the game. The most comment one will be the white robots with a triangular shaped head, but you will encounter other really tough ones like the “Space Cow”. As in all good beat’em up games, you have to maximise your combos to get as many points as you can. On top of that, your character will have a shield to protect him/her from projectiles and punches, as well as a mounted gun on his/her forearm to use if you are in a pickle (they are plenty in this game)!
Collect all the golden tokens by destroying the orange boxes and do not forget about the golden star; there is one hidden in each level. At the end of the level, you will be able to see how many tokens you have collected and how many RP’s you will get for them. You will need RP’s to upgrade Mike and Captain Dorian’s abilities; more moves, better shield or more damage with your mounted gun.
Also, there are blue, green and red cylinders; the blue one will help you with your ammunition and the green one will regenerate your health. All I can say for the red cylinder is shoot at them when your enemies are close to them…hehehehe, BOOM!
Levels will also have obstacles, electric grids, lasers and more.
I really enjoy the 3D cartoonist graphics in this game and the animations are fabulous. The levels are fun and challenging. The controls are really responsive. The soundtrack will keep you pumped and help you to beat the upcoming levels.
Positives:
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- Great 3D cartoonist graphics
- Fun, fast and frantic gameplay
- Really good animations
- Plenty of moves
- Achievements and trading cards
Negatives:
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- RP not equally distributed in Co-op mode
A great, fun and fast 3D beat’em up game to have in your library. Highly recommended!
8.5/10
Key provided by developer/publisher for review purposes. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own!
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Graphically, it's a nice looking game, fairly over the top designs for the heroes and robots. Unlike most games of this genre it isn't just going from left to right, there is a 3D element in play too as you can be heading up or down along a path as well, so it isn't quite linear, which opens the door for the a bit of exploring if it appears there are two paths you can take.The HUD is perfect in its simplicity, top par is your health, bottom bar is your energy (which is tied to the player's ability to block or fire a weaspon)
The controls are easy to learn, which is a huge plus, as some games tend to over-think the controlscheme a bit, though Zheros does have some control elements I don't like (the hold a button to charge an attack gimmick is something I truly hate, no matter the game). Playing normal difficulty, there is a nice even flow, where you have to learn and master all the basics, as knowing when to dodge and block can often be a determining factor being victory and defeat, by the end of the 3rd stage, a player should have all the basics down solid (at least in theory)
The music is where this game shines, I was just bopping along to the sound track, it's that infectious! The sound effects are of a decent quality, the robots have little sounds they make when getting smack around which is a nice touch.
VERDICT
Though Zheros has very mixed reviews on Steam, I find it enjoyable for what it is, and since decent beat 'em games are not as easy to come by these days, I give this game my approval, and recommend you give it a shot!
Review can also befound on my blog at www.fredcasdensbasement.com

"In a journey through distant and unknown galaxies, you play as the members of the Zheros squad: Mike (strong, awkward and dim-witted) and Captain Dorian (agile, smart and ready for anything). Your mission: defend the universe from the evil Dr. Vendetta and his twisted plan to mutate every living creature in his trusted minions. In single player or in co-op mode, you can rely on your punches, using a rich selection of combos, and on powerful hi-tech weapons, but if that was not enough, a strong and destructive mech will come to the rescue in the most dangerous situations..."
Ah, yes… another retro-styled throwback – another beat ’em-up battle of furious fisticuffs. Here we go again! Zheros, bring it on. I’m ready to blow stuff up, jump around, and mash my punch button combos.
The first bit of news is that the game is good to go from the off; I plugged in my PS4 controller and all the button hints immediately changed in recognition. The early stages are easy to get into but not so undemanding to cause a collapse from boredom after five minutes. Gameplay is a mix of easy, intuitive and hard to master in just the right ratio. How do I know this? Well, there was a big grin on my face the entire time I was playing. A few points there then. (DING!)
Zheros is very good at what it does, with a well structured and nicely polished design, but sadly it fails to deliver as much fun as it appears to promise. I may just be incompetent, but the timed Level Five took me four attempts to complete, each try lasting around five minutes. I challenged a friend to complete the same level, and he is still trying - I have no expectations of hearing back from him any time soon. Also, be warned, checkpoints refuse to save when quitting and dropping in and out is impossible; levels have to be played start to end. Sometimes retro is slightly too retro.
I was a bit frustrated by unskippable, stupidly difficult enemies – to kill certain opponents in timed conditions the buttons were simply not responsive enough, which was not helped by the weird, unchangeable, control mappings. (Note to developers: please avoid mapping a quick-response button to a trigger control!) Add in a lack of cues for the timing of button-presses and LEVEL 5, yes LEVEL 5, was as far as I ever progressed in my hours of solid Steam time.
The graphics are, however, very colourful and engaging, and honestly, quite pretty; the look of Zheros will not bore and the graphics and art style fit the gameplay beautifully. As impressive as it looks, though, there are only two worlds to explore - if I had ever made it past the first one. A positive though, is the soundtrack, which is fast, aggressive, and motivational.
And then to the plot, which could be sketched out in full on the back of the proverbial packet of cigs. Frankly, there is no real reason for the slug-fest between the forces of good (all TWO of their best soldiers!) and Dr Vendetta, surely the daftest super villain name since Dr Evil and Sir Bonetopick, who were both clearly unavailable when Zheros was being developed. So plot points… more like flop points!
So where does that leave me? Well, there are no user-designable levels and I can confirm there never will be – because I emailed the devs. There were a few joystick issues in menus but all things considered this is actually surprisingly adequate for what it is and how much it costs.
To sum up: If you want a simple, well made, bug-free beat-em-up then Zheros is the game for you, provided you can get past the first level. However, if you came searching for a sense of humour, or a plot of any kind… well… your princess may just well be - dare I say it? - in another castle.
7/10