ZAP! POW! and so on…
Deadbeat Heroes is the first game from Deadbeat Productions, which was founded by former staff from Rockstar and Lionhead. You play as a comic-book hero fighting through rooms of enemies in a brawler-style game. Enemies are varied so you can’t just button-mash, you’ll need to mix it up for victory. There are over 40 levels, although they are each quite short, some comprising of just a few rooms.
You will, however, need to reach level requirements to proceed to the next level, even if you already completed it but either took too much damage or died. It’s a frustrating mechanic that basically means you’ll have to replay the levels you’ve done till you reach a certain standard before you are allowed to continue, it’s a shame and is a bit off-putting.
The controls are simple to pick up and the game has some great ideas but it would have been nice to have an effective combo system in place. The comic-book art-style is also brilliant and works well with the feel of the game. Visually, the game is a mixed bag but runs smoothly while the music is repetitive.
The Verdict
Deadbeat Heroes looks like it has so much potential, but it fails to capitalise on it. The enemies are varied enough and the levels are decent, but the game is repetitive in nature and having to replay missions to continue through sometimes is a drag. There’s good and bad to be found here and not in a comic-book story kind of way, but if you can overlook the game’s Kryptonite then you will enjoy it in small doses.