Developer: Over the Top Games
Publisher: Over the Top Games
Available on: PC, Mac
Tested on: PC
Million to One Hero – Review
In today’s gaming landscape, more and more developers reach back in time to bring us some of that awesome retro style we all know and love. Million to One Hero is not any different, it looks and sounds the part while also playing very smooth at the same time. Million to One Hero is brought to us by Over the Top Games and attempts to pull at your nostalgia strings to lure you in, and then surprises you with level design, gameplay and level creators.
Story
The story is actually a conversation between you and the god Cronos, where he explains that in the past everything was different, there was no Netflix and… there were just heroes, who did amazing feats of strength and wisdom. Some heroes stood out amongst the crowd, heroes like Hercules. But there was one hero who was dead set on being the best of the best, he wanted to be the cream of the crop, and that is the hero you will portray, Epicus. It is told that even-though Epicus could fail hundreds, if not thousands of times, he always succeeded in the end and the world saw that he was epic.
As you portray Epicus through his journey to become the most renowned hero in the world and get a statue in his own village, you will have to traverse countless levels and master several obstacles along the way. Cronos is always by your side as well, popping up now and then to give you either tips or joke around about how bad of a job you’re doing. Cronos really has the timing on point as well, popping up when you least expect it. If you unfortunately die, and you will die a lot, a little text pops up that says: Hades awaits you.
But here is where Million to One Hero has a twist, you can become the mastermind of these levels and the story. There is a creator mode where you create stages and even entire stories for other people to play. Everything you see in the game can be used in creator mode, so even the NPCs and the ability to add text to your story. These can even be added to the weekly feature so everyone can give a go at completing your own story.
Sadly, from a story perspective, it is very noticeable that this game is built around the level editor since there are basically only 3 story missions and that’s it. The rest of your epic adventures is playing the levels other people have made. While the level editor is amazing, it left us wanting a bit more story-wise, especially since the levels you do get are very well made and the story is really fun too. The story then basically consists of you completing community-made levels as the only way that would make Epicus famous.
Graphics
Million to One Hero looks amazing, the retro looking graphics look very crisp and extremely colorful. There are no cutscenes or anything, instead, Cronos pops up now and then to talk to you. The variety in backdrops the levels have is also great and really makes the levels pop that much more.
Sound
This game has an amazing chiptune soundtrack that could have come straight out of the arcade. Similar to the graphics being very smooth and crisp, the same can be said for the soundtrack. There are fun little sound effects too for everything like jumping, attacking falling, dying, etc… There is no voice acting in the story missions at all which could have added something more to the game.
Gameplay
Million to One Hero is a 2D platform game that will put your skills to test. It starts off fairly easy with the tutorial missions, which also function as the main story. But as you progress through the game and play all the user-made levels, it can get pretty spicy. Some levels are made purely for fun and enjoying your time, while others are made to push you to your limits.
It’s clear that this iteration is built around the level creator, while this could be a risk. It’s a risk that Over the Top Games took and it actually paid off. The level creator is amazing and incredibly detailed as there is no limit to how crazy your levels can get. You can make them as brutally challenging as you want, but there is one catch: if you build a level, you have to play it and finish it yourself before it can be published. So, every level that gets published can actually be beaten. It is up to you to try and re-enact what the creator did.
Every week some levels get hand-picked from the developers for a weekly feature that can revolve around several different challenges. One week it can be with a focus on speedrunning while the other week can be dedicated to solving puzzles in grueling stages.
One thing that has to get the spotlight above all else is how smooth Million to One Hero feels to play. The movements, the transitions, everything just feels absolutely amazing. The movement feels natural and crisp, the platforming is challenging but fair.
Conclusion
Million to One Hero is an amazing 2D platformer that can serve as a replacement for people who don’t have the means to play Super Mario Maker and that is a massive compliment. The amount of detail you can add with the level creator and the nearly limitless options you are presented with to carve your own unique path through Epicus his life is astounding. While yes, there is a pretty big lack in original story-telling, it really doesn’t take away from how well the game is crafted. Million to One Hero is an already amazing game with the potential to become truly great and one you should definitely try out.
Million to One Hero - Review,
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