Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes

Originally, the PC game by Silent Dreams was self-published as an online download . The improved "Premium Edition" was published by Headup Games as a physical medium in July 2010, with improved graphics and features, as well as German voice output with well-known voice actors. A USA version was published shortly afterwards in October 2010 by Meridian4 , the partner of Headup Games in America.

In the same month Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes appeared as a download on the online platform Steam . In December 2012 the full version of the premium version of the game was part of the computer magazine c't software collection 6 which was included in the 26/2012 issue.

action

The young recruit Drake fails the exam for the military academy. He is denied fighting for his proud kingdom of Glory. Humiliated and frustrated, he wants to throw himself into the throats of brutal mushrooms. But then Drake realizes that he is not the only one who wants to take his own life disappointed. He meets the last, depressive remnants of the royal troops, who return seriously injured from an all-important battle. From the very battle that Drake was denied.

One of the survivors is the most famous human hero: Holy Avatar. The arrogant knight in shining armor tells how a suddenly emerging sect destroyed the entire royal army. The Land of Glory is being overrun by the creatures of the Dark Church. Before the population finds out about this and panic breaks out, a troop should be recruited as quickly as possible to fight back the Dark Church. Since all the heroic men in this country have been killed or seriously injured, only shady characters remain in the high-security dungeon. They found the Evil Heroes!

Gameplay

Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes is a tactical role-playing game in which you control up to ten characters that you collect in the course of the game in addition to the main character Drake through a series of areas, dungeons and battles. The game is displayed in a "top-down" perspective; The player always sees what is happening at an angle from above. To advance in Grotesque Tactics, the player must explore areas and fight enemies frequently. By defeating opponents and completing quests, he collects experience points for all participating characters, which lead to higher levels with a certain number. With new levels, the characters learn new skills and the use of new equipment and increase their combat attributes.

The main starting point of the player-controlled group is a village called Station Wish, where the group can get new quests, heal fallen comrades, rest and buy healing potions, better weapons and armor. These are required in order to survive the increasingly difficult battles. For example, the character Holy Avatar learns an area damage attack that allows him to attack multiple opponents at the same time.

Combat system

Although the movement in the game takes place on a grid with individual fields, this style only comes into its own when fighting enemies. Based on the speed attribute of the participating fighters, the order in which the fighters act is determined. Using healing potions and other items, changing equipment and looting fallen enemies and chests does not count against a fighter's freedom of action. Attacks are calculated by comparing the damage caused by the attacker with the defense of the target. This decides how many life points the defending unit loses as a result of the attack. A fighter whose life points drop to zero is considered defeated. He falls to the ground and remains motionless. He can only participate in combat again after he has been healed in Wish Station. Exceptions to this rule are the main characters in the story, Drake and Holy Avatar. Her death ends the game with a game over.

Each character has a unique set of skills that they learn as they level (with the exception of DawnClaude, who is identical in every way to Drake). The three virgins are a partial exception: Candy, Sandy and Mandy. The virgins are all archers whose skills are identical except for the last. In addition there are the "obsessions" of the respective character, which are automatically triggered when a character has taken or dealt enough damage. With Drake, obsession takes the form of an inspirational speech that increases the morale of those closest to you. When Holy Avatar's obsession is triggered, he begins to tell of his adventures, causing all units around him to fall asleep.

Characters

Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes features two main characters, eight supporting player-controlled characters, four villains (one becomes a player character towards the end of the game), and a mixture of NPCs .

Drake is a swordsman forced to lead by a demigod with a sense of irony. He begins the game with the goal of ending his life by throwing himself into the throat of a brutal mushroom.
Holy Avatar is a paladin and experienced savior of princesses and killers of various bosses. He saves Drake from his depression and makes him the commander of the Evil Heroes.
Mandy is the first virgin to join the group after Drake and Holy Avatar rescue her and her mount from a horde of man-eating mushrooms. She immediately succumbs to the charm of Holy Avatar and swears eternal loyalty and affection.
Candy is also a virgin with bowmanship who takes her place in the group shortly after Mandy. She begins as the naive helper of the angel Synthia, who gets into trouble with lustful goblins while collecting herbs. Always the cavalier, Holy Avatar insists on taking her with him.
Rukel is a crafty goblin villain who joins the group to avoid death by them. Over time, he becomes a trusted comrade and liaison to the goblian clans.
Angelina is an angel, banished from heaven as punishment for her hothead and her voice expressed about an archangel. She is the first woman not to be fond of Holy Avatar but has an affection for Drake. Angelina is the only heroine with healing abilities.
Sandy is the third virgin. Secretly an ex-assassin, she serves as a binding element that keeps other virgins' jealousy towards one another in check.
West is an ax-wielding barbarian, and the twin brother of East, the blacksmith from Station Wish. His temper led to his capture in West Wind, where the Evil Heroes free him and take him into their group for the fight against the Dark Church.
Solithaire is a vampire lady and magician who the heroes find in the high security dungeon. The group welcomes them with the promise to quench their thirst at the Dark Church. She falls in love with DawnClaude and learns to be the daughter of Mother of God.

DawnClaude is in command of the Dark Church armies. After a few confrontations with the Evil Heroes, he falls in love with Solithaire in the middle of the fight and joins the group.

Sadrax , Archmage of the Dark Church and closest advisor to the Mother of God. After the Evil Heroes defeat him, he returns as a ghost in the Wishes Wood graveyard to seek revenge.

Sir Death is Holy Avatar's counterpart on the chessboard, a dark paladin. He has fought the demigod once before and lost an eye in the process.

Mother of God is the leader of the Dark Church and boss of the game. She reveals herself to be Solithaire's mother in the last fight.

Ratings

The average rating of German-language magazines was given at critify.de based on 14 reviews with 74 percent.

The trade magazine GameStar calls it: "Original and funny: An indie insider tip!" and praises the humor and the successful combination of RPG and strategy elements.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Manual Patch In: 4players.de , November 13, 2010. Accessed November 19, 2010.
↑ c't : Knights, Speeders, Puzzle Crackers: Hand-picked games with a kick
↑ Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes at critify.de ; As of November 19, 2010.
↑ http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/grotesque-tactics/test/grotesque_tactics,44474,2315566.html

[Patch-1] Manual Patch In: 4players.de , November 13, 2010. Accessed November 19, 2010.

[2] 't : Knights, Speeders, Puzzle Crackers: Hand-picked games with a kick

[3] Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes at critify.de ; As of November 19, 2010.

[4] ttp://www.gamestar.de/spiele/grotesque-tactics/test/grotesque_tactics,44474,2315566.html