Hero-U: Rogue To Redemption is a point-and-click RPG adventure developed and published by Transolar Games. Originally released for the PC in July 2018, the title is now available on Nintendo SwitchHero-U: Rogue To Redemption is related to Quest For Glory, a similar RPG style adventure game that was popular during the 80s and 90's, and also developed by Lori and Corey Cole. Hero-U mixes sarcastic humor with classic RPG style tropes as players explore the hallways and classrooms during the day and battle through the dungeons under the school at night. While there are many elements to Hero-U that will appeal to fans of RPG games, the Nintendo Switch port of the game has issues that make playing frustrating.

Shawn O'Conner is working to become a successful thief when he is picked up off the street after being caught in the act. Shawn is then forced to attend Hero University instead of being locked up for his crimes. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Shawn doesn't possess any unique skills that will allow him to attend the "Hero" classes the school offers. Instead, Shawn is shuffled down to the dungeon, where he joins the "Disbarred Bard" Class. These junior rogues spend their time learning skills like combat, lock-picking, stealth and social skills, as they attend classes and study in the practice room. Similar to classes in Dungeons & Dragons, Shawn will need to build up his tool-belt and abilities list if he wants to do well as a rogue at the school.

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Hero-U: Rogue To Redemption has several basic functions players will need to keep track of if they don't want to accidentally be kicked out of the University. Hero-U runs on a clock that players will find at the left-hand corner of their screen, similar to other RPG games like Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. Time only progresses as Shawn moves around the school, and minutes are a resource players will need to spend wisely. During the day, players attended classes, study in the practice room, engage socially with friends in the Recreation Room, and read in the Library. At 5PM they will need to make their way to the Dining Hall to grab dinner so they don't go hungry for at night.

Hero University Shawns Arrest

After curfew at 10PM, players can steer Shawn down to the Student Store, where he can take Gregor the shopkeeper's offer to descend into the Wine Cellar below the school. In the cellar, players will engage in Hero-U: Rogue To Redemption's turn-based battle system, going up against creatures that live in the rubble, solving puzzles to gain access to new areas, and utilizing the skills they have been building during the day. Players will want to keep an eye on Shawn's HP or risk being knocked unconscious, where they will find themselves in the school's infirmary with most of the night wasted. Players will also need to keep an eye out for the School's cranky Admin Terk when sneaking around at night. Terk will hit the player with 10 Demerits if he catches them out of their room past curfew. Much like Harry Potter's Filch, Terk would love nothing more than to see Shawn rack up 100 Demerits and get expelled from Hero-U.

Actions have consequences in Hero-U: Rogue To Redemption, and players will want to make sure they answer questions carefully when interacting with any of the NPCs they encounter. For example, certain responses in class with Professor Von Urwald can reward the player with skill points, as well as build Shawn's relationship with his classmates. Responses can also damage relationships if Shawn takes the wrong tone with a character, requiring players to assess dialogue options carefully. Players can also build romantic relationships with certain classmates of either gender, for those who enjoy a romance options while exploring and building friendships with characters in the story.

Hero u rogue to redemption stealth

While the story and skill building mechanics of Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption are fun and immersive, the game's movement mechanics struggle on the Nintendo Switch console. Hero-U is a point-and-click RPG adventure. Players can interact with nearly every object in a room, looking into suits of armor and peering behind paintings for hidden objects. Players also move around a space by clicking on the floor. To do this on the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, players must steer the cursor with their joystick, and hit "A" on the area they would like Shawn to go. While this style of exploration is likely intuitive with a mouse, it is arduous and slow on the Switch. Going from room to room, or just going from item to item while exploring, is slow and tedious compared to just being able to walk Shawn around with the joystick. Because the point-and-click mechanic is so important to the story, it might be worth smoothing out in future patches for the game.

Hero-U: Rogue To Redemption is a funny, intriguing story that Dungeons & Dragons fans may enjoy for the use of abilities and skills in gameplay. The narrative and skill building mechanics are engaging and rewarding, however the game could use a few tweaks to make movements mechanics less of a chore on the Nintendo Switch console. Despite the frustrating controls, Hero-U: Rogue To Redemption is a good fit for players who enjoy a retro-style RPG adventure.

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Hero-U: Rogue To Redemption is available now on the PC and Nintendo Switch. A Nintendo Switch code was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.