Pixel Heroes: Byte and Magic Review

Pixel Heroes: Byte and Magic has a lot going for it. Its presentation is goofy, its combat is accessible, yet still engaging; and it makes good use of the random elements associated with the roguelike genre. Even if you’re not a RPG veteran, Pixel Heroes is still worth jumping into. That is, if you are up to the challenge.

Your journey begins by selecting your party, consisting of three heroes. Each hero has their own unique class, which determines their own special abilities. I personally find the most effective party to include the Barbarian or Fighter, the Sorceress, and the Herbalist. The Herbalist is especially important, since you are going to need to heal constantly if you hope to make it through a dungeon alive with your entire party. If the heroes you want are not available at first, fear not, for you can re-roll the available heroes up to four times!

Once you are ready to embark on your quest, the game  allows you to stock up on equipment in town before entering the overworld. From there, the screen will automatically scroll while your heroes march towards one of the random dungeons, with random events popping up along the way. These events result in the player being presented with multiple choices, one of which will trigger an enemy encounter. Combat works on a per-turn basis, where one hero attacks each turn and must rest another turn before being used again.. Special attacks also work on a cooldown, so make sure to use them wisely. The combat is enjoyable, maintaining a good pace while also allowing for a decent amount of strategy.

After reaching the dungeon, the party must make their way through seven floors. Each floor either has monsters to fight, or treasure chests with traps that can be disarmed by a hero, depending on the skill required. There is a good amount of loot in this game, although most of it isn’t great. Add to that the fact that there are only twenty inventory slots, and you find that you spend a fair amount of time managing your items and equipment. Eventually, you will arrive at the boss room, where you will either achieve victory or die horribly (get used to the latter happening a lot).

One of Pixel Hero’s biggest strengths, other than its combat, is its aesthetic. The game is presented in a classic 8-bit style, with a catchy chiptune soundtrack. It also sports a charming, lighthearted tone, with much of the game’s humor coming from the hero descriptions, which mostly explains how your heroes achieved various feats. These include: “he was undefeated in hide-and-seek as a child,” “he recently cut down on his drinking,” and “She slept in the library yesterday”). And the descriptions actually translate into in-game stats, such dexterity, life, and intelligence. The game also likes to constantly spout out real-world references (including the addition of one disgruntled video game nerd). While some of these jokes fall flat on arrival, the overall silly nature is still appreciated.

As good as the art and combat is, Pixel Heroes’ steep challenge is not for everyone. Even after finding the party that works best for you through trial and error, the majority of enemies will consistently put up a genuine fight. Their main method of attack is to inflict status effects, slowly chipping away at your party’s HP. Having a healer, as well any party member that can cure debuffs, is extremely important for this reason, especially during boss encounters. Still, the boss fights are no joke, and they WILL easily wipe your party if you are not careful. Some fights are almost impossible if one of your heroes happens to go down, and since there’s no way to revive them until after a dungeon is completed , it is practically pointless to continue playing. After losing a party, the game restarts from the very beginning, where you are forced to start all over again, bringing the game’s momentum to a screeching halt. While this may deter some players, those who stick with it and put in the time (or simply enjoy roguelikes) will feel deeply satisfied.

Despite its difficulty, Pixel Heroes: Byte and Magic is an enjoyable RPG roguelike with a good personality and fun combat. The random elements prevent the game from feeling overly repetitive, and the large selection of available heroes allows for plenty of customization options. If you are looking for a challenge and don’t mind having to start over repeatedly—from the beginning—Pixel Heroes is well worth the effort.