Battleheart Legacy Review

By , on May 30, 2014
Last modified 9 years, 9 months ago


Battleheart Legacy
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Nice al a carte leveling system
  • Great presentation and controls
  • Fun moral choices

CONS

  • Combat is too simple
  • Slow pace makes fighting feel labourious

VERDICT

Battleheart Legacy is an attractive, fully-featured action-RPG with elegant controls, let down only by its slightly laborious combat system.


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RPG control systems can be complex. It's impressive, then, to find an RPG title as fully featured as Battleheart Legacy that that lets you access its vast range of mechanics with simple, single taps. Its a good thing the controls are so intuitive, too, because the game offers little in the way of a tutorial.

You are shown the basics of how to navigate the world and defend yourself. Touching anywhere on screen will set you on your way, while tapping on an enemy will allow you lock-on and attack. It’s an intuitive systems that ensures that even when facing half a dozen enemies, you never feel overwhelmed.

However, the game's lethargic pace can limit the combat’s appeal. With each beautiful environment carved up into smaller areas, and a limited number of enemies in each zone, you will quickly realises that moving slowly back and forth between sections is an effective way to cheat the battle system, allowing you time to safely recharge more powerful attacks before re-engaging.

While the combat may not be Battleheart Legacy's strongest suit, it has plenty of aces up its sleeve. As you level up, you have the ability to train with different classes of warrior. Whether you want the smiting hammer of a paladin, the backstab ability of a thief, or the lighting bolts of a magician, talking to these fighters allows you mix-and-match skills to your liking, giving you real power over your character's skillset.

The story provides similar diversity. The world’s NPCs all have something to say, and you're given numerous replies to deliver. These offer an amusing range of options, many of which affect your character's moral compass. We particularly enjoyed the option to either helping a rather useless wizard search for a treasure, or just hold him up for the reward.

Battleheart Legacy is a beautifully crafted RPG experience that provides all of the complexity genre aficionados would expect. The new 3D art does a fine of bringing the world to life, though fan's of the original may miss the old 2D sprites. Unfortunately, the slow pace and zoned environments end up making the combat dull. The result is a game which is a forgiving and accessible starting point for beginners, but may turn off those looking for a bit more challenge.

Screenshots

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