Reading Time: 4 minutes Title: I Am The Hero  Developer: CrazyantPublisher: Ratalaika GamesWebsite: http://iamthehero.crazyant.com Genre: 2DFighter Platform: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, switch Audience: AllRelease Date: November 27th 2018Price: €9.99  – Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this title. What the developers say I Am The Hero is a pixel art, beat ’em up, fighting game that tells the story of a “Hero” with a glorious but mysterious past. Is he the hero he thinks he is or is there another side to this legendary figure? I Am The Hero is a love note to retro gaming, ripped from the fuzzy memories of the developer’s childhoods and seasoned with a wild passion for fighting games. If you want a truly modern re-interpretation of classic gaming, then it’s time to join the fate and answer one simple question, “are you the hero?” Introduction I Am The Hero is a fast-paced, combo building, Beat ’em up fighter that puts you in control of the ‘Hero’ as you progress through a series of different stages trying to pull together the best combo score you can on a series of colourful enemies. With a completion time of around 3 hours for the main story, it isn’t a massive game but offers plenty of fun and the option of a few different modes. Look & sounds This is a 2D side-scrolling fighter game that takes on an 8-bit games retro pixel art style with a rather polished look. I couldn’t decide if I liked the slanted camera angle but didn’t find it off-putting either. I rather liked the look of the game and thought everything fitted together pretty well. These are not high-end PC graphics, but it’s not meant to be. Each level will introduce a set of new enemies that all have their own identify and set of moves. Like the overall game design these enemies are well designed and become more challenging as the game goes on, the kids with the frogs were a nightmare once you had a few onscreen. The game has a vast array of sounds that help you feel the thud to each hit you land on an enemy. The levels are accompanied by a soundtrack that encourages you to want to beat up more enemies. Gameplay and Replayability This game starts off easy enough and gives you a chance to pick up the controls and to get a feel for putting combos together, yes there is a 100 and 200 combo trophy to be acquired. However, as you meet more enemies, the game certainly picks up the difficulty, and I found myself getting slightly frustrated at times but with a bit of patience and a few retries I managed to get past most parts. I don’t know if it reflects the era the game is modelled after, but I found it easier to play using the D-pad over the analogue sticks. At the end of each level, you get the choice of selecting a second character you can switch between during the levels or a new move choice to use against your enemies. Now the choice of a 2nd character isn’t that helpful as most of them have a limited selection of moves and are a lot slower than the ‘Hero’ main character. There is a long list of extra moves to learn which came in useful in building up combos and clearing through the level stages. You can get through a single play in about 3 hours which covers completing all the stages and final bosses but I missed a number of the collectables so will need to go back and get them. I expect with a guide you could complete the game in a similar time with the collectables as well. You may want to replay the stages to unlock all of the special moves & characters or to progress through the game on the next difficulty. The game also offers a local co-op if you need a bit of extra help getting through stages. You can also try a survival mode taking on waves of enemies or the challenge mode where you fight a single enemy with a boss like health bar as quickly as you can. Overall, there is plenty of gameplay on offer so if you enjoy this combo building beat ’em up style you will be kept busy. Conclusion I Am The Hero is a well put together game that offers a fairly challenging couple of hours of gameplay that will push you to master your move set. You will find enjoyment from putting together a high combo run while knowing you could lose it at any second if you don’t time your next attack perfectly. I had fun with this game and would not have had any complaints if it had gone on longer. Looking for something to just sit down and do some button mashing to? Get this game loaded up. Rapid Reviews UK Rating