Release Date: March 11, 2022
RPG with adventure game elements. In The Cruel King and the Great Hero we follow the story of a girl named Yuu and a great dragon who prepares his apprentice to become the great heroine.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is an RPG adventure game. It was developed by Nippon Ichi Software, whose portfolio includes the stylistically and genre-related The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero takes us on a journey to a fantastic world. Years ago a hero managed to defeat a dragon called the Cruel King. However, the hero did not kill the defeated enemy; instead, he stripped him of one of his horns and let him live to redeem himself. Years passed, during which the former adversaries buried the hatchet and became close friends. When the knight was fatally wounded in battle, before his death he commanded the dragon to raise his only daughter, Yuu. Since then, the beast has been taking care of the girl, preparing her to become the titular Great Hero who will be able to face the Cruel King, and thus himself.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a side-scroller. During the game we travel through the fantastic land and complete the tasks. The protagonist has to fight with monsters (the battles take place in turn-based mode, after encountering an adversary we are moved to a separate arena), as well as solve clever environmental puzzles and overcome various terrain obstacles. As Yuu progresses, she earns experience points and advances to subsequent levels. Moreover, by collecting items hidden throughout the land, we unlock access to additional content, which can be viewed in a special gallery.
Our actions are constantly supervised by a dragon, which sometimes discretely helps Yuu (for example, by destroying the barriers she encounters). In the evenings, the giant reptile and the girl spend time in their cave, telling each other about their heroic deeds.
The hand-drawn graphics of The Cruel King and the Great Hero is kept in an interesting style reminiscent of illustrated children's books. In this respect the game resembles the studio's earlier work - The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince.
Platforms:
PlayStation 4
Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nippon Ichi Soft.
Publisher: NIS America
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Game Ratings for The Cruel King and the Great Hero Video Game.
Niche Gamer: 5 / 10 by Fingal Belmont
The character designs can only be viewed at very specific angles and are not emotive. It is a major drawback to the style chosen. Even with the better aspects of the art supporting the game; The Cruel King and the Great Hero is ultimately a very hallow and bare bones RPG with severe pacing issues.
Garage Band Gamers: 8 / 10 by Jason Bolla
I really love the relationship between the King and the Hero. From the very beginning, you understand how much he loves the little girl. As you take Yuu out into the dangerous world, the dragon can be seen in the background watching over her. He even helps in battle, unbeknownst to Yuu. As a father, this really hit home with a four year old. Wanting your kid to go out on their own, but also watching from the shadows and doing what you can to help, whether they know it or not resonated deeply with me. There are twists and turns to the relationship, and it’s really something worth checking out if you’re a parent.
KeenGamer: 9 / 10 by Francesca Poggi
I rarely fall in love with games at first sight, but The Cruel King and The Great Hero captured my heart from the very first time I laid eyes on this fantasy RPG. Mind you, it does have its flaws (and quite the frustrating ones), but they can be forgiven. Just focus on the enchanting melody and the aesthetically pleasing visuals and you’ll be golden! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to my bedtime story.
![[2:04] launch trailer](https://cdn.gracza.pl/galeria/filmy/640x360/117363000.jpg)
