Boot Hill Heroes

I just finished the main campaign, and fell in love with this game! This title looks unassuming at first glance, and it's a damn shame that many people will overlook this title by virtue of first glance impression. The story is brilliantly-told, the world and lore are engaging, and the combat system is deep and fun! This is the first and only game I have ever written a Steam review for, and from a game of over 1300 Steam games, that's really saying something! I have never played a western-themed game, nor have I played any SNES style RPG's like Earthbound, so this game was totally outside my usual scope of games. But after the first 20 minutes of playing it on a whim, I was hooked for the next 3 days and HAD to beat it. I was thoroughly impressed by how creative the characters were, how the game was able to effectively build suspense about the villians and give them life through its worldbuilding in a way you would not expect from an indie game with no media fanfare behind it. After completing this game though, I felt it a moral obligation to give my praise here to the passionate development team who showed their stuff in this game because it simply deserves the written record of it. The game is on sale frequently and is cheap at base price anyway, I highlly recommend this game to anyone looking to get lost in an immersive story and be blown away by what was created here! Can't wait for part 2!!

I picked this up on sale because I'm all for traditional SNES-era RPGs. What I found was something so very similar to one of my all-time favorite games, Earthbound. This beauty has similar artwork, music, animations, and fight mechanics. The only difference is, it's set in the late 1800s in a western setting. Pardon me while I go play this game. As an added bonus, you can use a Microsoft controller for Windows, or, I can only assume, retro USB gamepads. Update after ten minutes of gameplay: This game features all of the best aspects of the Mother game series! This is definitely getting finished and put upon my proverbial game mantle. Games like this deserve to be played.

With nods to Earthbound and Classic Westerns, Boot Hill Heroes part 1 is a well-done entry in what could be a really good trilogy. 10 years ago, a hero averted disaster by bringing the leader of the Saint's Little - the most ruthless gang in all of Bronco County - to justice....but that was 10 years ago. I mean what is that? A decade? That's a mighty long time. It's time enough for all the Saint's Little Gang to plan for their return. Chaos is brewing, and it's up to a new generation of heroes to put a stop to it. Will they succeed? Or is it going to be their last round-up? Well, since this is just the beginning, I'd hate to imagine they failed their quest before it even started. Earthbound gets mentioned often when discussing this game, and for good reason. Both games share similar aspects such as perspective and enemies appearing on the map rather than at random. BHH also has some obvious call-backs, which can be found in Kickstart Creek, but we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here. Let's talk about the biggest difference, the battle-system. This game uses an active battle-system. Each character (up to 4) can equip four vantages. These can consist of attacks, healing abilities, stances, and so on. Having the right combination of vantages for battle is a necessity. Attacking is more than just stabbing or shooting something until it falls over. You gotta figure out a strategy. Do you pick the enemy apart with a thousand cuts? Debilitate them with several status effects? Or save up for those powerful attacks? There isn't an "item" option in battle. You can't hand someone a sarsaparilla if their health is low. Either have someone equip a healing vantage, or make proper use of stances. Stances are the cheapest abilities, and for good reason. They put characters on the defensive, reducing or outright avoiding damage. There are many stances, some not even defensive at all. Meter management is an essential tactic. Using abilities requires power, and it can take awhile to use the most devastating attacks. The same goes for the enemy. Even when you don't know their next move, you always know how long it'll take them to perform it. That's the key moment to go in any stances that you have. Not doing so is a fatal mistake. Still, death isn't quite the end in battle, your characters will recover given enough time, but they'll be worse off. Wounded party members tend to bleed out, become less resistant to status effects, and generally have a tougher time staying alive. If they accrue too many wounds, they're permanently out. Okay, I mean permanent as in: "until they see a doctor" but whatever. Basically, you have to go into battle with the mindset that anything you can do, the enemy can do as well. Like I said though, this is just the beginning of the trilogy. It only takes about 7 or 8 hours to reach the end of this chapter, and that's hardly enough time to get your boots wet. However, there are several battles that will require an understanding of how the west was won, and they're not the kind you can grind enough experience to breeze through. I expect battles in the next two entries to emphasize this unique and fun battle-system. Some other things I'll note: -There are no clone NPCs. Usually with these 16-bit RPGs we see 20 dozen of the same townspeople everywhere. Not so with this game, everyone is different. -I'd be lying if I said that the music doesn't elevate this game. Jake "virt" Kaufman provides a great soundtrack. -Easy (and missable!) achievements. Pay attention to your surroundings. In short, Boot Hill Heroes is on the right track. Hopefully subsequent entries are even better, I'd hate to see such a promising start go to waste.

just finished this great game, which reminds me of the classic rpgs we use to play on the snes in the older days. which also has hints to past gaming greats, which can be noticed on your voyage. you play as the son of the great sheriff howl who once went toe to toe with the saints little gang with the help of the boot hill posse. this is his story as he takes on his fathers legacy. along the way he meets various friends on his quest to stop the saints little gang who have once again rose to sew chaos. the game has a maximum of 4 characters all with a different style, which allows for 1-4 players, this feature being alike another games system ive played years ago to where you can set any of the players to the two controllers. so a team of 2 and 2, or 3 and 1 if you feel like it is possible. there will be various weapons to choice from from guns to melee weapons. among these weapons will be slots of sorts to where you can customize them with various status effects or damage and accurary among other upgrades. vantages/skills are learnable via hats you can either win in fights, or buy via the various stores ingame, among other ways. some of these vantages are tied to melee well the others will be tied to ranged. among them is also another type which is passive to the rest, which could be considered perks. i feel i should mention you can only have 4 vantages active at any time, which can only be changed outside of battle. now unto our cast of good guys, kid the son of the late howl ~ rosey the cowlgirl ~moon the indian warrior ~ and doc the cowboy. this is the beginning of there story, the story of the boot hill posse and the saints little gang. so come and join them on this amazing tale of the age old good v.s evil staged in the old wild west.

More like BootHill Scammers. Do not buy. The majority of the game cycles between two usable heroes including roughly 10 total minutes of four player time in the entire thing. The phrase "part 1" is conveniently omitted from the title in the Steam Store. Parts 2 or 3? Do not exist, will not exist. This a gyp. 5/5 demo. Not a game though.

[Spoiler-Free Review] [b]Setting an RPG in the spaghetti west just makes so much sense![/b] Boot Hill Heroes is a modern RPG designed as a sort of homage to the glory days of the Role Playing and Wild West genres. The story is easy to follow and progresses at a snappy pace, the difficulty is forgiving (for the most part), and while it doesn’t allow for true [i]‘save anywhere!’[/i] functionality, you’ll never feel locked-in to a play session beyond what your time allows. Despite being a linear experience overall, the game still manages to deliver a large scope RPG [i]feel[/i] (complete with unique characters, game mechanics, and plot twists and turns throughout). [b]It isn’t just an Earthbound clone.[/b] What really distinguishes this game is the setting. Everything from the types of enemies you encounter, to the locales you visit, and the weapons at your disposal remain faithful to the genre and lend a sense of authenticity to the entire experience. It's charming and cohesive, with big entrances and over-the-top performances from a cast of characters the likes of which you’d expect to find in Vaudeville. I won’t give anything away but the characters (esp. the villains) are the true stars of the game and they don’t disappoint. [b]This game has heart![/b] Every character in the game is completely unique (in appearance and dialogue). It’s hard to imagine how much work went into creating a world, one character and one house at a time, but you'll notice how meticulously places are decorated and arranged. It's a small window into who they are and the way they live. In addition to the dinnerware, you’ll find livestock penned in barns and stables, people working the farms and such: towns feel alive. [b]Hat Mechanic[/b] Hats are the means by which your characters change their appearances and acquire new abilities. They’re equipped, but don’t produce any defensive bonuses. This is crucial to what makes them work, once you've unlocked the skills associated with a new hat, you can choose to wear another hat for purely aesthetic purposes. In this way, you'll never have to worry about hats being outclassed by others discovered down the line. It’s a system that encourages experimentation. Receiving new hats throughout your adventure never feels old, you'll rush to try each one on as soon as you get them. Unfortunately there is some overlap in unlocked abilities so not every hat provides you with a completely new set of unlearned skills. [b]The writing is clever and witty![/b] Especially in battles where enemies are introduced and later eulogized depending on your performance. I wish there was a greater variety of phrases rather than one or two for each type of foe, but I always looked forward to seeing how they would come to grips with being defeated: I know at least one or two lives were changed thanks to my relentless beatings. Dialogue could use a bit of tightening up overall. In battles you'll sometimes get a message detailing every aspect of what an enemy attack does. Lick is probably the most egregious example of what I’m trying to describe here, “Weak physical damage with small chance for confusion that slightly heals the user.” Thankfully, the developer has demonstrated a willingness to address issues as they're identified. [b]The graphics in battles aren’t the best…[/b] A bit rough around the edges shall we say? Don’t expect to be blown away. Some of the enemies look like they were created in MS Paint. In addition, the font style (all caps, some spacing issues) makes it somewhat difficult to read what’s being said at times. I’m not saying you can’t read it, I’m saying you’ll appreciate how easy it is to read text in other games. [b]The Music/Soundtrack!!![/b] Does the industry have an award for Videogame Music of the Year? What won? This is better. [b]Missing content from PS Vita version?[/b] This is the definitive package, all content released on other platforms is being included in the Steam release. [b]Post-Release Support?[/b] Boot Hill Heroes Part 1 is finished but new features have been added post-release (including a new mini map feature in the latest patch). Since the game is being spread out over multiple episodes, the developer has seen fit to reward early adopters by offering each DLC release free at launch (free for one week), the price then becomes $0.99 each. What does this mean? Buy the game now and get all future episodes for free. [b]TLDR:[/b] If you've got any interest in RPG games of old, get Boot Hill Heroes. This game is special.

Having beaten the game within a week and getting all the extra content I would say that this game is definitely worth the price of admission. This is part one of a series of three. These are the strengths and weaknesses of the game and having obsessively played it and beating it start to finish I feel I have a fairly good comprehension of where the game excels and in some areas underwhelm for those who don't want to read everything I have to say I will sum things up first with a 8/10 score although this could be subject to change as some of the gripes I have that hold this game back from being a masterpiece could easily be remedied as this game is not yet complete as previously mentioned. Strengths: 1) Local Multiplayer is something that is lacking in a lot of new games, I feel that Dave definitely knew what he was doing not just in getting a game to function for multiple people but also to have it flow well. I like the fact that locally I can still change my gear and skills while my friend may be running around or vice versa if we alternate party leaders. The menu system leaves a bit to be desired in terms of it's looks in my opinion but in terms of functionality A+ 2) The pacing is done well, I strongly dislike how part one ends in that it feels like you are cut off right as the story is getting started but aside from that I never felt bored or that I was in a certain area for too long, I have this listed as a strength because once part 2 and 3 come out and the game is finished my main issue with the pacing (the end of part one) will cease to exist 3) Level Design, again keeping in mind that there will be more content to come I feel what is there is done well the areas are colorful and are quite different as you travel from one main hub to the other considering that all of this takes place in a western setting the variety within that is quite vast. The towns feel like the right size and the different dungeons feel like the right length, the only part I felt was tedious was the bonus dungeon at the end (without any spoilers you'll know why when you get there) with that exception though as I said what is there works great. Decent but could be better: 1) The story is not bad but not great either. That could have a lot to do with the fact that by the time you finish part one it is just barely getting started, it's too early to say in terms of the overall scope but having said that I think you should have done and seen more by the time you reach a third of the games length. The characters are servicable and have their own motivations as to why they join up with the protagonist but to be honest I feel like every character in this game is a character I've seen a million times before. It's not a big deal but for the longevity of the series I hope these characters can break out of their stereotypes (Kid and Doc and the antagonists come to mind) I feel like there is potential in all of them to be something more but Moon in particular as a native american is not someone you see in a games story too often and I think there are a lot of interesting themes that could be explored with some research now that the story is starting to take off as part one ends. 2) The music wasn't bad, it definitely suited the theme of a western well, this really just comes down to my own personal opinion but I wish there were tracks that were a bit more catchy. When I think about games that this one was based off of like Earthbound there are just things that make you go "oh wow" and make you stop and listen to the track like Onett for example. The music does its job but I'm hoping that some tracks will come along that stand out a little bit more as the game picks up. 3) The first playthrough getting new attacks was interesting and the there is nothing wrong with a turn based rpg but I feel like there could be more variety, you learn a lot of different skills with different hats that you unlock as the game progresses but when I tried playing through a second time with a friend it was almost agonizing that there was usually just a go to move that was better than everything else or offered no real tactical change, kick kick kick dodge, or kick kick kick heal, etc. I feel like the core combat system and the idea of using x amount of points based on how strong the attacks are is a great idea but it needs to come with some skills that have a bit more variety. Also the customization of the weapons leaves a bit to desire, maybe it's because I never really liked grinding to gather materials to improve gear but I also feel like the options there are kind of limited, I would like to see it expanded upon in the latter 2 installments. Weaknesses: 1) The overall presentation of this game was pretty good but I feel like the menus look very ugly relative to the characters and the buildings. I think the health bars etc. should be redone as they stand out as something not quite on par with everything else, The dialogue boxes are not as bad but it wouldn't hurt if they were spruced up a bit. 2) The length of the game is very short, I completed it in a couple of days. I think there should be some extra things for you to do outside of going to a dungeon or grinding for materials. This would take some work but it would be cool if there were some random side quests or other interesting things to do while waiting for part 2 or part 3 when part 2 is out. Random encounters and the like to make the world a bit more lively. Maybe some bandits roll into town and you get some perks for beating them or something. Just something to break up the monotany of town/dungeon over and over. 3) There is no online multiplayer I feel like with how well the local multiplayer was designed this was a missed opportunity, Though I understand the reason why it was not included (most likely down to resources) 4) I feel like the game and a lot of games like this are lacking the innovations that it was inspired by. If you just want to go back to the old days and play a game like the snes days then this is right up your alley, and for me I did enjoy it quite a bit because of the yearning for nostalgia but to me I would like to see some new interesting ideas. I'm not talking about mind blowing graphics or state of the art effects but innovation in terms of gameplay. Things to do, places to see. Just because it was inspired by old school games doesn't mean it should be limited by those same conventions. The art style? makes sense because it's one main guy and a couple of outsiders helping him work on the game, completely makes sense. As an example and I'm just throwing it out there I didn't think about this in depth or anything but just something to inspire, what about if you could duel people in the game? Maybe a mini game to clear a town that has been raided by bandits with a timer and then you can have a gun duel with the leader it could be a weekly or monthly event where you could unlock new gear. How about horse races with your friends? These may sound bland but elaborated upon I'm sure they could be something interesting that could help elevate the game. If they don't work don't put them in the game but It'd just be neat to have something on the side to do and look forward to. Final Thoughts: I do really like this game, despite a lot of the things I have said there is nothing wrong with what's here, I just figured I could contribute some ideas and as parts 2 and 3 are completed maybe some of them will find their way into the game in some form. I'm not really complaining more just constructive criticism as I feel the foundations for a strong game are definitely here. If not this is still worth $10 easy. 8/10

Would you like to play Earthbound, but set in the old west? Before you answer, let me amend that: Would you like to play earthbound, set in the old west, with ♥♥♥♥♥♥ writing, fairly expressionless sprites, and terrible grindy gameplay? Yeah, maybe not so much. Edit - My impressions at length on [url=http://xander77.livejournal.com/30120.html]my journal[/url]

There isn't a game here. The screenshots and video seem to show off something more of a "what could be" feature list rather than what's actually in game. And it's been forever since any actual updates, with no sight of the promised games that were apart of the "saga."

Very good game indeed. Maybe the finest example this far on what the aging RPGmaker engine can do when the game is done with attention to detail and love. Do note though that some reviews have noted the abrupt ending of the game so consider the price closely what you wish to pay for this. I got mine in a bundle for a very cheap price and for that price it has this far been a real blast. But full price might be a bit too much for some. Game itself is a bit clicheey in that the protagonist character is just named 'Kid' and you 'need to save the farm' and your dear ol' ma'. But it's quite entertaining nevertheless to go out and do the plot. Not that much freeroaming as combat is avoidable mostly if you wish and placed in transit areas between safer places. Combat itself is enjoyable as it is different from other similar games with it's stoppable real-time system. As a 'lets try something entirely different' RPG this is a good candidate. Check out gameplay vids. the combat especially.