Info about NOT A HERO:

Official game description:
Not A Hero: Global MegaLord Edition
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The Not A Hero: Global MegaLord Edition comes with a digital artbook, exclusive behind the scenes documentary, and a collection of desktop background, sound and icons set found in the game's folder on your computer.  
About the Game
==============
Professional assassin turned amateur campaign manager Steve is charged with cleaning up the city by an anthropomorphic rabbit and mayoral candidate from the future named BunnyLord. Now Steve and his expanding roster of dubious heroes must wield their unique skills to shoot, slide, dive, and take cover behind a political platform built on ethics, accountability, and an inordinate amount of gunfire. Eliminate the criminal underworld of the city’s three major districts and persuade undecided voters to your cause, tackling the issues that matter by putting a gun in the mouth of those issues.  
Through the power of ISO-Slant™ technology and a wasted youth, London-based developer Roll7 (OlliOlli) delivers the greatest 2¼D cover-based indie shooter of all-time, ever.  
**Next Level Shootouts** – Use reasonable force unreasonably in a dynamic mix of run-and-gun gameplay and cover-based shootouts. The intuitive quick-snap cover system lets you slide, roll, and dive into cover, dodging enemy fire before fighting back with tackles, executions, and 100s of bullets.  
**Roster of Not Heroes** - Select between 9 different heroes, each with their own distinct gameplay style and crime murdering abilities. Blast the city’s scum through doors with Cletus’ a shotgun, slice them in half with Kimmy’s katana dash, or simply bash crime in it’s terrible face with Ronald’s hammer.  
**Dynamic Missions** – Go ham on primary objectives and (sometimes random) secondary goals but be prepared for unexpected mid-level events that turn the tables on the anti-heroes in an instant. SWAT teams, gun-toting elderly, helicopter gunships, pandas, pugs and suicidal samurais stand between you and victory.  
**ABOUT ISO-Slant™ TECHNOLOGY**  
Developed over six years and $22.5 million, the revolutionary ISO-Slant™ technology enables game developers to reach the sweet spot between 2D and 2½D perspectives. Through the liberal, almost irresponsible use of ISO-Slant™, Not a Hero developer Roll7 is able to radically alter the standard 2D pixel art action game into an unbelievable 2¼D visual tour de force. For more information or to license ISO-Slant™ for your own purposes please contact the ISO-Slant™ team at @ISOSlant on Twitter.

Release date: Jul 8, 2016

Categories: Side-scrolling, Cover Shooter, Pixel Art Style, Fast-paced Combat, Character Selection, Level-based Progression, 2D Platformer, Dark Humor

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 10; verdict: Seamless; summary: The filtered reviews show a seamless Linux experience and accessible controls. One user reports no issues running the game on Ubuntu Linux with a controller, and another appreciates the added Linux support. Translated feedback describes simple controls and a clear tutorial. No technical barriers such as external launchers, Proton Experimental requirements, unreadable text, battery drain, or crashes appear in the evidence.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $9.99 - $14.99
  - Reasoning: One reviewer explicitly calls £9.99 a fair price point, which anchors the upper end of acceptable base pricing at roughly $12-$15 depending on exchange rate. Other reviewers treat the game as overpriced at full price and recommend it mainly on sale, citing sale prices around 1.50 euros, 512 yen, and 75% off as the worthwhile buy-in. Together, these signals place the community's fair base-game range below the current $19.99 price, clustering around $10-$15.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 10.0h
  - Story completion: 4.5h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 37.0h
  - Reasoning: One review explicitly says the game took 10 hours to complete at 100%, and another translated review says all missions in all chapters took 10 hours; this supports a gameCompletion value of 10 hours. For storyCompletion, a translated review states that four or five hours is enough, so 4.5 hours is used as a representative main-story figure. No review provides a reliable typical session length, so sessionLength is null. For endgame/replay, a translated review reports 37 hours to clear every level with every character, which supports the endgame value.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Reported as fun immediately after the tutorial drops players into fast-paced action, but enjoyment often fades because gameplay becomes repetitive and short on content.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: After the tutorial, when the player is dropped into action
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Incorrect button prompts during the tutorial
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: After the tutorial, when the game drops players directly into action; After one tutorial playthrough to understand the basic controls; As the player progresses and learns other characters' advantages and disadvantages; Unlocking additional characters requires completing extra objectives across the 21 base-game missions
- Player Archetypes:
  - Fast-Paced Arcade Shooter Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Fast, hard-but-fair 2D action with short retry loops and mastery.
    - Playstyle: Aggressive run-and-gun, speed-focused retries, and learning enemy patterns.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Hotline Miami; Broforce; Super Time Force Ultra
  - Absurdist Indie Humor and Story Tourist (buy)
    - Motivation: Absurdist humor, memorable characters, and Devolver-style weird story beats.
    - Playstyle: Play through the campaign for jokes, character reactions, and over-the-top narrative moments.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: 2D action game lover
    - Reference games: Borderlands
  - Completionist Objective Chaser (buy)
    - Motivation: Full completion, achievements, all missions, and unlocking every character.
    - Playstyle: Replays missions, hunts optional objectives, and chases 100 percent completion.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Cautious Sale-Waiting Port Skeptic (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting acceptable content and control quality for the price.
    - Playstyle: Waits for sales or bundles, uses a controller, and avoids full-price or poorly polished PC versions.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Excellent pixel art style (weight 0.29): Reviewers consistently praise the high-quality pixel art, noting it is well-drawn, stylish, and cleaner than most pixel games. The character and level designs are particularly highlighted.
- Crisp and smooth gameplay (weight 0.26): Many players describe the gameplay as exceedingly crisp, tight, and smooth, often calling it perfect or impeccable. This is a core strength frequently mentioned.
- Diverse playable character roster (weight 0.26): The game offers a large variety of playable characters, each with unique weapons, abilities, and special traits that significantly alter gameplay. This diversity is a major selling point.
- Great soundtrack (weight 0.26): The soundtrack is widely praised as a banger, amazing, and brilliant. Players particularly enjoy the chiptune music and find it matches the game well.
- Quirky and funny characters (weight 0.22): Characters are described as super cool, funny, and weird, with distinctive voice lines, accents, and personalities. Their quirky designs and dialogue add charm to the game.
- Fun and enjoyable experience (weight 0.18): The game is frequently described as great fun, very enjoyable, and fun overall. This broad appeal indicates a satisfying gameplay loop.
- Humorous premise and story (weight 0.14): The story is described as ludicrous in a good way, with a funny premise that adds to the game's charm. The absurdity is part of its appeal.
- Well-made controls (weight 0.14): Controls are done very well and are well made, contributing to the smooth gameplay experience. Players find them responsive and intuitive.
- Secret levels included (weight 0.13): The game includes more than three hidden secret levels, adding extra content for exploration. Players appreciate these hidden challenges.
- Excellent chiptune music (weight 0.13): The chiptune music is specifically praised as excellent and matches the game well. It contributes to the overall charming atmosphere.
- Variety of bullets and bombs (weight 0.13): Players enjoy the variety of special bullets, items, and grenades that can be used strategically. This adds tactical options to combat.
- Fluid and dynamic gameplay (weight 0.13): The gameplay is described as dynamic, fluid, and exceptionally versatile, adding a lot of energy to the experience. This contributes to the overall fun.

Common complaints:
- Difficulty spikes unfair (weight 0.73): The game has abrupt difficulty spikes, especially in the final third, with one-hit-kill enemies and unfair spawning. This causes frustration and restarting.
- Levels repetitive and bland (weight 0.52): Level design is often criticized as bland, repetitive, and lacking variety, with environments feeling like copy-paste scenes. This leads to boredom and reduced replayability.
- Character balance issues (weight 0.48): Many characters feel unbalanced, with later unlocks being much stronger and some early characters nearly useless. This reduces strategic variety.
- Too short overall (weight 0.4): Many players find the game too short, even with DLC, and lacking content relative to its price. The experience can be finished in a few hours.
- Keyboard controls unrebindable (weight 0.35): Many players report that keyboard controls are awkward and cannot be remapped. Default keys are often described as deadly or unplayable without a controller.
- Physics and collision problems (weight 0.33): Physics inconsistencies cause missed jumps, unintended knockbacks, and deaths. Enemy punches can send players flying uncontrollably.
- Humor not for everyone (weight 0.32): The crude, over-the-top humor and dated memes may not appeal to all players, sometimes feeling forced or cringeworthy.
- Unskippable cutscenes frustrating (weight 0.31): Cutscenes, especially BunnyLord's pre-level speeches and in-level dialogues, are unskippable and can be lengthy, forcing players to sit through them repeatedly on restarts.
- Fullscreen and display issues (weight 0.3): Players cannot easily play in fullscreen mode; the game starts in windowed mode and lacks proper display settings. Safe mode is required for fullscreen but disables achievements.
- Controls feel floaty or stiff (weight 0.3): Players report inconsistent controls, with movement feeling floaty, stiff, or imprecise, especially in later levels. Analog stick control is also problematic.
- Story and dialogue unengaging (weight 0.29): The story is often seen as tacked on, convoluted, or lacking depth, with dialogue that goes too fast or is too slow.
- Game crashes frequently (weight 0.22): Players experience crashes in regular mode, after multiple deaths, and when restarting, sometimes with error messages. This severely impacts playability.
- Cover system problematic (weight 0.22): The cover system is hard to see and unreliable, sharing a button with slide causing context issues. It often leads to unfair deaths.
- Overpriced for content (weight 0.21): The game is considered overpriced given the amount of content and lack of replayability. The DLC is also seen as not worth its price.
- Performance and lag issues (weight 0.18): Lag, stuttering, and framerate drops occur, sometimes causing unfair deaths. The Steam version is less polished than the PS4 version.
- Limited configuration options (weight 0.17): The game offers few configuration options, such as display settings, key remapping, and audio/visual tweaks, which detracts from the experience.
- No mid-level checkpoints (weight 0.14): Dying forces a full level restart with no in-level checkpoints, leading to frustration and trial-and-error gameplay.
- No Steam achievements (weight 0.13): Achievements exist in-game but are not integrated with Steam, and some players report not receiving achievements after completing the game.
- Limited enemy variety (weight 0.1): Enemy types are limited and predictable, with only one type per zone, leading to monotonous combat.

Gameplay feedback:
- Diverse Roster of Characters (weight 0.76): The game features a large roster of playable characters, each with unique weapons, abilities, and playstyles. Characters also have distinct strengths and weaknesses, such as speed, accuracy, and special maneuvers.
- Side-Scrolling Action Shooter (weight 0.71): The game is a side-scrolling action shooter with cover-based combat, pixel-art visuals, and fast-paced run-and-gun gameplay. It features a mix of shooting, platforming, and tactical cover mechanics.
- Unlockable Characters via Objectives (weight 0.48): Players start with one character and unlock the rest by completing specific objectives, such as mission sub-goals and performance-based challenges. Unlocking new characters often requires achieving high scores or completing extra tasks within levels.
- Level Challenges and Objectives (weight 0.48): Each level has a main objective and multiple side objectives or challenges, such as time limits, collecting items, or limiting shots. Completing these challenges often unlocks new characters or rewards.
- Character Personalities and Traits (weight 0.29): Playable characters have unique personalities and distinct traits, making each feel different. Their abilities and playstyles reflect these characteristics.
- Fast-Paced Arcade Action (weight 0.27): The game offers fast-paced, arcade-style action with simple but fluid gameplay. It emphasizes quick reflexes and dynamic combat.
- Slide and Execute Enemies (weight 0.25): Players can slide into enemies to stun or knock them down, then execute them. This mechanic adds a stylish and tactical element to combat.
- 21 Main Levels Plus Secrets (weight 0.21): The game includes 21 main levels, along with 3 secret levels and 3 DLC levels. Some levels have hidden missions or extra challenges to discover.
- Pixel Art Presentation (weight 0.17): The game features a pixel-art visual style, contributing to its retro aesthetic. This art style is consistent across environments and characters.
- Secondary Weapons and Power-Ups (weight 0.17): Players can pick up secondary weapons like grenades and nail bombs, as well as power-ups that modify gameplay. These add variety and temporary advantages.
- No Jump Mechanic (weight 0.1): The game lacks a jump button, focusing on ground-based movement and combat. Instead, players use slides and other maneuvers to navigate levels.
- Health Regeneration System (weight 0.09): Health regenerates over time when the player avoids damage, typically by waiting in safe areas. This mechanic encourages tactical retreats.
- Side-View Platformer Elements (weight 0.09): The game incorporates side-view platforming elements, blending action with platforming challenges. This adds verticality and exploration to the side-scrolling formula.

Performance notes:
- Stuttering causes critical deaths (weight 0.06): Stuttering often occurs during critical moments, leading to unfair deaths and frustration. This performance issue directly impacts gameplay and player success.
- Launch issues fixed with safe mode (weight 0.06): Some players encounter technical issues when starting the game that are resolved by using the 'safe mode (legacy)' launch option. This provides a workaround but indicates underlying compatibility problems.
- Level restart loading delays (weight 0.06): Every time a level is restarted, there is a few seconds of loading time. While not game-breaking, this delay can interrupt the flow of play.
- Framerate drops with browser open (weight 0.06): Framerate drops occur when playing with a browser open in the background. This suggests resource contention and can degrade performance during multitasking.
- Some players never crash (weight 0.05): A minority of players report never experiencing crashes, indicating that the issues may be system-specific or intermittent. This highlights inconsistencies in stability across different setups.

Recommendations:
- Appeals to specific niche tastes (weight 0.8): The game is frequently recommended for fans of fast-paced action, 2D platformers, gore, absurd humor, and Devolver Digital titles. Several reviewers compare it favorably to Hotline Miami or Broforce.
- Mixed feelings on overall quality (weight 0.48): Some reviewers find the game adequate but not exceptional, while others cannot recommend it due to difficulty spikes or lack of polish. A few wish for a neutral rating option and find it hard to decide.
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.41): A large number of reviewers strongly recommend the game, often describing it as a must-buy or an easy recommendation. The enthusiasm is consistent across many short positive reviews.
- Worth buying at a discount (weight 0.37): Many reviewers suggest purchasing the game during a sale, with recommendations ranging from 50-75% off to specific low price points. A few even say it is worth full price.
- Not for everyone (weight 0.29): Several reviewers note that the game may not appeal to all players, especially those who dislike repetitive levels or crude humor. It is often recommended with caveats.
- Funny and cathartic violence (weight 0.26): Multiple reviewers highlight the game's dark humor and over-the-top violence as key selling points. It appeals to those who enjoy absurd, gory entertainment.
- Challenging but fair gameplay (weight 0.2): Some describe the game as hard but fair, with a difficulty curve that becomes increasingly tough. Others warn about trial-and-error and end-game spikes.
- Short but enjoyable experience (weight 0.13): The game is described as a quick, fun romp lasting around 6-7 hours. Some note limited replayability if you dislike repeating levels.
- Play with a controller (weight 0.12): A few reviewers explicitly recommend using a controller, while one suggests playing as the character Mike. These control preferences appear in a small number of reviews.
- Steam version lacks polish (weight 0.1): A few reviewers specifically criticize the Steam version as unpolished and almost unplayable, recommending the console e-store version instead. This suggests potential technical issues on PC.
- Good starting point for Devolver (weight 0.09): For those unfamiliar with Devolver Digital's catalog, this game is suggested as an excellent introduction. It aligns with the publisher's typical style of quirky, violent action.
- Positive but with reservations (weight 0.09): A few reviewers give a thumbs up but express mixed feelings, such as wishing for a neutral rating or finding it hard to decide. The recommendation comes with notable caveats.
- Soundtrack worth extra cost (weight 0.09): Some reviewers recommend buying the edition that includes the soundtrack, indicating the music is a notable positive. This is a minor but recurring point.
- Check gameplay videos first (weight 0.09): Some suggest watching a gameplay video or trying a demo to determine if the game suits your tastes. This is a common piece of advice for uncertain buyers.
- Underrated gem (weight 0.06): A reviewer calls it an underrated gem, suggesting it deserves more attention than it received. This highlights its hidden quality.
- Not a first choice (weight 0.05): A reviewer states it is worth the price but not a top pick among similarly priced games. This suggests it is good but not outstanding in its category.
- Recommended for absurd stories (weight 0.05): One reviewer recommends it for those who enjoy absurd stories, indicating the narrative is unconventional. This is a niche appeal.
- Dialogue can be skipped (weight 0.05): One reviewer advises against listening to every bit of dialogue, implying the story or voice acting may not be a strong point. This is a minor note.
- Good for killing time (weight 0.05): One reviewer recommends buying it on sale to kill time while waiting for other games to patch. This positions it as a decent time-filler.
- Refund if disliked (weight 0.05): A reviewer suggests that if you don't like it, you can refund it, implying the game might not click for everyone. This is practical advice.

Other player notes:
- Frequent Hotline Miami comparisons (weight 0.46): Players often compare the game to Hotline Miami, noting fast-paced, skill-based combat in a side-scrolling view. Some say it is more lenient and comical than Hotline Miami.
- BunnyLord story and premise (weight 0.32): The story revolves around BunnyLord, a time-traveling anthropomorphic rabbit from the future who runs for mayor to save the world from an alien invasion. The narrative is intentionally absurd and humorous.
- DLC and additional content (weight 0.32): The game has DLC that adds achievements, missions, and an extra campaign where you play as BunnyLord. The DLC content is generally well-received and is included in newer editions.
- Compared to Broforce (weight 0.31): Several reviewers liken the game to Broforce, often in combination with Hotline Miami, for its tone, difficulty, and action-packed gameplay.
- Game is quite short (weight 0.27): Many reviewers note that the game is short, taking only a few hours to complete the main story. Even with secrets and extra missions, it remains brief.
- Dialogue and voice acting (weight 0.27): The game features randomly generated dialogue and voice acting with various accents. The dialogue is often humorous and adds to the game's charm.
- Published by Devolver Digital (weight 0.24): The game is published by Devolver Digital, fitting the publisher's catalogue of distinctive indie titles. It is considered a hidden gem among Devolver's releases.
- Replayability and mission variety (weight 0.23): The game offers replayability through replaying missions for higher election ratings and additional objectives. Completing secondary objectives rewards honorary titles and affects the ending.
- Level and mission count (weight 0.22): The game includes around 21 missions or levels, with secret levels and challenges. The missions correspond to 21 days before the election.
- Chiptune soundtrack (weight 0.22): The game features 8-bit chiptune music that complements the pixel art style. The soundtrack is often praised and is available separately.
- Humorous and absurd tone (weight 0.22): The game is full of dark humor, sociopolitical parody, and absurd dialogue. The humor is a key selling point, though some jokes may not land for all players.
- Unlockable characters (weight 0.2): The game features multiple unlockable characters with different playstyles. Some are needed for achievements, and there are about a dozen available.
- Value for price (weight 0.2): Reviewers consider the game fairly priced and good value, especially when discounted. However, some feel it lacks content for the price.
- Pacing and difficulty (weight 0.17): The game is described as hardcore with fast-paced action, but more forgiving than Hotline Miami. Some compare its death pacing to Dark Souls.
- Steam and technical issues (weight 0.16): Some players report technical issues such as fullscreen requiring safe mode, which disables achievements, and windowed mode being stuck. There are workarounds but they affect the experience.
- Pixel art style (weight 0.14): The game features a detailed pixel art style with fluid animations, often praised for being cleaner and crisper than most pixel games.
- Lack of co-op and modes (weight 0.13): Some players wish for a local co-op mode and note a lack of alternative modes. The game could benefit from additional features like character progression.
- Repetitive secondary objectives (weight 0.13): Secondary objectives are often seen as repetitive, and the game feels rushed in places. Two of the three worlds are similar with palette swaps.
- Linux support (weight 0.12): The game runs on Ubuntu Linux and supports Xbox-type controllers. Players appreciate the Linux build.
- Multiple endings (weight 0.06): There are four possible endings based on performance: Mayor, Prime Minister, King, and Global Megalord. This adds replay value.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Players are frustrated by severe difficulty spikes, unfair enemy spawning, and imprecise controls that cause frequent deaths. Technical issues like crashes, fullscreen problems, and unskippable cutscenes further compound the irritation, especially during attempts at 100% completion.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.17): The game is enjoyed for its fast-paced action platforming, tight controls, and charming pixel art. Its quirky characters, humor, and solid soundtrack make it a fun and addictive experience despite occasional frustrations.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment stems from the game's short length, lack of content, and repetitive level design. Many feel it falls short of expectations set by the trailer, with unpolished Steam versions and limited replayability.
- Amusement (weight 0.12): The absurd humor, outrageous scenarios, and hilarious characters provide constant amusement. The game's silly premise, gory deaths, and witty dialogue keep players laughing throughout.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Excitement comes from the adrenaline-fueled, fast-paced combat and energetic firefights. The game's speed-running and gunning gameplay, along with explosive action and slide mechanics, deliver a thrilling experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction is derived from the game's well-made controls, satisfying combat, and content volume. Players feel rewarded by the fast-paced killing and close-range instant kills.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom arises from repetitive gameplay, copy-and-pasted levels, and a lack of humor in later stages. The monotonous design and slow first levels fail to engage players.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's over-the-top action, smooth controls, and satisfying combat. Despite its short length, the checklist of violence, explosions, and social commentary keeps players excited.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Annoyance is caused by unchangeable keyboard controls, forced character choices, and slow dialogue pacing. Later levels with low margin for error and forced humor also contribute.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation comes from the game's soundtrack, funny voice lines, and respect for skilled players. The well-crafted design, elaborate event scenes, and original obstacle gameplay are also valued.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love for the game is inspired by its quirky characters, humor, and well-directed trailer. The little touches and details throughout the game foster affection.
- Fun (weight 0.02): Fun is found in the fast-paced, hectic cover shooter gameplay and overwhelming enemy encounters. The pixel graphics, character variety, and BunnyLord add to the enjoyment.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Addiction is driven by the game's compulsive pixel-art side-scrolling action shooter gameplay. Players find it hard to put down, comparing it to a virus.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement stems from tricky challenges that turn the game into a puzzle shooter. Trial-and-error gameplay and character variety keep players invested.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise is caused by the lack of co-op and the game working well without a jump button. These unexpected aspects catch players off guard.
- Rage (weight 0.01): Rage is induced by bullshit enemies and specific gameplay moments that cause intense anger. These unfair elements lead to outbursts of frustration.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is felt for memorable and well-written characters like Bunnylord, who is both funny and MVP. The character development earns player respect.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness arises from emotional investment in the game, likely due to its story or characters. Players feel a sense of loss or melancholy.
- Incredible feeling upon completion (weight 0.01): An incredible feeling upon completion is experienced after finishing everything in the game. The sense of accomplishment is overwhelming and rewarding.
- Mild frustration (weight 0.01): Mild frustration is caused by technical issues like starting in windowed mode and crashes on restart. These minor annoyances detract slightly from the experience.}