The Last Hero of Nostalgaia Review

The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is so close to greatness. The imaginative world of pixel art meeting 3D animation is absolutely glorious to look at, and the concept of an unpredictable narrator is thoroughly engaging in an RPG such as this. However, some of the elements of The Last Hero of Nostalgaia didn’t quite come together. 

The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is a blend between a difficult action RPG and a spoof that references other franchises or makes fun of tropes in the industry. However, the execution isn’t quite right. While it’s humorous to find Master Chef armor that looks inspired by the Halo series, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia falls flat when compared to other satirical works like The Stanley Parable. The writing isn’t all that funny, and the overall atmosphere feels too dire at times. 

I was hoping for more of a pantomime feel to the world. The game does, however, get some interesting cameos such as a pink ball character, which looks ripped from a Pac-Man arcade machine. It looked out of place in this quite dire world and did bring an element of humor to the game.

The narrator barely speaks, which is a shame, but the game does a great job of presenting the world to the player. One of the first scenes you'll see of this world is an ocean view. You'll also see the various characters of the world, who are slowly becoming less detailed as time goes on. It’s an interesting blend of a 3D animated world and pixel art as the moon is an untextured polygon in the sky wrapped around 8-bit clouds. The sea that shimmers the light from the moon meanwhile is animated in 3D, creating a unique look within the gaming industry. 

Something that would compliment these unique, yet stunning visuals, is some epic music. Unfortunately for most of the game, it will be awkwardly silent. The sound design is one of the weakest elements of The Last Hero of Nostalgaia. In a Soulslike, you’ll want to enrich the player with an atmospheric background. Perhaps, it can be the squawks of crows or the sound of the wind that rushes through your ears and out the other. This helps retain the tension and the mood that the developer is trying to set. The Last Hero of Nostalgaia without proper music or sound really fell flat with this important sense. 

When there was music, the tunes fit the atmosphere they are going for. There’s an epic, yet generic theme that plays during some boss battles, for example. It doesn’t stand out but does the job.

How Does The Last Hero of Nostalgaia Feel?

Gameplay-wise, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is a valiant effort. The controls, while not as slick as the Dark Souls series, feel responsive and the control method feels natural to any fan of the subgenre. For the most part, the combat feels fluid with effective weapon combos put in place throughout The Last Hero of Nostalgaia. 

At points, it does feel like the enemy should react more to your attacks as some of the enemies shift abruptly into a combat phase without much warning. Stun does exist in The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, but it doesn’t provide much feedback to the player in some circumstances. The patterns of some enemies can be hard to miss, and it would have been nice to get some more visual feedback on which attack string an enemy or boss will do next. 

If you’ve struggled with the Dark Souls series, however, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia might be your gateway ticket to the genre. The world is interesting to explore as it blends generations of gaming graphically styles together. Also, the combat, especially towards the beginning of The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, is easy to grasp, making it a bit more accessible to newcomers.

The common enemies and bosses of The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, from what I’ve played, are not as nuanced as the Dark Souls series and look less threatening. However, there is a pattern you must figure out, especially with the bigger bosses, and there are some with so much power, that you should grind for more experience. Be careful, as you’ll lose all of your currency if you die twice in a row and fail to grab the dropped cash. 

A new element to the Soulslike genre that The Last Hero of Nostalgaia brings is the remembering system. As you’re in a world where many forget their own past, you’ll be able to reawaken memories by interacting with weapons in the correct areas. Once this is done, the weapon will gain a buff and a new ability for you to use. You can only find the memory by following the clue the developers have left for you, adding a puzzle element to the process. It’s a neat feature, which requires you to think. 

The Last Hero of Nostalgaia Review | Verdict

Overall, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia might be worth the purchase for you. If you’re dying for any kind of Soulslike, you’ll dig this as it has solid combat and a very similar structure to FromSoftware’s landmark titles. The unique blend of 2D pixel art and 3D animation is also something to applaud. 

However, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia does lack a certain element to keep you hooked. If the narrator was more engaging or the story took more precedence over our gameplay so far, the comedic angle of The Last Hero of Nostalgaia could have stuck. The game at its current point feels a bit empty with a lack of quality audio design and enemies that should have been more nuanced and tweaked a little further in development. 

TechRaptor reviewed The Last Hero of Nostalgaia on PC using a copy provided by the publisher. The game is also available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.