Just (Free) Adventures
True Hero

Author: Ian Williams
Download Size: No Download!
Internet Browser Requirements: Frames, style sheets, and JavaScript enabled
Approximate Playing Time: 1-2 hours

By Audrey Wells

It's been a while since my last Just (Free) Adventures column. Did you miss me? In any case, this column's game, called TrueHero, is a text-based online adventure game with some RPG elements. It's free and very much worth your time! Take a look ...

Click here to visit the official site of True Hero

In True Hero, there is not much of a storyline at all. You're an inexperienced adventurer, and you find yourself in the middle of a marshy land with not much in your pockets but a blank map and a bit of food for lunch. Even as you play, there is no "plot" to uncover, but simply things to do and places to go, in a surprisingly linear fashion. There are a few ultra mini-quests, such as fetching this item in exchange for that item, etc. Though traditional adventures rely heavily on storyline, I found that this game was still enjoyable without a deep development of plot. But due to that lack of any development, I will simply give the story an average grade of C.

This is a text-based game. Take note, however, this is not like the old DOS text adventures in which you see only text on a blank screen. There are some graphics to enhance the interface of the game. As you can see by the screenshots, the text is nicely bolstered by a simple graphical interface. Due to the simple nature of the game, I will give it a B for graphics.

True Hero also has no sounds or music, except for the sound that plays when an alert box (usually containing information about what you're looking at, or a question for you to answer, etc.) pops up. This sound can be mildly annoying after a time, but is based upon the sound settings you use for Windows (or Mac OS, I suppose). Just mute your computer if you don't like it. Besides, sometimes I like to listen to my own music when playing games. Try it. Since the only sounds that play are not truly based in the game itself, I won't score the sound category.

The gameplay is the real clincher for this game. The text for all of the locations is well-written (I didn't notice any typos) and has a perfect length. Not too detailed, not too sparse. Though the game is text-based, you do not have to do any typing to play the game (aside from logging in). Rather, each location's description has some words that are hotspots. Want to go southwest to get to the supply store? Just move your mouse over the word, which will be highlighted, and click. Most of the game's puzzles take the form of combat. The combat is based upon the system of rock, paper, and scissors. Each enemy that you come across has a certain method of fighting, and each type of blow that you can inflict on your enemy has another blow that can overcome it. The trick is to anticipate what your enemies will choose in order to defeat them. Don't worry, however; you can save your game and reload if you happen to get killed yourself. There are also other puzzles, such as a riddle to decipher, etc. For some reason, the game is strangely addictive. If it was a big game I have a feeling I would have been up all night! The gameplay gets an A.

Final Grade: B+

All in all, the game is enjoyable enough to make you want to finish it. If you have any inclination toward RPG games, this one is definitely for you. And when you get to the end, be sure to email the author and show your support for the continuation of the game!