Launch Station: Heroes of Ruin

We must be in the dead of summer as the video game releases are slowing to a crawl.  The next big wave of game releases does not start until July 31st with the release of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.  At least 3DS owners are getting some quality retail games during this drought of video games.  This week the only release belongs to Heroes of Ruin, the second big 3DS game coming to gamers from Square Enix this July.  Compared to Square Enix stables of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, Heroes of Ruin is a brand new IP from Square Enix built from the ground up for the Nintendo 3DS.

Peace in the realm is threatened as the ruler of the city of Nexus, Ataraxis, is slowly dying from a curse.   A message is sent out to all promising a reward beyond measure for the person who finds a cure to Ataraxis' curse.  You play as one of the four mercenaries that goes on the dangerous quest to find a cure.  Each mercenary represents a different class in the game.  You can choose from playing as the sword-wielding Vindicator, pistol-packing Gunslinger, magic-using Alchitect or the fist-swinging Savage.  After choosing your class, you are able to customize your appearance, fighting style, armour set, weapons and class abilities at any time.  Heroes of Ruin can be played solo or co-operatively with up to three other players at anytime.  Square Enix and n-Space are providing daily challenges for gamers to complete for special rewards and achievements, the ability to trade items with others through StreetPass and instantly downloading new game content such as new characters and quests through SpotPass.

Personally, I am have no real interest for Heroes of Ruin.  I will applaud Square Enix for taking a risk and backing an original IP like Heroes of Ruin instead of sticking with just their core franchises.  For those looking for an action RPG experience much like Diablo to take on the go, Heroes of Ruin will be a great purchase for the 3DS.