Hey everyone, Ryoh here, and today on Couch Coop for Couples; We are talking about Herc’s Adventure for the Playstation 1. This is a classic, but whenever I talk about Herc; Everyone’s first thought is this guy.
Today I want to talk about this Herc though.
He isn’t quite as charming as Disney’s Hercules; With lines such as; “Don’t worry, I’m Hercules!”, and; “My dad’s a god”, but he is still great in his own way!
This game could almost be a spiritual successor to zombies ate my neighbors. Just like that game; It can be very difficult. So don’t expect to actually beat this one without some serious effort. Regardless; It manages to be a very fun Couch Coop experience.
Story: Hades has kidnapped Persephone; Thus Zeus sends Herc; Along with a few other heroes to go save her. You will also need to help a few other Greek gods along the way; Such as Poseidon, and Hera. It is fully voice acted, and it is extremely cheesy. Some gods seem to yell at you while others; Such as Hades; Will just whisper at you for 15 seconds. I found myself scrambling for the remote a few times.
Overall it is a charming rendition of Greek mythology that will keep you coming back for more.
Gameplay When you start the game; You are given the choice of Herc, Jason, or Atlanta. Nevia would mostly use Jason, and I always use Herc. They all have different basic, and chargeable attacks. Herc, and Jason both use a basic melee attack; While Atlanta has a bow, and shoots an arrow for her basic attack. Herc’s charge attack has him throwing his club; While Jason charges his sling, and fires a bullet, and Atlanta can fire an arrow rain.
Apart from basic attacks; You can find secondary weapons, and items. These are what make the game truly shine; From Javelins, to Fire breath. Secondary weapons are great, and fairly abundant. Don’t be afraid to have some fun with these things!
I believe Jason to be the most well rounded single player character; This is due to his charge attack being actually helpful solo. Herc’s is a joke; as it stuns him until his club returns; While doing pitiful damage. Atlanta’s arrow rain is very hard to actually use in combat; Due to it taking forever to land, and by not having a melee attack; She suffers in group fights. Her arrow rain can get secrets without using items which is nice. I think the strongest team would be Herc, and Atlanta though
They all have two stats as well; Health, and Stamina. Health is obvious, but Stamina i has two purposes. First it allows you to run; Not only that, but it also dictates how large of an object you can pick up. With some paths, and secrets behind Giant rocks; It is very important. Herc starts with the highest stamina; While Atlanta has the lowest of both stats. Jason Has a respectable amount of stamina, and the same health as Herc; Again proving him to be the best character. You can upgrade Stamina fairly easily; So really it isn’t that important.
When you die in Herc’s Adventure; You don’t just lose a life, and try again. No; You wake up as a ghost, and you must then fight your way out of the Underworld. It is easy the first time, but each successive death will find you deeper, deeper in the abyss. After five deaths; Your hero will be too weak to fight out; Thus ending your journey. This is an interesting mechanic, but is actually very annoying in Coop.
The Underworld is a one player affair, and not only that, but you get a new health bar when you wake up as a ghost. You want to preserve this as much as you can for when you revive. Now the kicker for multiplayer is this; When you revive; Both players are at the beginning of the area you died, and the player who hasn’t died is still hurting from whatever killed the other player. This can cause some chain deaths; if you keep getting killed halfway through a hard area, and only one player gets healed up. Just be sure to always carry a few Gyros.
That’s right; You replenish your health with Gyros. You can also save your game, but these things cost gold.
The Gyros I get, but paying to save? I was never a fan of this mechanic; Sometimes you just need to get off. This punishes having a real life to deal with.
The game doesn’t have traditional levels either; Instead you travel freely around Greece. It can be hard to know where to go at times, but this is part of the fun. Don’t forget to jump over the mud!
The Bosses are insane. I love the boar you fight in the beginning!
They get very hard though. Not to get repetitive; You are going to die; Don’t get too mad!
Controls The controls work, but take a moment to figure out; Especially when you are worried about wasting items. It isn’t that hard though. Your character listens fairly well, except when they are around water. Don’t even get me started on the fish in the water.
Replayability You will at least replay some of it; When you inevitably game over, and need to start over. The first few times it’s great, but it can get repetitive; If you die too often. So perhaps consult a guide if you need one. Nevia, and I like to come back, and attempt to finally win on occasion. Still hasn’t happened, but I haven’t lost hope.
Summary While managing to be a good time; Herc’s Adventure doesn’t actually require much teamwork. in fact you can often impede each other. The game suffers from the fact that you are stuck on the same screen; Often getting each other hit, or just stopping progress. It can get stressful; Regardless of this; I think the game is worth checking out. Just try not to end your relationship over the vulture cliffs.
I find myself complaining; almost as much as I am praising this game. Regardless; I still think you should check it out. It is a great little rendition of some classic Greek mythology, and you won’t regret it.
As a Couch Coop game I give Herc’s Adventure a 7/10. Play it if you, and your significant other are fine with a challenge. It can be frustrating, but it has too much charm to miss. Pick it up cheap on the PSN. It doesn’t seem to be PS4 compatible though; Which is too bad.
Thanks for reading; Check us out next time on Couch Coop for Couples!
The Couch Coople 