If Vampire Survivors released in the late 2000s/early 2010s, then Ground Zero Hero, developed by Rowan Edmondson and published by Acclaim, would be the addictive spin-off available on Adult Swim’s website.
Yes, the obvious connection here is the Rick and Morty-esque visual style, but there’s so much more at play here. It’s an over-the-top bullet hell roguelite that isn’t afraid to throw in the occasional 2000s-era meme or two alongside solid, addictive gameplay. It’s such a nice throwback that had me feeling some Behemoth vibes, with humor I haven’t seen much of since Alien Hominid and Castle Crashers.
While its gameplay lacks the depth of its inspiration, we’ve seen other Vampire Survivors spin-offs overcome its shallowness, notably Megabonk. While Ground Zero Hero likely won’t have that same staying power, there’s still enough here to get lost in perfecting your runs.
Ground Zero Hero won’t reinvent the bullet hell wheel, but it doesn’t need to
For those unfamiliar with the bullet hell genre, here’s a quick rundown. You’ll navigate your way through one of five different levels, each with its own variety of enemies, as you acquire power-ups and automatically attack an endless horde all charging in your direction. These power-ups range from the standard fare, such as fireballs or an aura of radiation that damages nearby enemies, to some that will make you chuckle every time.
Take, for example, “Game 6 Clay,” a direct reference to former Golden State Warriors player Klay Thompson. The attack is, unsurprisingly, a basketball player throwing a bomb from way downtown and blowing up everyone in its landing area. There’s also an air horn or two during each run. Or ten. Sadly, there’s no Jersey Shore fist pumping, but what can you do?
You’ll mix and match these power-ups, which the game calls mutations, to build your own unique genetic freak who, quite literally, mutates into a non-stop killing machine. In one of my best runs, I utilized Game 6 Clay, fireballs that would eventually proc into firebeams, a Cyclops-esque laser beam that shot from my eye, spikes emitting from my back, and a third leg. Because, well, you’ll run faster with a third leg. Beyond that, you’ll be able to use parts of each level to your advantage, from lighting fireworks to harnessing the power of the sun to burn your enemies.
It’s this fantastic, old-school (oh god, the 2000s are retro now) presentation that meshes so well with what’s an already well-established gameplay loop from over the years. While Ground Zero Hero doesn’t necessarily do anything new or revolutionary, there’s no need for it to mess with perfection. That being said, I spent most of my time wondering if there could have been a little more depth.
There isn’t as much depth as in similar games, but Ground Zero Hero doesn’t need it
Most other bullet hell roguelites love to tout the amount of options for abilities to acquire, often saying that their games have hundreds of unique combinations. Ground Zero Hero promises 80+ upgrades across its mutation path to allow for “countless build combinations.” That said, things feel a little more shallow here, especially considering that other games in the genre offer not only more abilities, but more characters too.
On the surface level, it seems like Ground Zero Hero is a little light on content. It’s definitely an impression I had when first diving in. That said, so many of these other games only offer the illusion of choice. Yes, part of the fun in something like Megabonk was the sheer amount of abilities, characters, and items available. I would also spend a lot of my time turning off specific items or skills and only playing a handful of characters. Those hundreds of options before me were, in reality, a much smaller number.
As you’d expect, not every ability in Ground Zero Hero is preferred. In fact, most of the abilities are incredibly poor in the game’s early stages. I often found myself resetting to make sure I’d pick up something that would actually benefit me as I began each run. To make matters worse, some abilities, particularly the fireball power-up, require me to play suboptimally, as it only fires in the direction I’m moving in. When your game has fewer abilities available to choose from compared to what I’m used to, these issues stand out like a sore thumb.
It had me wondering if the entire hook here was the visual style. Remember when I said that this feels exactly like the Adult Swim version of Vampire Survivors? Yeah, those games weren’t exactly providing deep, meaningful gameplay experiences. Part of the allure of Robot Unicorn Attack was that dang song. Thankfully, those fears would quickly fade as I played Ground Zero Heroes. It knows to focus on what it does well and provide a well-rounded experience rather than offering hundreds of thousands of abilities.
Ground Zero Hero: Final Thoughts
I was worried that Ground Zero Hero would try to coast on its Adult Swim visuals and humor. Instead, it’s as enjoyable a bullet hell as I’ve played.
Again, it lacks the depth and content we’ve seen elsewhere in the genre, but there’s something to be said for trimming the fat from a game and truly focusing on what works. We’ve seen other games prune abilities and spells to great effect, and it’s something that I think works quite well here. I don’t need hundreds of power-ups to choose from when I’m only using a fraction of those.
In the end, Ground Zero Hero is a total blast to play and found me pining for a bygone era of gaming and pop culture. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to boot up another run while I watch some Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
PROS:
- Gameplay loop is still as fun as you’d expect from the genre
- A lack of options and characters, yes, but removes the illusion of choice
- Humor and presentation never feel dated, but then again, I lived for 2000s-era Adult Swim
CONS:
- Only one playable character
- Some issues with being able to succeed in the early game
Backyard Baseball is an imperfect but still enjoyable baseball experience.
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