In the world of Class of Heroes, not every student heads to a standard school. Some train at academies to become adventurers. The Class of Heroes series brings players into two such academies – Particus and Crostini – where they’ll assemble parties of student characters and guide them through dungeon-crawling challenges.
At these adventuring schools, each day holds new lessons both inside and outside the classroom. Students study academic subjects, of course, but they also undertake missions to dangerous labyrinths. As their party leader, it’s your job to develop their skills for the battles ahead. You’ll select their classes and races, balancing abilities to overcome any foe. Whether facing monsters or exams, your team must work together to survive their studies.
But school is also a time for personal growth. Through combat and companionship, individual students will find their strengths. By facing trials with allies at their side, strong bonds of friendship can form. Though danger looms in the dungeons, each success brings the reward of shared celebration. If guided well, each student just may find their true calling and help bring glory to their academy.
The complete collection allows exploration of both Particus and Crostini’s halls. But no school comes without its challenges. To truly assist your pupils, you must first learn the ways of the Class of Heroes.
Difficult Starts, Rewarding Journey
Man, those early hours in Class of Heroes sure can test your patience. Between the lack of hand-holding and needing to figure everything out on your own, it’s easy to get turned around real fast. But once you push through and start to understand how it all fits together, there’s enjoyment to be found.
Class of Heroes 1 especially seems intent on throwing you right into the deep end from the get-go. No real instructions on party building or systems – they just expect you to dive in and sink or swim on your own. Even folks used to old-school games might find themselves drowning quickly without a guide.
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That’s where Class of Heroes 2 is a smarter starting point. While it doesn’t completely hold your hand, there is definitely more scaffolding. Things like character creation have additional clarity. And actual npcs give you a nudge in the right direction when you’re lost. It’s enough to get your bearings as the deeper systems unfold.
At their core, both games follow a similar flow. You enroll at one of two magic schools to help train the students. From there, it’s about developing a party of six unique characters through their “classes”. That means selecting races and jobs that play to each other’s strengths. Coordination is key for the battles ahead.
When not in class, you’ll venture into dangerous dungeons. Taking on assignments from teachers and other students to hunt monsters, discover treasures and more. The randomly generated levels and surprises within keep things fresh across multiple journeys underground. Of course, everything you do helps your characters gain experience and power.
Over time, advanced jobs and magics become available. Your squad really starts to click as powerful combos emerge. But it’s a steady climb, so patience is a virtue. Success means bonding your classmates and unlocking the mysteries hidden deep within the schools.
So while the starts prove tricky, Class of Heroes offers rewarding old-school gameplay for those willing to invest effort into its systems. Class of Heroes 2 in particular opens the door, so I’d recommend starting there if you’re new to the adventure. Stick with it and you’ll find fun challenges around every corner.
Getting to Know Your Students
Creating your party of student adventurers is a big first step in Class of Heroes. You’ve gotta select races like humans, elves and beastkin, with each offering their own traits. Then pick a starting class – warrior, mage, priest and more that shape their abilities. It takes some testing to learn what all the options really mean.
At first everyone feels like a blank slate, but stick with your students and you’ll see their potential bloom. Every battle they survive lets them gain experience, making them stronger and teaching new skills. Apart from battling baddies, your pupils need other lessons too. Sending them to magic or crafting class boosts their stats in fun ways.
Finding the right balance with your party members is just as important as building up each character. You don’t want too many squishy mages or solely attacking warriors. Make sure to have roles covered whether protecting allies, healing wounds or buffing magic power. Coordinating different tactics means your students can support each other when enemies attack.
Over time your team will start to feel like more than just classes on a sheet. Their personalities really shine as you mound them into powerful magic-slingers and master sword-fighters. Don’t be afraid to retry if you misjudge a starting setup. The adventure has only just begun, so take your time getting acquainted with this rowdy bunch of recruits. Keep them safe and before long they’ll amaze you with what they can accomplish together.
Navigating Labyrinths Old and New
Wandering the halls of Class of Heroes’ many dungeons, you really feel like an intrepid group of student adventurers. It’s a first-person view as you carefully poke your way forward block by block, sword and spell at the ready. Maps are helpfully filled in as you explore, but random layouts in the original can leave things feeling a touch aimless.
The remaster brings a welcome change, doing away with randomness for hundreds of unique levels. Each has its own layout to uncover, traps and treasure just waiting in the shadows. Not knowing what lies ahead keeps things exciting, like finding a whole new wing branching off deeper below the school. Both games offer that thrill of the unknown in spades.
Of course, delving into the deep also means facing whatever nasty beasts have made these places their homes. Resource management is key between battles, never quite sure what rewards or roadblocks the next room may hold. Healing potions and weaponry don’t come cheap, so every resource must count if you hope to make it back in one piece.
Class of Heroes expects real strategizing with this level of uncertainty. Do you push on with limited supplies, gambling on finding a store soon? Or turn back while the going is good, living to fight another day? Its challenges might be retro, but feeling your way through each choice gives its ancient halls a modern intensity. Beyond lessons of magic and steel, these dungeon runs prove the value of quick thinking on your feet.
Strategizing for Victory
Turn-based battles in Class of Heroes take place from a first-person view, with your party arrayed before you in a front and back row formation. Each position impacts a character’s effectiveness, from melee attackers needing to stand at the fore to spellcasters providing support from behind. It’s up to you to make the most of each class’s strengths.
As you venture through dungeons, regular skirmishes boost your students’ abilities. Starting off is simple smashing, but developing powerful skill combinations is key. A warrior shielding allies while a priest lends healing aid can turn the tides. Late-game combos demand careful planning, like a mage freezing foes for a sneak attack.
Such coordination becomes crucially important when facing tougher floors. Later beasts hit brutally hard and feature deadlier magic. A mis-timed move here can mean game over. You’ll need to consistently improve your team and meticulously choose each action to bounce back from losses.
It’s immensely satisfying to see characters progress from fresh recruits to a well-oiled machine. Even hard-won victories feel like real accomplishments. While the challenge is high, overcoming the odds through smart strategies makes all the effort worthwhile. By the finale, your students will have grown as capable adventurers prepared for anything. Their story may end at graduation, but your memories of the journey will last.
Tales from the Classroom
Story takes a backseat in Class of Heroes. You’re thrust into student life at magical academies, though details stay sparse. It’s really about managing your party’s growth and dungeon expeditions between lectures. Still, the atmosphere feels lively thanks to charming visuals.
Brightly colored characters pop with personality, from rabbit-eared thieves to beastly brutes. Their expressive portraits suggest adventures just off the pages of your favorite manga. Even mundane activities like shopping or studying feel upbeat next to such cute creations. It’s easy to imagine the hijinks that fill campus halls outside lesson hours.
Gameplay keeps narrative barebones by design, focusing on battles and budgets over tales. But those anime aesthetics infuse everyday routines with humor and heart. You really believe in your colorful crew of students and want to see them succeed against all obstacles. Their goofy grins help gloss over clunkier systems.
Visually, Class of Heroes remains a treat. However, audio falls flat at times with some rough technical hiccups. Sound effects play at odd volumes compared to music. Voices don’t always match the action either. It’s a shame such a charmingly-drawn world isn’t always complemented by polished audio atmospherics. Still, the lively visual presentation carries things far. Just don’t expect cinematic quality in other areas.
Farewell to Particus Academy
Class of Heroes won’t offer an easy ride, but its challenges are a treat for dedicated DRPG fans. If you enjoy sinking hours into intricate party sims, seeing build strategies come together, this collection delivers. Pqube deserves praise for keeping these cult classics available as others faded. It’s still not for the faint of heart.
Complex systems and steep learning curves may test newcomers. But persevering players are rewarded with thrills of optimized adventuring. Carefully balancing stats, skills, equipment across a half-dozen characters becomes an addictive puzzle. Seeing it all click is its own reward. Gradually tougher dungeons up the ante, celebrating every obstacle overcome.
This series understands immersive ventures emerge from limitations, not hand holding. You’ll need to experiment boldly, think outside scripted expectations. Failure and Attrition are factored in. Victory stems from thoughtful adaptability, not following a single path. It’s a superb sandbox to express player mastery.
Its anime style might lure some unprepared, but lies don’t serve fans or games. Class of Heroes asks commitment to richly repay it. Casual palette cleansers this is not. Yet its intense pleasures are too often missed. Hopefully Pqube will consider a third outing, allowing more to grasp this hardcore magic.
For now, we can only bid these students farewell, eagerly awaiting future adventures. May their next exploits bring even greater glory to Particus Academy. The labyrinth calls once more!
The Review
Class of Heroes 1 & 2 Complete Edition
While its flaws outweigh any narrative strengths, Class of Heroes' hardcore party-building remains a compelling draw for committed DRPG fans. Though understandably not for all, this remaster preserves cherished challenges for its dedicated audience.
PROS
- Deep party management and character building systems
- Challenging, steep learning curve for hardcore fans of the genre
- Addictive puzzles of optimizing varied character builds
- Anime aesthetics give charm to unforgiving gameplay
- Preserves beloved but obscure cult classics
CONS
- Extremely punishing and unforgiving for newcomers
- Minimal instruction and steep learning curve can frustrate
- Dated visuals and audio show their age
- Niche appeal will understandably not resonate with all
- Random elements introduce luck aspects beyond player skill
