If you’re in the market for a new MMBN-inspired indie game, here’s a game that might pique your interest: Hero.EXE, which has been in the works for a little while now and has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund development. The team at Mystery Egg Games aims to bring the game to just about every console under the sun: PC DRM-free, Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One.
As the name suggests, Hero.EXE wears its MMBN inspiration on its sleeve. Combat works just like in MMBN: during the compile phase (Custom Screen), you’ll draw and select codes (BattleChips) from a deck of 30 for the next turn. The action itself is real-time and grid-based, taking place on a familiar red-and-blue battlefield.
The game’s setting is also quite similar to MMBN: you find yourself suddenly beamed into the Grid, a digital world plagued by glitches and governed by powerful bosses known as Monarchs. To survive, you’ll have to pair up with an A.V.A. (Navi), who will be your partner for the entire game. There are a number of A.V.A.s to choose from, each having their own unique abilities and personalities, adding plenty of replay value.
Outside of battles is where Hero.EXE takes a bit of a different approach. Overworld exploration takes the form of a hexagonal grid with various event spaces, such as enemy encounters, shops, and so on. The story is told in a Visual Novel format, complete with branching paths and even voice acting. Outside of battle, you can also customize your A.V.A. with various abilities and change out the codes in your deck.
Hero.EXE’s Kickstarter goal is set to $20,000 USD, with stretch goals for a New Game Plus mode, Boss Rush mode and additional beach episode. There’s also an abundance of reward tiers and add-ons, including a physical PC copy of the game, an art book, soundtrack and various merch. If you’d like to try before you buy, Hero.EXE currently has a free demo available on Steam.
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