Thanks to Ratalaika Games for the code for this game!

Random Heroes: Gold Edition begins with the plot of aliens invading Earth and it is up to you, the hero, to stop them. Taking a gun, you blast your way through various levels collecting coins and killing these beasts along the way. As you plow through the levels, you are greeted with traps such as spikes and things you must jump on to be raised to the next level. A life bar in the form of a battery shows your health, and the characters shoot at you in real time. The amount of coins is shown and these are collected after you blast an enemy to death.

When you approach a boss, you are set up in an area that does a one-on-one against you and the enemy, and a life bar shows how much life the boss has. Here is where the challenge for Random Heroes comes in- these bosses are no pushovers. In fact, on the first one, I died several times before I was able to figure out the strategy—I had to hit at him, jump up on the platform while his laser struck a continuous beam at me, and then wait for a break for him to charge his weapon to take points off his life bar to win.

The controls are pretty easy and straightforward- the control stick moves you, A shoots, Y jumps, and B and X aren’t used. The sound effects are good and realistic but the music is repetitive. There are only 2 tracks- one for the levels and one for bosses, and it is the same bleeps and blips over and over. There are 28 different heroes throughout the game and a variety of levels- 12 worlds with 9 levels each. Unfortunately, this doesn't make much of a difference during gameplay. The first 2 levels, Downtown and The Sewers are basically identical in music, level design, enemy design and background. You can unlock various weapons and buy them by collecting coins in the game. Fortunately, buying these new weapons can make bosses and enemies easier. Some are not available until you get to certain levels. You unlock different heroes by collecting stars.

There is not a lot of variety in the levels- they are all in the same futuristic like gray architecture with the same twilight sky background again and again. I did not even recognize I had switched levels until I went back to the title screen and found out that I had gone into the second world. The main thing that kept me interested was the fact that sometimes this simplicity itself is a charm. There is little storyline to Random Heroes beyond ‘the aliens are invading, go save the world.’ As a fan of games with engaging storylines, this was a big letdown.

How is the game morally? At least it doesn’t really drop the ball here. Nothing is shown that is overtly anti-Christian or biblical. Of course, as in any shooting game, there is, well, shooting as you defeat the enemies. There is mild blood use and it’s obvious the game is set in a warzone. It did earn its 10 + rating as this is not a game I would give very young children.

To sum up the game, I was disappointed both in the lack of storyline and the lack of fun. Some games can be good even if there’s not a complex plot. Alas, Random Heroes is not among them. But for 2.99, you could do worse.