Are you up for taking on a Souslike with an interesting twist? Then check out our The Last Hero of Nostalgaia review!

 

Today I have an interesting game for you to read about: an indie Soulslike game that is a bit more lighthearted than a traditional Soulslike experience. Are you into games like Dark Soul, Bloodborne, or Elden Ring and want something a bit different that is just as crushingly difficult? Then look no further than The Last Hero of Nostalgia from Over The Moon Games and Coatsink.

In the beginning, you are able to customize your character how you like and pick a name you want. You are then dropped into the corrupted land of Nostalgia, where everything is shown with basic graphics, and heroes are not welcome hence the stickman avatar. Literally a stickman as your character. You will find tons of references to a multitude of games and movies in The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, which include Prince of Persia, Wreck it Ralph, Dead Space, DuckTales, and many more.

 

The stickman character you play as has no memories and doesn’t know who he/she is, but at least you are not alone. As the narrator states in the game, your quest is to restore the lands of Nostalgia. The tutorial is similar to the Stanley Parable – another reference to another wonderful game right there. There is a ton of brilliant references to a lot of games. Can you get them all? Do let us know in the comments below.

As you progress through The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, you’ll be able to find and equip better weapons and armor worthy of a real hero that can end up saving Nostalgaia. As with most Soulike games, if you die, then you lose all of the resources you had collected and must try to find a way to return to the spot where you were defeated so that you can regain them. Die again, and they’re gone for good. When you die, you’re sent to the last checkpoint you linked to, which, again, is very Soulslike of this game.

 

Regarding weapons, while they have various stat perks and bonuses, they also have memories for you to unlock. If you manage to find the clues to where the memories were created, you can not only restore the weapon, but also you can unlock the lore and all the perks that come with said weapon. This could be in the form of various stat boosts or stronger attacks. It is an interesting mechanic for The Last Hero of Nostalgia. There is much more to discover, but I will be keeping those secrets for myself so you can pick up the game and discover them on your own.

Gameplay-wise, you can’t just slash your way through the game and hope to button-mash your way to victory. You will need to use shields to defend yourself as well as parry incoming attacks. Knowing when it’s the right time to attack is the key so that you can make the most of these small windows to deal considerable damage. And when you do end up being damaged, you can absolutely heal up, but you can only heal a set number of times. The good news is that when you reach the next checkpoint, your heals will automatically be replenished.

 

Another awesome feature is that as you progress through the game, you can change the pixelated Minecraft-looking art style into a more modern graphical presentation more in tune with current console generations. To do this, you need to light a beacon which changes the landscape slightly as you slowly but surely make some progress. The beacons are also useful for spending your hard-earned in-game currency on leveling up your stats, which can help you balance your character build based on the class you selected and your playing style.

The Last Hero of Nostalgia is a very challenging game that pays homage to Soulslike experiences. It’s a genre that I’m not very skilled at, but even if that’s your case, you can certainly have a great time with this one. There’s a lot of trial and error involved as you learn the movement and attack patterns of enemies and bosses, making the most of the skills you unlock and the better equipment you find along the way. The Last Hero of Nostalgia is out on Nintendo Switch with a $24.99 price tag. There’s also The Rise of Evil DLC that adds more weapons and armor, more bosses, and new areas to explore, all for an extra $7.99.

Disclaimer
This The Last Hero of Nostalgaia review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Coatsink.