A new 2D title from OlliOlli developer Roll7 and publisher Devolver Digital, Not A Hero is a decidedly different game from the studio's skateboard-centric experience. Cover-based shooting mechanics are combined with a plot centering around an anthropomorphic purple rabbit mayor, which is as ridiculous as it sounds. So how did the game fare with critics? Here are some excerpts from around the web:
Polygon, 6.5/10: "There's a flash of brilliance in how Not a Hero tackles the cover-based shooter genre, excising the meticulous stop-and-pop loop and replacing it with unceasing carnage. But it can be hard to see that flash after your 30th failed attempt of a mission, when you're still trying to figure out where the game even wants you to go. Not a Hero's exhilarating payoff might come during that 31st attempt, but it also might not be worth the work that went into it."
Gamespot, 7/10: "If you don't try to complete [all the challenges], you can easily blast your way through Not a Hero in a handful of hours, unlocking most or all of the characters along the way. You can extend your time in the game by completing levels with all the different characters, but the game doesn't do a good job of incentivizing you to do so. Still, there's a lot of fun to be had in this explosive quest for political domination. Not a Hero's humor may not always hit the mark, but the action makes up for it."
Destructoid, 7/10: "The third act ratchets up the difficulty a lot. I almost spent as much time in the last and third from last stages as I have everywhere else. And I still haven't been able to complete any of the side-goals in the last level, which is basically a boss fight followed by a level, with no checkpoint. It's a bit of a pain, but given how quickly I breezed through a majority of the game, perhaps those more challenging, borderline frustrating bits add to the longevity of what is a pretty lean little game.
"Translating cover shooters into 2D makes for a good mix of contemporary and classic sensibilities. It's nice to play a shooter where avoiding enemy bullets is a bit more necessary and I like the tools Not a Hero provides with its slick cover system, mechanically varied cast, and constant chain of slide kicks and executions."
The Escapist, 2.5/5: "For players who found joy out of the visceral haste and repetition in Hotline Miami will find Not A Hero the right kind of familiar, and those who didn't will probably find it the same way. Not A Hero isn't heroic or spectacular, grandiose or meaningful, or even all that endearing. Like its protagonists, the game is kind of messy, a little off-center, and has pretty good ideas buried under the outer shell."
