GAME REVIEW | Giving Multiplayer Parties An Outstanding "Heave Ho"
The best multiplayer titles involve a good deal of teamwork. Yes, you can find these elements in your average run-of-the-mill shooters and classic arcade beat-em-ups. However, very rarely do these sorts of games require a solid dose of brain power to achieve victory. That’s where Le Cartel and Devolver Digital come in with their cartoonishly chaotic Heave Ho, where teamwork is literally the key to achieve greatness.
In Heave Ho, up to four friends are to tackle large gaping areas in order to go from point A to point B. Sometimes it’ll involve loads of climbing and holding onto things; other times it’ll require a little swinging strength to reach the goal. With the right amount of can-do attitude and strategy, players will get to the checkered flag and be showered with confetti. However, grabbing that golden ring of sorts is never easy in the slightest!
This is the type of multiplayer experience where concentration plays a big role in winning. Using the left and right triggers on your Joy-Con, players are able to grab onto ledges, rope, and even the ground in order to reach the next spot. On paper it sounds really simple, but when you are in the midst of a good flow, the slightest hiccup will result in not just your downfall, but also your teammates. And that’s where the mayhem truly shows its sinister face!
Despite its simplistic gameplay, Heave Ho will throw players literally up against walls, spikes, and nastier death pits. And the proper response to all of this is a mixture of violent groaning and rip-roarious laughter. This game is straight-up funny, even when you are dealing with some of its unforgivable difficulty. One moment, you’ll be rolling your eyes as you die for the umpteenth time; the next, you’ll be in tears as a giant llama passes you by, lets out a giant fart, and proceeds to cover the entire screen with its gas. It’s impossible to be mad at this kind of experience; you just give it a go, and enjoy the ride it takes you on!
With that being said, Solo Mode is one hell of a pickle to deal with. Completing the levels are doable when playing by one’s lonesome, but it’s quite the struggle to get there. It’s like a metaphor of sorts, where Heave Ho teaches you that attempting to experience the tough things in life are far better done when you have the support of friends along the way. Then again, I’m probably misreading the cues of a game that will have birds randomly poop on you for the sake of a giggle.
PROS:
- Loads of fun with friends
- Challenging levels
- Great sense of humor
CONS:
- Extremely hard in solo mode
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Le Cartel and Devolver Digital have delivered one of the best examples of a straight-up party game with Heave Ho. Whether you play with friends or by yourself, this game will give you a great workout for your brain as it tickles your funny bone. If you’re looking for something fun to play with a rowdy bunch of pals in tow, then grab on hold of Heave Ho and give it a good hearty fling!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Thomas Schulenberg of Tinsley PR. Reviewed on the Nintendo Switch.
