Explosive eggs, bizarre mutations, enormous enemy swarms and a wonderfully ridiculous sense of humour: Ground Zero Hero has no interest in doing things quietly.
Some games are content to give you a weapon, throw a few enemies your way and call it a day. Ground Zero Hero has rather different ideas. What started as a quick look turned into around ten hours of gameplay, and I still wanted to go back for more.
Wild mutations, a playful soundtrack and addictive action carry an enormously entertaining roguelite, even if its upgrade system could offer more depth.
Mutations, madness and Chicken Butt
One of the game’s greatest strengths is its spectacularly silly selection of mutations. They’re generous, wonderfully bonkers and often downright funny. My personal favourite? Chicken Butt. Because how could it possibly be anything else?
There’s also a Bonkers Mode, which makes attacking mutations even more powerful and adds another layer of absurdity to an already chaotic experience.
At the beginning of a level, you’re presented with three abilities to choose from. Discovering which ones suit your playstyle and which combinations work together is a big part of the fun. However, once you’ve accumulated enough abilities, your priorities begin to shift. It becomes less about choosing the perfect attack and more about desperately escaping the ever-growing hordes chasing you.
Sometimes the best strategy isn’t dealing more damage. It’s running away quickly enough to survive!
Progression through the pandemonium
There’s a character upgrade system that gives you something to work towards between the frantic encounters. Earning coins allows you to unlock higher-tier upgrades and improve your chances of surviving future runs.
It’s a straightforward system, although the overall selection of upgrades feels somewhat limited. A little more variety here would have been welcome, especially given how imaginative the mutation system is.
Nevertheless, the constant temptation to try another combination, push a little further or simply see what ridiculous ability appears next kept drawing me back.
A world that doesn’t take itself seriously
Visually, Ground Zero Hero is bursting with personality. Its colourful, cartoon-inspired presentation immediately caught my attention, with certain character designs reminding me of The Simpsons and Futurama.
The eccentric creatures, creative scenery and sheer number of enemies on screen create a wonderfully lively experience. Things can become incredibly hectic when the hordes start closing in, but watching the screen descend into complete chaos is part of the appeal.
A soundtrack with personality
The soundtrack deserves particular praise. Both the menu music and the first level’s theme stood out to me, adding energy and atmosphere to the experience.
When night falls, the music even gave me Thriller vibes, while the sound accompanying the speed move brought back memories of the invincibility music from Super Mario.
These little musical touches fit the game’s playful personality beautifully and made the experience all the more memorable.
The verdict
Ground Zero Hero is a colourful, entertaining and highly addictive roguelite with a wonderfully ridiculous sense of humour. Its imaginative mutations, lively presentation and memorable soundtrack provide plenty of reasons to return, and the frantic gameplay can quickly turn a short session into several hours.
However, the relatively limited character upgrade system leaves room for greater depth and progression. While the moment-to-moment action is consistently enjoyable, there’s still scope for the experience to develop further.
Nevertheless, with around ten hours of enjoyment behind me, it’s easy to recommend to fans of chaotic, fast-paced roguelites.
And yes, I’d still choose Chicken Butt.
Coloured Static Press score: 80/100
Review copy disclosure: Coloured Static Press received a complimentary Xbox Series X|S review key for Ground Zero Hero through Keymailer. This does not influence our independent editorial opinion or review score.
Original hands-on review by Coloured Static Press. All gameplay screenshots captured during our own playthrough.