Mummy madness in new action game Tomb Heroes

Hot on the tail of Bump Hero, ZPlay is giving gamers another reason to get screen bashing with a brand new release.

Tomb Heroes is a challenging action game in which you battle enemies in various tombs around the world. You can select from nine heroes including Rambo, Ninja, Ranger, Terminator, Iron Man and more, unlocking new characters as you collect gems throughout the maps. The aim of the game is simple enough – stay alive for as long as possible. Easier said than done.

The game mechanics are straightforward, although initially a little jarring. You tap the side of the screen you want to shoot in the direction of, and automatically hop backwards in the opposite direction. So shoot left, hop right. Luckily, you’ve got a firm enough kick that if you hop onto an incoming enemy you defeat them. However, you have to time your shots very carefully, otherwise you might end up jumping into the path of a dangling spider, booby trap or some other nastiness. That’s the tricky part.

Each of Tomb Heroes’ four maps has a distinctive theme – there’s Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Mayan Tomb and Gothic Tomb. The enemies you encounter are often unique to that stage, with vampires, skeletons, ghosts, mummies and rival tomb heroes to take on. The enemies and booby traps are randomly generated, too, so you’ll never play exactly the same game twice.

The graphics continue the Bump Hero style, with blocky, retro characters and smooth, colourful backgrounds. Every time you defeat an enemy they’re shattered into a hundred little cubes, with a sound akin to plunging your hand into a bucket of assorted Lego pieces. It’s pretty satisfying. There’s also a synth-heavy soundtrack to drive home that throwback arcade feel.

If you’re looking for a simple, addictive and challenging action game, Tomb Heroes will probably do the trick. It’s available from Google Play.