Indie developer Exalted Studio and publisher Dear Villagers have announced their latest creation, Big Helmet Heroes, a vibrant 3D beat’em up game scheduled for release in Q1 2025 across console and PC platforms. This charming title promises to breathe fresh life into the beat’em up genre with its unique blend of action, humor, and meticulously crafted animations.
The game boasts an impressive roster of 29 unique characters, each waiting to be discovered and rescued throughout the adventure. Players will traverse whimsical levels inspired by childhood fantasies, encountering everything from Knights and Pirates to Mummies and even Metal Unicorns. The diverse arsenal at players’ disposal includes traditional weapons like swords and axes, alongside more unconventional options such as electric fly swatters and laser guns, ensuring combat remains fresh and entertaining.
One of Big Helmet Heroes’ standout features is its accessibility. While offering engaging challenges for players of all skill levels, the game maintains a balance between excitement and approachability. The adventure follows a classic premise with a modern twist – a quest to rescue a princess who, as players will discover, might not be quite as helpless as traditional storytelling would suggest.
The game’s development team has placed particular emphasis on several key features that set it apart from other titles in the genre. The cutting-edge animation system pushes technical boundaries, bringing characters and environments to life with spectacular detail. Combat is built around four distinct fighting styles, allowing players to develop their own tactical approaches to encounters.
Cooperative play stands as a central pillar of the experience, with local co-op functionality enabling friends to tackle challenges together. This multiplayer aspect adds an extra layer of strategy and occasional playful competition, as partners can even send each other tumbling into precipices during their adventures.
The game’s hero roster includes several distinctive character classes. The Warrior represents a classical approach to combat, skillfully balancing offense and defense with sword and shield. For players who prefer raw power, the Brute wields massive two-handed weapons, trading speed for devastating strikes. Those favoring stealth can opt for the Rogue, a swift operator wielding twin daggers for quick, deadly strikes. The Monk offers yet another unique playstyle, combining aerial agility with fluid staff combat.
Behind this ambitious project is Exalted Studio, a passionate team based in the South of France. With approximately a dozen developers, this close-knit group approaches game development with a family-like atmosphere, focusing on creating experiences that both delight and inspire. Their publishing partner, Dear Villagers, brings additional expertise from their Montpellier headquarters, where a team of twenty provides specialized marketing and production support.
The game has already garnered attention at major international gaming events, including Paris Games Week, Indie X in Portugal, and WePlay in China. For those eager to experience the game firsthand, a playable demo is currently available on both Steam and Xbox Series platforms.
With its combination of polished animation, varied combat styles, cooperative gameplay, and imaginative world design, Big Helmet Heroes appears poised to offer a fresh take on the beat’em up genre while paying homage to its roots. The game’s blend of accessibility and depth, coupled with its charming aesthetic and humorous undertones, suggests an experience that could appeal to both genre veterans and newcomers alike.
