Iliad Heroes

Iliad Heroes is a 2D fighter developed by Inora and released in 2018 for the Pyrohedron. Heroes is a spin-off of the Pyro Enterprises' developed Iliad Online, inspired by the Marvel vs. Capcom series and Skullgirls. Like those games, it revolves around fast-paced combat, spectacular visuals, and a diverse cast of characters, but it also features mechanics of its own. The game's plot focuses on the titular heroes being placed in a pocket dimension by Mosaic and pit against each other to eliminate them permanently.
Heroes was developed for the Series Swap III event. Reception for the game has been (TBA) thus far.
==Plot==
Nervous about their progress, Mosaic realizes that she needs to quickly destroy the heroes if she wants her plans of world domination to play out. Knowing that sending her minions after all of them would be a massive use of manpower that would lead to severe losses on her side, she decides that the logical solution is to pit them against each other.
Using her dark magic, she creates a pocket dimension made out of replications of pieces of their world and invented areas of her own. Deciding to test her experiment out on a small group of the heroes, she teleports fourteen of them to the dimension and leaves each with the same message, conveyed via a magical projection.
Unnerved by her message, each of the vigilantes sets out on a quest to find another exit. Growing impatient, she decides to motivate them by sending out Overlords, soldiers, and an assassin of her own creation named Phase. Will the heroes succeed? Or will desperation lead them to kill?
==Gameplay==
Heroes is a fast-paced traditional fighting game with 2.5D graphics. Players pick three characters before each match and then duke it out, using their unique movement styles, attacks, supers, combos, specials, grabs, and blocking to deplete their opponent's health bars and survive. Like its inspirations, backup characters can be summoned to perform one of three assist attacks that must cooldown, the player can switch fighters at any time, characters who aren't being used will slowly heal, and players can force their opponent to use another character by knocking their current hero out of battle temporarily.
Besides these practical abilities, the player also has three other options in battle. They can use the directional pad to taunt their opponent with one of four emotes, record matches after they're finished, or pause mid-fight to take a picture. While paused, the stage can be adjusted and zoomed in or out as if it was a diorama.  Despite the aforementioned similarities to other fighters, the game has a few unique mechanics of its own.
Before fighting, the player must choose the Classic or Hyper style for each character. While playing with the Classic style turned on, special abilities can only be activated using specific inputs. Alternatively, the Hyper style allows the player to activate these attacks with the push of a button, at the cost of them being less powerful. This allows a wide range of players to enjoy the game, and both style has its own advantages. Another new feature is the addition of Combo Destroyers. Any attack or block that ends a combo is considered one of these, and it will be twice as effective as usual. With good timing, these can change the course of a match.
Like Online, each character can also run and dive. Dives are quick downward pointing diagonal movements that are excellent for chaining together combos and getting around the stage, but they also allow a player to take no damage for a brief moment. High level players can use dives to help them execute a perfect round where they have a full life bar at the end of the fight. The aforementioned stages are also special, as they each have unique layouts and feature gimmicks in the style of the Injustice series. Some levels change over the course of the match, while some are as simple as a single flat platform. A few of them include items that can be picked up with grabs.
Each character has a Level 1, 2, and 3 super that can be activated with the press of a button. These can only be used by filling up the super meter with Mosaic Wings. They can be earned in three ways: attacking, blocking, and defeating enemies found on the different stages. Heroes features a few different modes. The first is Battle, where regular matches are fought. Players can go head-to-head locally, battle CPUs, or go online to fight friends or strangers. The second is Story Mode, where players pick a character and go through a series of matches that progress their individual story. These matches feature unique rules and each includes an Overlord that is fought at the end.
In Odyssey, players can select Rush or Endless. In Rush, every Overlord is fought in order, with battles against waves of stage-specific enemies placed in-between each fight. In Endless, the player must survive neverending brawls with one of the Overlords or a random selection of enemies to reach a new high score. Lastly, the player can go to the Settings and Vault modes. In Settings, the volume and controls can be adjusted, and stage hazards, items, and enemies can be turned on or off. In the Vault, players can view and edit snapshots and match replays, read battle statistics, play training mode, look at adjustable character models as well as view each hero's emotes, and listen to the soundtrack.
==Characters==
===Heroes===
There are 15 characters, 12 of which are playable from the start and 3 fighters that must be unlocked.
Hero 	Description	Supers
RoJo 	
Identity: Ronin JohanssonThe son of a soldier and a secret agent, RoJo used his upbringing to become a vigilante in his hometown of Redscale. Although he was unable to make a difference there, his determination has lead to him becoming a key part of the fight against Mosaic. Now, he must reconcile his desire to return home and his strict opposal to harming the innocent.
RoJo is a balanced character, lacking any extraordinary stats but also having no debilitating weaknesses. His normal attacks have him using martial arts while his special attacks employ the slow but strong Dust Knuckle, the projectile reflecting Energy Shield, the stunning Ground Punch, and the fast but weak Fist Flurry. His grab is Downwards Smash, where he grabs the opponent by the collar (or face, in Limeade's case), and smashes them into the ground.	
#Seismic Overdrive: RoJo strikes the ground with his Dust Knuckle attack, splitting it open and doing decent damage to any opponent who's not in the air. Grounded opponents will also be temporarily dazed by it.
#Gigaton Rush: RoJo unleashes a barrage of energy charged punches, striking nearby opponents over and over again. In addition, this flurry will block any attack from the enemy while activated.
#Redscale Native: RoJo hops inside a minecart that takes off at high speeds, striking the opponent to do heavy damage. To follow this up, powerful jewels rain from the sky, bombarding the enemy. After the crystal rain has ended, the minecart arrives back on the stage.
Phorine 	
Identity: Princess Phosphorine AquariusAn Atlantean princess who revealed the existence of her people, the Aquarids, when she came to the surface to assist in the fight against Mosaic. Sweet, compassionate, and 260 years old, Phorine's bright outlook will be challenged by the harsh realities of the pocket dimension she's been placed in.
Phorine is a glass cannon, someone who hits hard and has a lot of speed, at the cost of being very fragile. Her normal attacks utilize her hands, feet, hair, and flaps. Meanwhile, her special attacks are Electrical Charge, which imbues her strikes with stunning voltage and increases their damage output, Lightning Dash, where she turns into a lightning bolt and quickly crosses the screen, harming anyone in her path, Bubble Barrier, which surrounds her in a bubble that will bounce opponents away, and Splash Trick, where she dives off-stage before soaring upwards hands first to damage an enemy three times in a row. Her grab is Shocking Touch, where she clutches the enemy's sides and electrocutes them.	
#Jolt Grenade: Phorine strikes the ground with an electrical charge, temporarily enveloping her in a dome of electricity that will damage and stun anyone who touches it. In addition, it will protect her from all attacks.
#Fill Up: Water fills the stage, temporarily disabling all hazards and enemies. While Phorine can swim around freely and attack as normal, the opponent will sink to the ground where they can only walk slowly until it drains from the stage.
#Eelectro Rush: Phorine transforms into an invincible lightning bolt that can fly around the stage, greatly damaging and stunning opponents on-contact.
Stark 	
Identity: Alissa StarkA schizophrenic psychologist who was attacked by a psychic patient, which traumatized her and left her with unique powers of her own. Although she was once quiet and kind, the attack left her vengeful and unhinged, but she does retain some of her good qualities. Lately, she's been trying to redeem herself, but Mosaic's challenge may bring out the worst in her.
Stark is a slow and strong character who relies on devastating air combos. By holding the jump button, she can temporarily hover, allowing her to stay in the air longer. Her normal attacks utilize her heels and claws. Stark's special attacks are Psychic Hold, which freezes nearby opponents in mid-air, ESP Toss, where she tosses a heavy crate at her opponent using her mind, PSI Burst, which will knock enemies and objects away from her, and Mind Daze, where she snaps her fingers to stun an opponent that's next to her. Her grab is Choke Slam, where she chokes the opponent using her psychic powers before slamming them into the ground.	
#Brain Barrage: Stark assaults the opponent by throwing boxes, crates, and barrels at them using her mind. Each object doesn't do much damage individually, but the pain can add up.
#Gravity Free: Stark uses her ESP to float above the stage, allowing her to bombard opponents with objects using the attack button and avoid attacks completely.
#Psionic Explosion: Stark focuses her powers into one area, creating a target in front of her. If the opponent is inside this target, she'll release a powerful explosion that will knock the current opponent off-stage and do massive damage to them.
Flambert 	
Identity: Gawain FlambertFlambert is the captain of the fireknights in his land, an organization that defends the innocent from evil and fights fires. After his fiancee was kidnapped by Mosaic's forces, he embarked on a quest to rescue her. Although a valiant hero, his strong motivation for escaping may lead him down an unscrupulous​ path.
With his bulky armor, Flambert is excellent at taking damage and dealing it out, but useless in the air and against those with ranged capabilities. His normal attacks primarily utilize his shield and his sword. His special attacks are Water Blade, where he temporarily surrounds his sword with water to do additional damage, Aqua Dash, where he charges forward at high speeds, Hold Steady, where he stays still and holds his shield forward to absorb all damage, and Sword Blast, where he shoots a jet of water out of his sword to push opponents away. His grab is Stab Hold, where he takes hold of the enemy's shoulder and stabs them through the chest. After this, they'll temporarily take damage over time.	
#Water Wheel: Flambert surrounds himself in water and rolls forward at high speeds, damaging any opponent in his path. It's a strong attack, but it's easy to avoid.
#Fire Fighter: Flambert takes out a gun that shoots bursts of pressurized water that he temporarily use. It's blasts will knock opponents off-screen and do decent damage.
#Knight Stampede: Flambert whistles, summoning the entire Fire Department. They all charge forward, water blades first, to annihilate any opponent on the ground.
Drifter 	
Identity: Unknown​A quiet little boy of mysterious origins, Drifter rolled into the small Somnion Town one day, becoming beloved by its inhabitants. Ever since, he's become notable for his unique outfit and his ability to put anyone to sleep at will. This has lead some villains to try and use his powers for evil - something that will come into play when he's trapped in the pocket dimension.
Drifter can get around quickly, but his light weight means that he's easily launched and knocked back by attacks. His normal attacks utilize his sleeves, his horns, and his bell. His special attacks are Ram Charge, where he charges forward at high speeds until he hits something, Dream Bubble, where he creates a bubble in mid-air, allowing him to jump off of it, Sweet Dreams, where he rings his bell to send out a musical note that will put anyone hit by it to sleep, and Sleepy Time, where he falls asleep horns first. If the opponent dodges this attack, he'll be temporarily vulnerable, but a successful hit will do massive damage and force the player to switch heroes. His grab is Drifter's Lullaby, where he holds his opponent by the back and puts them to sleep by humming.	
#Go to Sleep: Drifter repeatedly jingles his bell, sending out a stagewide wave of music that will put all opponents, enemies, and Overlords to sleep.
#Sandboardin': Drifter hops on a jet-powered Sandboard and blasts off, doing massive damage to anyone struck by it.
#Town Hero: The people of Sominion Town surround Drifter for a period of time, creating a shield that will block all attacks and damage anyone who touches it.
Garter 	
Identity: Kalna Gartera
A warrior who was once part of the Naja tribe, an encounter with a magical snake mutated her into the powerful Garter. After fighting off Mosaic's forces, she became a local hero to the settlements she defended. Although brave and honorable, Mosaic changes the game by offering her some extra motivation. Will she be able to resist?
Garter is remarkably strong, both from afar and up-close. Unfortunately, her slow and slithering body keeps her from executing impressive aerial combos or moving too fast. Her normal attacks utilize her blade, her claws, and her tail. Her special attacks are Acid Spray, where she releases poisonous acid from her mouth in a short-ranged spray, Poison Shot, where she precisely aims a blast of poison before firing it, Coil Jump, where she scrunches down before launching herself into the air, dagger first, and Snake Venom, which temporarily imbues her normal attacks with poison. Her grab is Double Stab, where she impales the enemy on her tail before stabbing their chest with her dagger.	
#Blade Boomerang: Garter sends poison through her curved blade with before throwing it, damaging the opponent with each strike before coming back like a boomerang to do more harm.
#Fang Drain: Garter grabs a nearby opponent and sinks her fangs into their neck, draining a chunk of their health before restoring her own with it.
#Ruins of the Naja: Stone pillars shoot out of the ground, heavily damaging anyone hit by them. After they sink back into the ground, two snake statues jut out of the ground and spray poisonous venom onto the stage to infect opponents.
Belladonna	
Identity: Belladonna Rafskella
A wealthy vampiress socialite, don't let Belladonna's appearance and status fool you. She's just about the sweetest young woman you'll ever meet, with a passion for humanitarian causes. Her relatives have sided with Mosaic, causing conflict among the family that will bleed into her encounter with the pocket dimension.
While serviceable on the ground, Belladonna really shines when it comes to aerial combat. This is partially due to her triple jump. Her normal attacks utilize her hands and her umbrella. Belladonna's special attacks are Leaf Wings, which allow her to glide down slowly, Umbrella Burst, where she expands her umbrella, which knocks the enemy away and does decent damage,  Black Bite, where she bites a nearby opponent to do mild damage and charge the Black Bomb, a powerful divebomb attack that creates a small explosion. Her grab is Parasol Parry, where she grabs the opponent's shoulder and stabs them three times with the tip of her umbrella.	
#Belladonna's Bats: Belladonna whistles, summoning a wave of bats that flies over the stage. They can do serious damage, but only to opponents who are already in the air.
#Free Flight: Belladonna takes to the skies, allowing her to temporarily fly freely around the stage.
#Full Drain: Belladonna's eyes flash and she reaches out with both hands. If she grabs an opponent, she'll completely drain their lifebar and restore all the health she took from them to herself.
Chef Bubba	TBA 	TBA
Hayate 	TBA 	TBA
Leica 	TBA 	TBA
Dr. Lox 	TBA 	TBA
Nyxiel 	TBA 	TBA
Pogo-san 	TBA 	TBA
Limeade 	TBA 	TBA
Phase 	TBA 	TBA
===Overlords===
Overlord	Description
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
===Enemies===
Enemy	Description
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
TBA 	TBA
==Zones==
There are 10 stages, 8 of which are unlocked by default and 2 that are opened later.
Zone 	Description
Redscale Canyon 	TBA
Pacidris 	TBA
Hushhenge 	TBA
Naja Gardens 	TBA
Nightshade Towers	TBA
Hotshot Cafe 	TBA
Kigayana District	TBA
Boilsoft HQ 	TBA
Liquid Factory 	TBA
Mosaic Castle 	TBA
==Story Mode==
Every character except for Phase has their own story mode.
Hero 	Description	Ending
RoJo 	TBA 	;TBA
Phorine 	TBA 	TBA
Stark 	TBA 	TBA
Flambert 	TBA 	TBA
Drifter 	TBA 	TBA
Garter 	TBA 	TBA
Belladonna	TBA 	TBA
Chef Bubba	TBA 	TBA
Hayate 	TBA 	TBA
Leica 	TBA 	TBA
Dr. Lox 	TBA 	TBA
Nyxiel 	TBA 	TBA
Pogo-san 	TBA 	TBA
Limeade 	TBA 	TBA
==Reception==
TBA
==Trivia==
*Heroes is non-canon to it's predecessor.
*The game was originally named Iliad Fighters.
*It was released physically and digitally on the Pyrohedron eStore for $15.00.
*Heroes is the first Pyrohedron game developed by Inora.
Category:Series Swap III
Category:Games
Category:2018
Category:Pyrohedron Games
Category:Inora