Hero Plus
Hero Plus (formerly Hero Online) is a 3D fantasy MMORPG with an East Asian historical, mythic theme. You begin by picking one of five preset protagonists, each tied to specific weapon styles, then branch into job advancements at level 10 and level 50, with a final progression step later on. Combat is quick and grind-heavy, and the game leans into competitive play with duels and faction-based PvP for players who enjoy old-school rivalry.
| [singlepic id=79492 w=428 h=240 float=none] | Publisher: Netgame Playerbase: Low Type: MMORPG PvP: Duels, Faction Wars Release Date: July 31, 2006 Pros: +Pets and mounts add useful variety. +Dedicated PvP servers/channels for competitive play. +Guilds, player shops, and crafting systems give it MMO staples. +Runs well on very modest hardware. Cons: -Virtually no character customization at creation. -A lot of the experience is repetitive grinding. -The world and enemy variety feel limited. -Interface and graphics show their age. |
Hero Plus Overview
Drawing inspiration from a well-known collection of Chinese novels, Hero Plus places you in a romanticized version of ancient China filled with folklore threats and martial conflict. The early hours are humble and very traditional for the era of MMORPGs it comes from, you hunt common enemies, take on simple tasks, and steadily build power until you are ready to confront larger dangers like the returning Twelve Demons. At the start you select one of five characters, then your path opens up through job advancements at levels 10, 50, and 100.
Hero Plus Key Features:
- Classic Class Lineup – play across 8 available classes (Bladesman, Bowman, Healer, Spearman, Swordsman, Ninja, Busker, and HanBia).
- Newcomer Friendly Boost – beginner supplies help reduce the initial grind and get fresh accounts moving.
- Job Advancement System – grow your character through multiple promotions as you climb levels.
- Faction Conflict – join faction and guild PvP activities, with 1v1 duels available for direct challenges.
Hero Plus Screenshots
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Hero Plus Featured Video
Hero Plus Classes
Characters:
The Elegant Mystic – She fights using Spear, Rod, and Claw weapons.
The Ruthless Blade – He wields Blade, Sword, and Bow weapons.
The Majestic Muse – She uses Duel Blade, Duel Rod, and Pentachord weapons.
Piercing Eyes – She specializes in Sword, Blade, and Throwing weapons.
Overseer of the Sky – He uses Spear, Rod and Axe weapons.
Classes:
Physician – A support oriented role built around healing and debuffs. Second job classes are: Surgeon and Combat Medic.
Hunter – Focuses on pet taming and crafting, with tradable pets and crafted goods. Second job classes are: Tracker and Ranger.
Warrior – Frontline melee with strong offense and defense tools. Second job classes are: Champion and Musa.
Assassin – Fast attacker with stealth and life drain style skills. Second job classes are: Shinobi and Slayer.
Hero Plus Review
Originally launched in July 2006 by Netgame under the name Hero Online, Hero Plus is one of those mid-2000s MMORPGs that wears its inspirations openly. If you have played titles like 9Dragons or Scions of Fate, the setting and overall structure will feel familiar, an “oriental fantasy” framework with martial archetypes, weapon-focused combat, and a steady diet of monster hunting. Today the game lives on through a much smaller audience, and its Steam release has made it easier to access, even if the design remains firmly rooted in its era.
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Fixed Heroes, Not Custom Avatars
One of the first things you notice is how constrained character creation is. You pick from five preset characters and that is essentially the full extent of your customization. There are no sliders or cosmetic options to help you create a personal look, which can be jarring for players used to modern MMORPG tools. Each character begins proficient with three weapon types and starts with basic versions of them.
It is also important to understand that these five choices function more like “races” or templates than true classes. Your class selection does not happen until level 10 (referred to as 1Dan). The leveling scheme uses Kyu and Dan ranks, where you progress from 1Kyu through 9Kyu, then roll into Dan ranks, with 5Dan corresponding to level 50 and the second job change.
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Getting Started Without Handholding
Your journey begins in Dragon Castle, and the opening is notably hands-off. There is no guided tutorial path to ease you in, so the game expects you to learn by poking around menus and stepping outside the city to start fighting. Controls are in the older point-and-click MMORPG style, with the mouse doing most of the work for movement and targeting. Hotkeys exist for actions and menus, but there is no keyboard movement option, which may feel limiting depending on your preferences.
Visually, Hero Plus is clearly dated, but the character models often hold up better than the environments and interface. During exploration, the game can be a bit rough around the edges, with occasional collision oddities and moments where terrain does not behave as expected.
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Flashy Attacks, Familiar Grinding
Combat is fast and animation-heavy, leaning into dramatic martial movement rather than grounded realism. Attacks frequently involve spins and acrobatics, which helps the moment-to-moment fighting feel energetic at first. There is also a noticeable screen shake effect during attacks that can be distracting, and it is not always clear whether it is a deliberate stylistic choice or simply an older presentation quirk.
Where things start to drag is the repetition. Much of early and midgame progression is built around grinding dense monster packs, often the same handful of enemy types for long stretches. With only 17 maps in the entire world, variety is limited, and it is common to see areas overflowing with the same creatures in large clusters.
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Stats, Skills, and the Slow Ramp
Progression revolves around simple stat allocation and a separate skill point track. Every level grants 4 points to distribute between Str, Dex, and Int, letting you steer your damage and survivability in broad strokes. Skills, however, take longer to come online. Skill points are earned independently and build up slowly, and meaningful skill usage does not begin until level 10 when the first abilities unlock. That slow start makes the earliest hours feel especially basic.
Skills are tied to weapon type and also split by gender, so “male sword” and “female sword” do not share the same skill list. It is an unusual structure, but it fits the game’s preset-character approach.
Houses (Guilds) and Faction Boundaries
From 4Dan (level 40), you can form a House, which is the game’s term for a guild. Houses are faction-locked, meaning your faction determines which Houses you can join. Houses can create emblems shown beside player names and earn titles that reflect member activity, giving long-term players a reason to organize beyond pure leveling.
Multiple PvP Modes
PvP is one of the areas where Hero Plus tries to offer options. You can duel other players directly, and there are PvP channels where maps become competitive spaces. The game includes three dedicated PvP maps: one based around capture-the-flag, another focused on fighting over mining resources, and a faction war map that only opens twice per week. With a level cap of 100, PvP is accessible in theory at many stages, but in practice lower-level players are at a major disadvantage against established characters.
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Pets, Mounts, and the Player Economy
At level 10, players can set up personal shops, which supports a small but important player-driven economy. Pets are a significant part of that ecosystem. Hunters can tame pets directly, while other classes typically obtain them through purchases. Pets include both combat helpers and mount-like options, and the game features five pet types: wolves, horses, bears, hawks and tigers. They grow stronger over time, with level requirements spanning from 10 to 50 depending on the pet.
Crafting and Gear Improvement
Loot drops regularly, but it is common to find equipment that does not match your character’s gender, weapon path, or class needs. The game addresses this with an NPC dismantling system that converts unwanted gear into stones used for upgrades. Both extracting and upgrading involve risk because success is not guaranteed, so progression can involve some trial and error.
There is also a straightforward crafting loop: gather materials, bring them to a blacksmith, and forge specific items. The game lists roughly 80 craftable items across gear and accessories, which gives dedicated players a second progression track beyond pure grinding.
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Final Verdict: Fair
Hero Plus is an older MMORPG with a narrow set of systems, limited world variety, and presentation that reflects its 2006 origins. At the same time, it delivers a simple, faction-driven grind with pets, personal shops, and structured PvP modes that can still appeal to players who enjoy classic design. If you are looking for a modern, content-rich MMO, this will feel thin, but if you want an accessible, low-requirement martial fantasy MMO with a dedicated niche community, it can still be worth a look.
Hero Plus System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
CPU: Intel Pentium 3 800 MHz or AMD equivalent
Video Card: Nvidia TNT2 / ATI Radeon / Matrox Milenium G400
RAM: 256 MB
Hard Disk Space: 5 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 10
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 1.8 GHz or AMD equivalent or better
Video Card: Nvidia MX440 | ATI Radeon 9200 or better
RAM: 1 GB or more
Hard Disk Space: 5 GB
Hero Plus Music & Soundtrack
Hero Plus Additional Information
Developer: MGame Corporation
Publisher: Netgame
Release Date: July 31, 2006
Steam Release Date: January 22, 2018
A Brief History
Hero Online was part of the early generation of Korean free to play MMORPGs that found an audience in Western markets. Netgame, which also operates services for titles like Scions of Fate and Soul Saver Online, handled publishing duties. First released on July 31, 2006, the game has remained active with ongoing updates over the years. One of the major milestones was the rebranding from Hero Online to Hero Plus. The Steam version arrived later on January 22, 2018, giving the game a more convenient storefront presence while it continues to operate for a smaller, dedicated community.