Office work can be dull, monotonous, and time consuming. And while it’s not really time consuming, Office Heroes definitely has the “dull” wrapped up nicely. It may be a sharp looking, thoroughly customizable take on portable social gaming, but the basic mechanics in Office Heroes lack the depth needed to climb the corporate ladder successfully.
Office work can be dull, monotonous, and time consuming. And while it’s not really time consuming, Office Heroes definitely has the “dull” wrapped up nicely. It may be a sharp looking, thoroughly customizable take on portable social gaming, but the basic mechanics in Office Heroes lack the depth needed to climb the corporate ladder successfully.
Upon first booting up the game, players will be welcomed to their very own office. It’s certainly a step up from the real world where most entry level workers are doomed to cubicles, or worse yet, shared folding tables. A few basic pieces of furniture occupy the room, as well as some interactive items. These items form the bulk of the gameplay in Office Heroes.
Calling these items “interactive” is really over-selling it. Like most social games, players will initiate tasks that will take a certain amount of time to complete, then return later claim the experience and funds earned from these tasks. In the case of Office Heroes, these tasks will be associated to certain items in your office. Click on a phone, for example, and you can complete tasks like checking your voicemail or making a personal call. Use the computer and you can check your email or do some online shopping.
Many of these tasks are good for a little giggle because it feels like your avatar is getting away with something, but at the end of the day none of them ever play any different from one another. Simply click on an item, pick a task and come back in 30 seconds, 8 hours, 2 days, etc, to collect your rewards. Asides from the customization, that’s really all there is to Office Heroes.
Customization is where Office Heroes really shines. With dozens upon dozens of options, players can customize the looks of both their office and their avatar to their liking. Within moments of booting up the game, I had my character enjoying that casual/nerdy “jeans and a tie” look that I love so much. His office has big glass windows to see the city below, hardwood floors, and a soda machine – in other words, all the things I wish I had surrounding me in my office as I type this.
Completing the aforementioned tasks will help players unlock the funds needed to make these in-game purchases, which at least gives some incentive for players to stick with the shallow game mechanics mentioned above.
The game is also decidedly shallow in terms of social gameplay. You can visit a friend’s office and check out their digs, click “assist” to get a small bonus, and post messages for them if need be, but there’s no real hook to keep you using this feature. What’s more, the game also lacks any kind of push notification to let you know when your tasks are done – a must for social games on the iPhone.
No matter how much we might love the look of the game, there simply isn’t enough here to appreciate the feel. As a free download, there’s no reason for players not to tinker around with it. Just don’t expect to remain interested for long before giving your two weeks notice.
