(Retro) You are the hero in Heroes Rise!

[Don Chipotle]

Heroes Rise is a CYOA text adventure game. CYOA stands for 'Create Your Own Adventure' and every child read at least one. Don't lie. I hesitate to call this a visual novel, visual novels tend to have, you know, visuals. This is all text. Text broken only by player input that changes how the story plays out.

One wrong choice and you could wind up dead. Or you could find yourself becoming a villain. It's up to you. There are elements of a game. You have stats to take note of and meters to keep track of. Are you going to try and be a famous hero? A vigilante? A defender of the law? Or are you just trying to get money? The choice is yours.

YOU are the hero. This is Heroes Rise.


All choices will be determined by you fine folks. In the event of a tie between votes, I'll...cross that bridge when we get there. Stuff in italics will either be information about the game or attempts at humor from me.

Let's get out there and be a hero.




PART ONE: LEGEND HAS IT

CHAPTER ONE: HOMEWARD BOUND

No, it's not like the dog and cat movie of the same name.


A helicopter blade slices through the air inches away from your face, filling your nostrils with the smell of burning metal. You don't have time to process this, however, as a ball of flame unfurls in your direction.

You leap onto a neighboring rooftop and tumble around a smoldering chunk of engine. Today was supposed to be your day off, but when you saw a news chopper careening out of control above the city, you couldn't just stand by like a common pedestrian.

As you pull clear of the wreckage, you see that the ejected pilot floats high above the rooftops from a parachute—one that is crawling with licks of flame. It won't be long before the parachute burns through and the pilot drops hundreds of stories to his death…

So, how are you going to save him?


DECISIONS:


-Rip up the cables that run along the roof and use them to lasso the pilot down.


-Use the zip-cord from your wrist holster to reel in the pilot.


-Forget the pilot—he'll be able to steer himself onto one of the rooftops. It's much more important to stop the burning wreckage from falling to the busy streets below.


Here is your first decision of the game. Choose wisely, for this one choice could very well set the tone for the entire story.

[Peahohze]

Ooh how exciting! I say choice 3. Forget the pilot.

I was never very good at these as a kid...Always got myself killed...

[Raist Classic]

I'm okay with 3.

[Don Chipotle]

-Forget the pilot—he'll be able to steer himself onto one of the rooftops. It's much more important to stop the burning wreckage from falling to the busy streets below.


You spin around and see the severed tail of the helicopter teetering on a ledge. You rush back across the roof to stop it from falling, completely forgetting about the chunk of fuel-soaked engine that you dodged before.

As you approach the helicopter tail, an explosion rocks the engine. A blast of heat hits you full-force, searing the skin from your bones.

Good job, guys. You died after the first choice. That's what you get for letting parachutes burn.

















As your vision fades to black, you remove the virtual reality helmet and end your 3D gaming experience. You blink several times to adjust to the sunlight in the room, which pours in through sleek glass windows. Then you look across the conference table at a buttoned-up executive eyeing you.

"So, what do you think? They really ramped up the graphics, right?" she blurts out. "Oh, don't spoil the surprise—take the game home for your full report. You can collect your advance from the front desk on your way out. Thanks, as always, um…"

You are Virtuous Reality's best game tester, but this executive still doesn't know your name. You force a smile and remind her that you are:

Just kidding, that would be a real dick move. That first choice? Doesn't matter at all. But now? Now the game's started. You are a video game tester. It's not exactly an exciting life of saving helicopter pilots, but it gets bills paid. However, who are you?

DECISION:







-A guy named…


-A girl named…

For the sake of ease, I'm going to give you the choices for either gender, so you can pick that as well.

IF YOU CHOOSE MALE, PICK A NAME:


"Declan."


"Gino."


"Stephen."


"Shane."


"Louis."


"Paul."


"Shawn."


I'd rather create my own first name. Please tell me your preferred name.

IF YOU CHOOSE A GIRL, PICK A NAME:


"Aurelia."


"Morgan."


"Ariel."


"Julia."


"Chelsea."


"Erin."


"Jane."


I'd rather create my own first name. Please tell me your preferred name.

Either pick a generated name or pick one of your own choosing. After a gender, of course. You might not think this choice matters. You'd be wrong. Just like any good game, your gender totally determines certain relationships with other characters. So as to not sway opinion I'll say no more, but know that gender just might be the most important choice you make.

[Raist Classic]

Declan is such a terrible name.

So Declan.

[Peahohze]

I'll go along with Raist on this one.

Declan.

[Lancet Jades]

Paul.

[Don Chipotle]

"Right, Declan. Always a pleasure."

The executive then strides out the door—no doubt on her way to a more important meeting. So you walk toward the front desk alone, thinking that you'd much rather be out there saving real helicopter crashes than testing fake ones. But hey, at least it pays the bills.

Though not very well, you think as you accept a deposit for $100 at the front desk.

Adding this amount to your bank account brings you to a grand total of $2100. Not exactly rolling in dough, are you?

Now that you've got some money, it's time to keep a running tally. Money is something you'll have to keep track of. It's useful, and it has a very specific use in this journey. Right now you are not exactly rolling in cash, you have exactly $2100 to your name. Which seems really low considering you have a job. A job that pays $100. You're pretty sure the interns get a better deal out of this whole thing.

CASH: $2100

You push all thoughts of money from your mind as you exit into the bustling streets of Millennia City. Nestled on America's west coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Millennia City is the shining beacon of twenty-second-century progress—not to mention the city you've called home for your entire life.

You step into the crowd next to a woman whose skin is covered in fishy scales, each one reflecting a different color. You suppose this might surprise some people, but not you. NYC has finance, LA has entertainment, and DC has politics, but MC has heroes—it's the Powered capitol of the country.

Millenia City, the setting for your journey. Superpowered people, known as Powereds, are just a part of the world in this future, though there's probably some international Powereds out there, for the purposes of this story everything is centered on the good ol' U.S.A. Powereds exist in other states, but Millenia City is like Metropolis. It's the central hub of the Powered world.

A fact you're reminded of as a sonic boom pulses through the air. You look up to see twin blondes rocketing across the sky, a cloud of smoke left in their wake. You sigh, knowing that you belong up there with the Legends instead of down here with the masses.

These days, one out of every three people is born with Powered abilities and pretty much every one of them wants to be a hero. Especially now that Powered Heroes have eclipsed movie stars and music icons to set the standard for A-list celebrity.

You might thing Legends shouldn't be capitalized. You'd be wrong. More on that later, but Legend is something you need to pay attention to.

You'd also love to be flying home right now, considering that you have the Power to fly. However, after one too many gruesome midair collisions, the Department for the Regulation of Powered Resources (DRPR) designated the skies for government-licensed travelers only.

So flying is definitely off-limits for you…but do you let that stop you?

Powereds are so common that they have their own governmental divisions. There's superpowered bureaucracy, and it's just as glamorous as normal bureaucracy! You have the Power to fly, which, hey, it's not the most interesting power out there, but it beats not being able to fly. You COULD go ahead and fly home, it's illegal since yo'u're unregistered but it's probably faster. Or you could follow the law and take public transportation home, like the law abiding citizen you are.

DECISION: Flying is off-limits to you. Do you let that stop you?







-Absolutely—heroes are meant to enforce the law, not break it.


-Of course not—I was born to fly, no matter what the law says.

[Raist Classic]

I am a firm supporter of public transportation.

[Peahohze]

-Absolutely—heroes are meant to enforce the law, not break it.

That's right!!