# Hero Emblems II vs Shadow Merge

The clearest difference is price: Shadow Merge at Free against Hero Emblems II's $6.99. Shadow Merge also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). Hero Emblems II's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Shadow Merge is free to download; Hero Emblems II costs $6.99 up front. Shadow Merge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hero Emblems II asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hero Emblems II ships an update every 3 weeks, Shadow Merge every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hero Emblems II | Shadow Merge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems-ii/id1070462618/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **156** | — |
| Positive reviews | 62.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#92** | — |
| Size | 544 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [HeatPot Games Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/645797561) | [Ozan Can OCAK](https://appshunter.io/developer/6807927872) |

## What reviewers say

### Hero Emblems II

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems-ii/id1070462618)

**Currently charting:** #92 Top Paid · Role Playing, #116 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Embark on an epic adventure combining match-3 puzzles with classic JRPG elements. Lead a team of heroic warriors, unleash powerful skills through strategic emblem matching, and explore a world filled with magic, monsters, and ancient mysteries.

**Highlights:** Match-3 emblem battles, Traditional JRPG exploration, Unique hero skills and backstories, Equipment customization, Food consumption system for buffs, Japanese character voice acting

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent match-3 gameplay mechanics
- 💰 No pay-to-win or microtransactions
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎵 Great music and character voice acting
- 📖 Engaging story with RPG elements

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚔️ Severe difficulty spikes and boss balancing issues
- ⏳ Excessive grinding required for progression
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and soft crashes
- 🌍 Poor English localization and translation quality
- 📋 Lack of quest journal or quest tracking system

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during final boss battles
- Soft crashes and emblem dropping errors
- iCloud sync not working properly after reinstall
- Location markers disappearing after quest completion
- Touchscreen input not working on one side of map

**Requested features**

- Enemy level indicators for dungeon difficulty assessment
- Quest journal and quest tracking system
- Endgame endless mode for post-story gameplay
- Easy or casual difficulty mode
- Game+ or New Game+ mode


### Shadow Merge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-merge-tactics/id6814162040)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow Merge Pro | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hero Emblems II free?

Hero Emblems II costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shadow Merge free?

Shadow Merge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hero Emblems II or Shadow Merge have ads?

Shadow Merge shows ads; Hero Emblems II does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hero Emblems II or Shadow Merge?

Hero Emblems II ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shadow Merge every 4 days. Most recently, Hero Emblems II was updated on November 6, 2026 and Shadow Merge on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*