The game's premise is simple and strong; the player is Jason, Greek king and all-round swell chap. Life is grand until Jason's wife is assassinated on their wedding day. Stricken by grief, he seals her away and sets out with his Argonauts to lay claim to the Golden Fleece, a mythical object said to be imbued with the power to restore life. Along the way, Jason will journey across ancient Greece, cutting a swathe through waves of enemies plucked from Greek myth, and aligning himself with various Gods of Olympus so that he may wield their power as his own.
Roger! It's bath time, and I have a biscuit for you!
To call Rise of the Argonauts an action-RPG may be somewhat misleading, as the game dispenses with many of the tropes and conventions of modern-day role playing titles. Players will never have inventories to manage, nor will they ever witness stats or encounter random loot drops; rather, the acquisition of new weapons and their subsequent upgrading are handled in a manner similar to Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden. Jason simply pays a visit to his smith, who levels up his spear, mace, or sword.
However, Rise of the Argonauts does offer players choices that help draw them into the light role playing experience. The game's luscious locales are littered with NPCs with whom Jason can engage in conversation, witty banter, or downright arguments. These forays can lead to side-quests, or even choices a la Mass Effect. Once choice sees Jason deciding whether or not to spare the life of the Gorgon, Medusa. Slay her, and the heroic Perseus will join the Argonauts. Spare her, and - well, that would be telling.
Perhaps most interesting, however, is the choice Jason will have to make in aligning with certain Gods of Olympus. For instance, going into battle with the legendary Achilles and you will be graced by his immense combat skill, aided by that incorrigible God of war, Ares. Conversely, allow the satyr Pan to tag along, and his alignment with Apollo will grant you the ability to heal.
Shock and awesome.
Further, Jason himself may align with certain Gods based on his decisions, and completing quests and earning achievements (for, say, slaughtering a certain number of enemies in a particular way) earn Jason 'points' which he may cash in on abilities from different skill-trees. Each God has their own skill-tree with unique abilities which Jason can unlock, and it is in this system where Rise of the Argonauts should find most of its complexity, depth, and favour with RPG fans. The combat itself is fairly slight, with various slashing combos and dodging manoeuvres mixed in with the previously-mentioned combat and magic attributes provided by your companions. However, the core mechanics should be fun and satisfying enough to see players through the story. Whether the combat is solid enough to support an entire game remains to be seen.
What is immediately apparent is the visual promise of the game, even in its unfinished state. Character models are appealing and well-animated, and the environments evocative. The frame rate may be fairly inconsistent, but is nothing that shouldn't be cleaned up before release, and there are clearly some environments and bugs that still demand the developers' attention.
Rise of the Argonauts, then, displays a lot of potential. The narrative is cut from the same bold cloth as God of War's gritty revenge plot, the combat is accessible yet allows for depth and customisation, and the setting is still relatively unique among videogames. Whether the title delivers the level of polish and whizz-bang set pieces expected from big holiday games is a question which will be answered when Rise of the Argonauts strolls into stores in its sandals at the end of October.
Loading...
