Rise of the Argonauts

Format Xbox 360

Developer Liquid Entertainment

Publisher Codemasters

Genre Action, Role Playing

1 Comments

Gaming has plundered plenty of locales and eras over the years. The muddy fields of World War II, grim and industrial sci-fi futures and... okay, most just those two.

Yet few games have bothered with ancient Greece of ye olde times, even though gladatorial combat, rich mythology and rampant bloodshed clearly makes it a ripe picking ground for developers.

Rise of the Argonauts shows what those developers have been missing out on. You play Jason, who sets off to find the mythical golden fleece after your wife is assassinated. It is said that the golden fleece has the power to bring those who have died back to life, which is why Jason gathers his Argonauts and together with his trusted friend Hercules, sets his heart on finding it.

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Roughly translated, this means a very angry Greek king who slaughters and kills those who stand in his way. Jason carries a mace, a spear, a sword and a shield. Each weapon is equally vicious in his hands.

The fighting system is incredibly clever - shields are the health bars here, with the wear and tear showing how close to death your opponent is. Each weapon offers a completely different fighting style. The mace crushes through shields while the sword cuts off limbs. The spear allows you to poke from distance and skewer up close while the shield lets you safely batter soldiers into a bloody mess.

Shadow of Shadow of Rome
Those of you who have played Shadow of Rome on PlayStation2 will be on familiar territory. There are lots of characters to talk to, filling you in on background story and making you feel as though there's more going on than just the violence... although the violence is incredibly brutal. Although this doesn't have Shadow of Rome's ability to hack someone's arm off and then batter him with that arm (ahem), it shares the same mix of over-the-top violence and a sedate, RPG-tinged storyline inbetween.

When you're not flailing around with sword and spear, you can pledge your allegiance to the four different Gods, who offer upgrades and bonuses. Apollo will upgrade your shield, Athena your spear and so on. This is also carried by the way you act - each response in conversation will please a different God.

To keep the feeling of freedom going, there are some cutscenes where you have to make a choice. An early cutscene, as you pursue your wife's assassin, sees you having to quickly grab a sword or a spear as you make chase. It's not exactly a deal-clincher if you were in two minds on Rise of the Argonauts but it's a nice touch regardless.

Hey good looking
The greatest triumph here is just how damn nice it all looks. A lot of that is to do with the actual setting - as God of War and Shadow of Rome have proved, digging through ancient mythology unearths some incredible designs and architecture. Rise of the Argonauts is one of the few games that will make you stop and look around your surroundings every now and then. The detail is so intricate, you almost feel guilty for just running straight past.

Rise of the Argonauts is shaping up to be a brilliant game, with an intriguing storyline, vicious combat and gorgeous locale to boot. Keep an eye on this one, it'll definitely provide a refreshing change from all those muddy fields...

Ryan King