The Greece classical, mythological, always fires automatically and irremediable the appeal of any video game set in it. The gods of Olympus , the Titans and the anger of a hateful hero capable of confronting all this is a sweet starting point for almost any player.
Perhaps because of the scarcity of titles with this mythical setting, or perhaps because of the good results of those few existing ones, everything that comes to us from this era tends to fascinate. With this powerful base we get to PC and PlayStation 4 – as a gift of
PS Plus on Sony’s platform – Apotheon , an indie proposal in charge ofAlientrap Studios and visually very different looking to make a niche among the crowded temple of 2D platforms with vital touches of action and progress.
An approach that is very reminiscent of the great Guacamelee! and an epic narrative of a man against the divinity end up serving as weapons for this awaited and instantly striking Apotheon, marked above all by his staging based on the Greco-Roman art of painting on
ceramics , the art of the Greek vases in some of its most characteristic stages. The whole approach revolves around it, around the linear drawings of black and red figures that were made in vases and tiles as an ornament and narrating the most grandiose and
celestial deeds of their belief. Nikandreos (the man of victory) is our human and mortal hero, who will also be part of this bloody legend told with geometric images, on a climb to Olympus to put the deranged Zeus and his people in their place.
The Fury of the gods
Apotheon begins on earth, on Dion’s soil , which is the village of Nikandreos now ablaze because of the violent chaos that shakes humanity and has devastated the life resources of men. Rescuing his friends and companions, facing the soldiers and ending with the general are a first step – very simple – to know the controls and before knowing the very Hera ,
wife of Zeus that asks for a brake for the God , and his I have greek fire , able to transport us to Olympus if we leave the earthly life behind valiantly. Once in the mountain of the gods, the first thing the player discovers is the map structure of the world with
different areas connected to each other, areas that are then divided intoLocal maps as we enter one door or another. And all offered with considerable openness and freedom , without a linear scheme of resolution of objectives.
At any time we can visit the accessible areas or return to one that we have already passed, something that gives a light touch ” Metroidvania “. But that touch is not as imposed as in other games of his style and it will seldom be necessary to retrace our steps.
It is possible at any time, but not mandatory or too incentivizing for great rewards. There is no scheme of doors and keys as iron as in others, here returning only serves by the player’s own spirit that does not want to leave anything or
that has been lost and is forced to give again all the way back. At 2 or 3 hours of play we enter fully into a labyrinthine world distributed in the
different houses of the gods and the most popular environments of the mythical stories. Do not consult the map you can play some bad trick of this type, which is a complete success and includes the concept well.
One of the greatest greatness of Apotheon is the review of the myths, characters and Greek legends that he makes throughout our trip, and how everything has the characteristic brutal, raw and bloodthirsty tone. As a mortal hero in the universe of opulent deities, we will visit all sorts of rooms and dwellings, such as the dangerous Hades caves in the dark underworld, the forests
that Aphrodite and Ares were running for, the bright lands of Helios, the seas and ships shaken Poseidon or the palace in the clouds of the intoxicated power Zeus with its rays. The climb through Olympus, with characters asking for help, teletranposte points thanks to the
Greek fire or situations to solve in different ways, is simply unforgettable. In addition, both the unusual and the experienced player will find fun on this trip,
arrows that indicate the direction to follow or paintings in the background that give clues on how to solve an obstacle. You can not say that the puzzles abound or that they are sophisticated.
