Achilles: Legends Untold Review

thesixthaxis.com:

The legendary hero Achilles was heralded as the greatest of all the Greeks, so shouldn’t that make Achilles: Legends Untold the greatest of all the video games? Well, to put it succinctly, no. But that doesn’t mean this action RPG isn’t worth your time, as it has a lot to offer despite its Achilles’ heel-like shortcomings.

Unsurprisingly, you take on the role of the iconic warrior Achilles during the cataclysmic siege of Troy. After vanquishing Hector in a rather underwhelming show-down, Achilles is quickly dispatched by Paris in one of those annoying ‘you were always meant to lose’ boss fights. That’s where shenanigans kick off properly, with Achilles mysteriously brought back to life and returned to Greece some ten years later. Achilles must find out what has happened during the intervening decade, uncover the secrets of his rebirth, seek out his fellow Myrmidons, and kill loads and loads of monsters in as gory a fashion as possible.

The best way to describe Achilles: Legends Untold is as an isometric 3D action adventure with RPG-lite elements and occasional Dark Souls aspirations. By that I mean this game is harder than Achilles’ abs, particularly when played on Hero mode – thankfully Wanderer mode is a tad more welcoming, at least in the early going. Each enemy encounter could easily be your last, but luckily for Achilles, he’ll then simply return at the closest of the many shrines he has discovered on his journey.

Combat is simple but pleasingly violent. Achilles must either crowd-control large groups or assess and respond to the attack patterns of singular bosses. Vastly different skills and items are available to deal with both enemy types, ensuring a satisfying amount of brains are required alongside the usual