Rise of the Argonauts Preview

Eurogamer offers a hands-on preview of the upcoming hack ‘n slash Rise of the Argonauts.

It’s clear that in making Rise of the Argonauts the Liquid Entertainment team decided to tear up the Diablo/Dungeons & Dragons rule book in search of a third way. Every feat you achieve in the game, every fetch mission completed, every ‘convey this message to my dying parents’ errand, every titan toppled, diplomacy struck and moment of justice meted is rewarded with a deed point (our term). This deed can then be attributed to one of the four Greek gods who preside over the game: Ares, Hermes, Athena and Apollo.

Each of the gods embodies a different set of traits: Ares strength, power and warfare, Athena wisdom and judgment, Hermes cunning and manipulation, and Apollo grace and mercy. In reward for attributing a deed to a god they, in turn, bestow a gift on you: upgraded resilience to enemy attacks, proficiency in a certain weapon type, a magical healing move and so on.

Conversations in the game follow the template laid out by Mass Effect with a ring of possible responses to choose from, and your choices are marked with a symbol showing which god they favor. They can range from angry and rude to supplicating and merciful, and your manner also comes to define your character – Jason soon becoming the sum of your choices.