Achilles: Legends Untold is an early-access, isometric, Souls-like action RPG set in the ancient Greek world. Dark Point Games have crafted a title that looks fantastic but does it provide fun gameplay too?
In Achilles: Legends Untold, players take on the role of the titular Achilles. His forces have landed at the gates of Troy and he ventures forth to do glorious battle – a story that a lot of people will be familiar with. Where Achilles: Legends Untold changes things up a bit, however, involves a small problem involving our hero’s untimely demise at the hands of Paris. He then encounters Hades in Tartarus and things escalate from there.
Players get treated to a brief tutorial segment where they will learn the game’s ins and outs. Combat is very Dark Souls-like with a stamina meter that depletes with every attack as well as while dodging or sprinting. Your health gauge slowly replenishes based on the damage you do and the shield can block most attacks. It’s all very standard fare really.
Achilles: Legends Untold spices the tried and trusted gameplay formula up by introducing a deep skill tree, which can be upgraded over time by killing enemies and consuming resources. Of course, skill tree progression is also pretty standard though but, since the game is early access, we’re hoping that it’s expanded upon quite heavily and introduces more variation in the final release. There’s potential here to be great.
The camera work is currently disappointing and several gameplay elements feel a bit rough around the edges. Notably, Achilles’ movement does not feel as fluid as it should be in combat. It’s stiff and rigid but at least the sword attacks provide satisfying feedback when they connect – a feeling very reminiscent of Dark Souls itself.
The enemies you face seem to be decently varied but again, we’ve only seen a snippet here and we’re hoping there’s even more in the final release. The visuals look great but when the isometric view obscures the gorgeous locales, it’s a tad disappointing. Especially when the game sometimes pans the camera to show off more of the gorgeous scenery or what’s going on in the background for cinematic purposes. Greater camera control would be appreciated.
Unfortunately, being an early access title, players only have access to a bite-sized chunk of gameplay. Chapter 1 is swiftly completed and that’s it for now. We’ll have to wait until more of the game is released in early access updates but, as it stands right now, Achilles: Legends Untold is a straightforward isometric Souls-like game that should definitely find its niche market appeal.
This isn’t a game like Titan Quest or Diablo, so don’t be fooled by the isometric view. The combat is not a button-bashing hack-and-slash fest, but rather slow and mechanically involved, with dodges and blocking key to survival. If you’re into that kind of stuff, Achilles: Legends Untold should be right up your alley.
An Early Access Preview code for Achilles: Legends Untold was provided to Gameblur by the Publisher
