Apotheon

Don't go into this game expecting streamlined, fluid controls. Don't go in expecting a deeply moving experience. Go into this game for the art-style, and embrace the stiff animations and awkward physics! It's an extremely fun game that uses Greek Mythology to tell a fun, if not generic, tale of yet another Greek Hero. I have never played a game quite like this. You get to control the hero and choose your own path as you go fight mythological creatures and encounter Greek gods and demi-gods. Help them, or fight with them. Break the laws of Olympus and incur their wrath? Or do their bidding and earn their blessing? But, for real though, the art style is the highlight of this game. It's gorgeous! The amount of detail despite the simplicity of it all is just astounding. It really is like watching a story play out on the side of a Greek vase, much like watching Disney's Hercules when the sisters sang on the side of the vases. I can't recommend this game enough. Again, if you want a metroidvania that has smooth movements, or a deep story with plot twists and all, go somewhere else. (My I recommend Hollow Knight??? Great Game!!!) But, if you want some fun, light-hearted gameplay with some Greek Mythology thrown in then look no further. Get this game.

Apotheon is a great little game! I see why the reviews are good. It felt worth the price and time. The art style, voice acting, and story capture and deliver an epic feel. I did get a sense of being a Greek hero righteously fighting back against arrogant cruel gods. For the review currently voted most helpful, "Good with a Catch 22", I see why they would make that comment but I would disagree that the section in question makes the game impassable or that you have to get every move perfect. There is also only that one section where the timing of moving through the level is a significant factor. -I found combat was a mixed experience. It seems to come down to knowing the range of the weapons and attacking or blocking at the right moment. So in theory you should not have to button mash. In practice though, the enemies are darting back and forth quickly, it's all 2D so there was a lot of ending up overlapping the enemy on the screen with both of us attacking uselessly, and I often (but not always) found button mashing the only way to get anywhere. Ranged weapons felt more fun. All that said, I feel like if you are a more practised gamer this might be a lot less of a difficulty, you might only notice this issue if you are more of a casual player. -melee weapons and shields also break after a certain amount of use, and it was annoying to have that happen and end up being autoswitched to another weapon in my inventory less powerful in the middle of combat. The game still felt satisfying overall! There is a good variety of weapons, enemies, and level design. Exploring remote areas of the map always turned out to be rewarding.

Great art, good controls, good story! There wasn't a single time that the game was frustrating. Halfway you can choose the difficulty and reverse it if its not to your liking (never did actually). Definitely would play it again.

(Don't own this game on GOG btw, own on steam) Its rare to find games that really care about the source material these days, and Apotheon is infatuated with its source. The depiction of the Greek Gods, the motifs within mythology, and the way the ancients saw the divine is amazing. The art-style in itself is a fantastic adaptation of the original style on Greek pottery. Gameplay-wise, the game holds up very well. A tight and fast paced adventure game where your attacks must be precise and swift. Every hit feels rewarding and although some folks complain of its awkward controls, I never found anything confounding about them. The game on higher difficulty offers a greater challenge, but never an impossible one. Story-wise, the game has been called a "God of War" copy. In my opinion however, this is not the case. The story stays true to many mythic motifs found within mythology and remains quite accurate to the way a myth of "ascendance" would have probably been carried out. I found the story to be refreshing, not so much because of 'originality', but more because it stays true to the Mythic recipe that many who are a fan of Legends and Mythology know and love. All in all, with an entertainment industry that constantly misconstrues history and mythology, and with developers who couldn't give a Satyr's rump about the source material, its nice to see a game that truly cares... and is fun to boot!

Amazing metrdoivania with tons of exploration. If you're a fan of Salt & Sanctuary, Castlevania and Metroid titles, do yourself a favour and buy this game. It's a bit short (I finished the campaign in around 10 hours) and the combat is a bit clunky (due to stiff animations), but visually and fun-wise - one of the best indie games in my library.