Rise of the Argonauts

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.

It's an interesting system but, as this is a game built on fighting fundamentals, one which perhaps doesn't provide the range of reward types and nuance one might hope for. The vast majority of rewards from the gods you serve have a combat theme, upgrading different aspects of your power, always working towards making you a stronger and better fighter. Indeed, the 25 god powers, which are mapped to the d-pad, almost all result in impressive-looking death and destruction, revealing the keynote of violence that runs throughout.

That's not to say that Rise of the Argonauts is wholly red in tooth and claw. For the first hour or two, as Jason decides that he will not part with Alceme at death, that he will instead travel to Delphi to speak with the oracle and find a way to bring her back to life (namely, the golden fleece), most of your time is spent carrying out errands and mini-missions for your loyal subjects. These NPCs speak at great length of the world they inhabit, of the bravest and best of their nation, lending the game an almost educational undercurrent even if it is a quintessentially Hollywood approach to Greek mythology.

Brought to life with Unreal Engine 3, the game matches the graphical quality of rival titles that have enjoyed budgets ten times its own. That said, the build we played did stutter from time to time, suffered from sticky scenery that Jason snagged on and every 40-50 feet the screen would momentarily black out, presumably to load in new assets from the disc. If these issues are resolved by time of release the game will impress technically, its bright colour palettes, shimmering seas and lush greenery a happy antidote to the forthcoming long winter nights.

Rise of the Argonauts has enjoyed some creative game design in its foundations which appear to have led to a solid and interesting world now that it's nearing completion. Whether the overarching mechanics can lift the game from a mere action brawler, and whether the world of Greek gods and heroes can inspire players to stick around long enough to find out, remains to be seen, but if God of War's success is anything to go by, there's still a thirst for ancient blood among the ranks of its target audience, which may answer both points. We'll find out in just over a month.