If Titan Quest and Dark Souls had a baby, the result would be Achilles: Legends Untold.
Available on consoles and PC, Achilles: Legends Untold is an action RPG that combines the Souls-like format with an isometric viewpoint. Oh, and plenty of Greek mythology: as the title suggests, you take control of Achilles. Opening with him launching an assault on Troy, everything seems to be going his way. You move from one group of enemies to the next, butchering them while learning the basics. You even go up against Hector and emerge victorious. But when you finally face off against Paris, things go awry.
It’s when you suddenly find yourself in Tartarus that Achilles: Legends Untold really begins. Stripped of your immense power, and even your shield, you’ve got your work cut out for you if you want to reclaim your honor. There’s also the matter of a quarrel between Hades and Ares that stands in your way. But hey, you’re Achilles; you’re nothing if not persistent and determined. You’ll find a way to put things right.
It’s easy to look at Achilles: Legends Untold and assume it plays like something such as Titan’s Quest. It certainly looks similar, albeit much more detailed and polished. Though while there is loot to collect, and many soldiers and mythical creatures to slay, the combat here is much less mindless. You need to block or dodge enemy attacks and capitalise on openings with your own, all the while managing your stamina. Run out of stamina and you’re in for a world of hurt.
There are other Souls-like features here, too. You can rest at Hades Shrines to refill your health and consumables, although doing so resets enemies in the area. Hades Shrines are also where you go to spend the skills points earned by leveling up to improve your stats and even unlock new skills. And if you die while exploring, any experience earned towards your next level will be left on the spot, challenging you to retrieve it when you respawn.
With two difficulty levels on offer, your experience with Achilles: Legends Untold might hinge on what you select. Play on the easier of the two, and chances are you’ll have a relatively fun time, exploring the game’s world, completing quests and finding new equipment. It can be challenging at times, but never frustratingly so. Play on the harder difficulty, however, and progress is made much slower, making it feel like a bit of a drag. You’ll often find yourself up against simply too many enemies as well. It’s here where limitations of the combat system are made apparent.
In any case, Achilles: Legends Untold certainly becomes more fun once you’ve unlocked basic skills that you probably should have had from the start – like the ability to parry and counter attacks. Its world is interesting to explore, and as you grow in power you get a real sense of progression. We’ve been playing on PS5 and it looks quite nice on the whole. Performance is solid too, even when facing off against a large number of enemies. Even better, loading times are pretty much instant.
Action RPG fans aren’t likely to be wowed by Achilles: Legends Untold, but chances are they’ll have some fun with it if they give it a go. There’s nothing wholly original or particularly impressive here, but it offers a solid experience for those keen to immerse themselves in a fantasy world inspired by Greek myth.
Achilles: Legends Untold Review – GameSpew’s Score
