• Art Style - The biggest hook of Apotheon (IMO). The ancient greek clay pot style is very well done. I was initially worried if it is one of those styles that looks amazing only in screenshots but it looks great even in motion!
  
• Music - Both the combat music and the mellow BGM are fantastic. The soundtrack has everything you would expect from a game like this - cheesy greek chanting goodness and everything.
  
• Combat - Takes a bit to get used to but after I got into the groove of things I was switching between melee, ranged, potions and utility items in combat as the need arose. Everything feels very satisfying with the graphics and audio adding to the effect.
  
• Gameplay Variety - The meat of the game is the stabbing and running as you would think but there are some levels in the game (Especially the ones where you appease/antagonize the various Gods) that really explore the other aspects of the game that are supported but not the focus like stealth, platforming, and puzzles.
  
• I picked up a sarissa (long spear) and realized how amazing I look with it along with a large round shield and greek helmet. Alientrap, you hit the "feel" of the game right out of the park!

• Tutorials - I had to learn about the different swings on a melee weapon in a third party forum after some hours in the game. If I missed an obvious tutorial which taught this I redact this CON, but I wish such a essential mechanic was shown.
  
• Armor - I LOVE the look of the armors in the game but after you max out on armor upgrades the satisfaction of finding a piece of armor dropped off. I actually reloaded an earlier save when I realized that the gold I spent on armor upgrades were only unlocking the look of the armor (After maxing out)
  
• Mute Protagonist - It didn't affect me much at first but when Nikandreos made big story decisions on his own without any real explanation it really stood out. It only happens in a couple of places but those really felt off. Even if a narrator explained Nikandreos' motivation or reasoning it would have sufficed!
  
• IT ENDED

Recommended For: Those who want to play a fun, tight, and exciting action game and who either are mythology enthusiasts or those who love the old "One mortal man versus the Gods" trope. Even though it took me ~11 hours to finish the game on the normal difficulty the time really flew because I was having such a blast. A+!

good art, good music, good fun.

I'm a long time Mythology nerd who's looking into an archaeology major and reads about ancient history for fun. I logged into steam, saw this game on sale, and resigned myself to buying it.

It was amazing.

Media accurately depicting the Greek Gods is hard to find, and doubly so for video games. "Someone is god of the wrong thing" is a square on my mythology movie bingo card. But Apotheon completely nails everything. This game wasn't written by people who read through a couple wikipedia pages and called it day; literally everything about the Gods is correct, from their attitudes to their ironic demise, and even their allegences. One of the most telling moments was having Dionysus on the side of humanity; someone who'd only done cursory research wouldn't know that he'd lived among mortals for years before joining the gods.

And don't even get me started on the art. This game is one of the most beautiful things I've ever played. Everything is stylized perfectly down to the creases in a character's chiton, and the color changes in the different realms are beautiful and perfectly fit the tone of the area. The architecture is accurate, as are the items and decorations. The NPC dialogue and major themes of the story even parallel important values of Ancient Greek life.

Basically: the devs for this game researched the hell out of Ancient Greece, and I kind of want to kiss every one of them for it. 10/10.

Full disclosure: review copy provided by developer/publisher!

In the beginning there was presumably chaos; the cosmos swirled violently, endlessly. But the gods, lazy control freaks that they are, swept all that chaos under the proverbial universal carpet and called it a full, rich day. Eons passed, and little of consequence was done: multicellular organisms developed, terra rose from beneath churning primordial seas, and the very first Waffle House opened to middling reviews. At some point (post Waffle House), the gods grew bored and reached out to indie game developer Alientrap. In a booming and unified voice, they decreed that a game be made – a sidescrolling, puzzle/platform adventure game that would do them honor. Little did the gods know that this particular genre of game would be pumped out with such regularity in the indie community that titans CoD and Madden would blush empathetically. Alientrap, like Sysiphus before them, faced an uphill battle.

They succeeded, and did Olympus proud.

Apotheon is the aforementioned sidescrolling puzzle/platform indie adventure game, and it tells a story as old (and as metal) as time: the gods of Olympus have forsook the cosmic “oopsy daisy” of mankind, and it's up to brave Nikandreos to save what little spark of humanity remains. Sure, roll your eyes. “Didn't God of War do this a decade ago?” Well sure, technically, you stick in the mud. Homer also wrote stuff in this vein nearly 3,000 years ago, and whoever the ♥♥♥♥ wrote Gilgamesh 1,300 years earlier than Homer still! And for what it's worth, the story is very fun. It doesn't break the ancient mold, but the ending still left me surprised and satisfied.

Nikandreos sidescrolls his way up hub-world Mount Olympus on his quest in stunning black and red figure style as seen depicted on all the best Ancient Greek pottery. Watching people stroll the market, guards brandishing their spears, and satyrs getting drunk is mesmerizing. But at some point you'll have to get to the gameplay, and what gameplay it is. You'll have an array of archaic weapons (purchased or picked up), a variety of shields, a torch, potions and the like. Weapons and shields shatter after prolonged use, so the game regularly forces you to fight in different styles. I was initially put off by this feature but found that it forced me out of my comfort zone, requiring me to learn the unique swings, reaches, and speeds of each weapon. You'll pick up money and crafting items after combat and by shattering crates and barrels, though these activities can bring unwanted attention from Olympian guards.

Over the course of three acts you'll deal with eight major deities (four optional), and each offers starkly different, fun, varied gameplay. For example, Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest, pities humanity's plight, and would provide bounty. Unfortunately her daughter Persephone currently dwells in Hades' realm making it impossible. You'll have to descend to the underworld, cross the river Styx, and proceed to cross the lesser rivers Acheron, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Cocyctus to be granted an audience with the Lord of the Dead. Each of these rivers provide different platform gameplay tropes that keep things fresh, exciting, and entertaining. And that's just for one “quest.” Dionysus, Hephaestus, Poseidon, Athena... each and every deity provides different gameplay mechanics so the game never gets stale. All the while you'll visit shops to upgrade your attack strength, defense, and resupply on favorite weapons.

And for those of you with a multiplayer itch there's local multiplayer combat, allowing you to test your skills against a friend. This is pretty fun, and the combat (singleplayer and multiplayer) is deceptively deep and tactical. The multiplayer won't keep too many people distracted for long, but between the three difficulties, metroidvania-lite gameplay, beautiful soundtrack, stunning graphics, and varied gameplay, you'll sink at least 10 hours into this little indie game.

This is AAA quality on an indie budget, and you'd be doing yourself a disservice by missing out on this one. Apothoen has accomplished its 12 herculean tasks, and is deserving of a place in the pantheon of gaming.

This game is rad. So many melee combat games have tried to find a satisfying balance between simplicity and granular control, and Apotheon absolutely nails it. Being able to toss a javelin, roll between the legs of an opponent, then send a slash up his back while his shield's still facing the other way makes me buzz like nothing else.

Weapons feel distinct from one another and satisfying in their own ways. Though it didn't take long for me to discover my love of heavy-headed polearms, I'm always pleased when a situation calls for something different and I'm rewarded with an entirely different (though no less enjoyable) visceral interaction. There's something to be said for the intimacy of shield + knife.

The world is pretty big, with a solid variety of enemy types and challenges, but what I thought was the coolest is how all if it was informed by Greek mythology. I was tickled when I realized I had to stab a certain enemy in the eye to bring him down.

Also, if you've got a buddy on hand, the local arena mode makes for a fun time. They can try to kite you with arrows all they want, but all it takes is one well-placed javelin... (or a quick roll and slash combo... or a mighty leap with hammer in hand... etc.).

All in all, if you like combat platformers with a dynamic rhythm, Apotheon won't disappoint. Strong recommend.

I have nearly 500 games in my Steam account, and the vast majority of them are still unplayed. So now I'm dedicating an hour to each of these games and writing a series of One Hour Reviews. An hour isn't very long to judge a game on, so think of this as more of a first impression, and take this review in the spirit in which it's given. Be sure to read other reviews from players who have spent more time in the game.

One Hour Reviews - Game 10
Apotheon
Purchase Date: 6/13/2015

Long ago on my Commodore 64, I used to play a game called The Return of Heracles, which had a similar Greek myth setting. So when I saw this game, I was pretty much immediately sold on the setting and the art style looked awesome. This is one of the rare games I bought on Steam that I ended up playing almost right away.

The game starts with some quick cut scenes explaning how Zeus has turned his back on mankind, and things are looking grim. After that I found myself in a town being invaded by raiders, which is where the tutorial kicks in.

The controls are pretty simple. I didn't check if the game supports a gamepad or not, but I played with a keyboard and mouse. The keys move you around and perform actions, and the mouse is used for aiming. I've played other games with this control scheme; it's not my favorite, but it does feel familiar, and isn't difficult to pick up.

Given the controls and the platform nature of the game, I was expecting the combat to be pretty simplistic. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of weapons at my disposal. Even better, the weapon differences are not just purely cosmetic. Each weapon feels different. Knives are quick and do small amounts of damage which add up over repeated strikes. But after too many quick strikes I found myself gasping for breath. Larger weapons do more damage but are slower, and can be trickier to hit with against a moving target. A variety of ranged weapons are provided as well.

It isn't long before I am introduced to the crafting options in the game. I got a couple of recipes, one to make a 'fire bomb' of sorts, and the other for making a 'healing potion'. The components for making these can come out of random crates or from killing enemies.

I occasionally struggled with the map. The map overlays the screen with a transparency effect that I sometimes had trouble distinguishing the map from the background. I wished I could have had some control over the transparency here. Otherwise though the map did a good job of highlighting the location of my current objectives and helping me find my way around.

One thing I appreciated was the run speed of my character. The longer you run, the faster you get. So for those times where I needed to run far across the map, it doesn't feel like it's taking forever.

As far as difficulty goes, the game starts out pretty easy. The earliest fights are very simple and gave me a good opportunity to try out the different weapons. At the end of the first area, I got into my first boss fight, where the game starts to ramp up the difficulty. As I progressed into the next area, I started to encounter more of a variety of enemies, and I definitely noticed a continued increase in difficulty. I found myself having to evolve my combat strategy as well. Early on it was sufficient to simply stab enemies a few times before they could respond in kind. But as the game progresses, I found myself leaping to dodge attacks, and having to approach combat more methodically, especially in some of the later boss fights.

The graphics options are pretty basic, but that makes sense given that this is a 2D platformer. I did see the option to change my resolution, which for me is always the most important.

I ended my first hour of gameplay continuing to explore the forests of Artemis. The game definitely gives you a decent amount of exploration. It reminded me a little of Metroid in that regard.

Overall there really wasn't anything about Apotheon I didn't like. I expect I'll be enjoying many more hours of fun in this game. I can recommend this without hestiation.

Great animation, visuals and artwork. Superb soundtrack and very good voice acting and effects.

The gameplay is not that easy, as you have to coordinate your attacks and where to look with the mouse at the same time and it becomes really difficult at large number of enemies or crucial boss fights.

The story is interesting and some of the maps are very fun to play. I also loved the various ancient Greek names and the mythology references.

Recommended game.

I just finished Apotheon, and wow, did I enjoy this game! It's such a great game. The art style is obviously awesome. Unless you hate orange, in which case steer clear. It's a wicked beautiful game and they nailed the Greek Pottery aesthetic.

The game focuses primarily on combat, and don't let anyone tell you it's anything less than stellar. Yes, it takes some getting used to. This is a style of 2D combat that in a league of it's own. 1 part Terraria, 1 part Dark Souls, and yet totally unique somehow. Once you get the hang of it, properly dodging and timing the perfect devastating blow is incredibly satisfying. This really should be played on a keyboard and mouse, though, as precision is a big factor in combat. Also, it's much safer to switch weapons by going into your inventory by pressing "i" instead of hitting a number key and scrolling, while trying to dodge enemies.

The music is perfect, The voice acting is good, and I love the story, because it minds me of all the time I spent reading Greek mythology for fun when I was a kid. I think the ending is just freaking perfect.

It's got plenty to do. I spent 10 hours playing, and didn't spend a lot of time exploring and many sections I ran and dodged by dozens of enemies. So there's plenty of time to spend here if you look for everything and do all the side stuff.

My only real complaint is that there are just too many weapons that you hang onto all at once. I would have preferred just 2 or 3 melee weapons, and 1 or 2 ranged. As it is, I just had a lot of stuff that I never needed to use, so there was no sense of urgency. Also, I realize they were going for an "ammo" feel by having weapons degrade and breakdown ... but I'm not sure that helped the game. It seemed like an unnecessary convention, and the only time it remotely effected me was when my assassins dagger broke, but I just ran and bought a cheap one from the black market dealer.

Anyways ... I highly recommend this game, and that you take the time to learn and appreciate the combat. I have a feeling that this'll be a sleeper-hit, and once online multiplayer is up there will be renewed vigor for Apotheon!

As a classicist and avid reader of mythology I consider this a hidden gem of the metroidvania genre. A good story and decent combat, coupled with the most immersive and unique artstyle I have ever seen seen makes this a must buy for anyone who wants to put a toe into Greek mythology or metroidvania games.
A Controller is highly recommended however.



As stated above, I consider myself a individual well verse in Greek myth and it's Aesthetics. I say this in regard to why I think this game is probably the first of it's kind to seamlessly blend Greek iconography into a video game.
The art is immediately distinctive, and go's beyond just a pretty background
The art work is a stark reminded that this is actually how people; circa 500-300BC did ART, with some of the darker levels (Hades' realm for example) styled in old Athenian "BlackFigure' style, while the majority of the game plays in different palettes. The God's themselves are the stars of the show; with some being monstrosity tall and the ability to deal gigantic damage to boot, or the more cunning Gods, which use cunning or subterfuge to try and stop you.

I won't go into the story too much. The simple plot remains that the Gods have turned against humanity and Nikandreos, resident Greek villager turned Epic Hero must stop them from wiping them out. If this sounds cliche, that's because it is, but only to the modern eye. We live in a society where most media have butchered much of Greek Myth. This is not one of those pieces of media. Apotheon reflecting a far older brand of storytelling.
Unfortunately, players will probably notice the game shares many of its narrative threads with God of War, but the differences pile up quickly. Where God of War sticks to video game tropes, Apotheon is content to ground itself in ancient myth. I find this to be a strike in Apotheon's favor.

In gameplay terms it's 2-parts Castlevania or Metroid, and 1-part Legend of Zelda 2. During this side scroller you'll forced to engage in combat and a little bit of platforming and open level design which scrolls in all directions. Each of the game's areas contains various objectives that must first be completed, then usually conclude against the realms master as a boss, or trial.

The common pit falls of it's genre show through however. Too often you'll find yourself wailing on an enemy hoping that a good hit lands, or that you're weapon won't suddenly snap in two and you'll be left with only a dagger to poke at the giant Cyclops roaring for your nu**s. Another common problem I found was that sometimes, when both parties were melee focused, we'd be hacking at each other with neither hitting because the hitboxes didn't register super close hits.
Everything else seems to be good however. You can use a multitude of different weapons to kill your enemy's with including Spears, Bow&Arrows, Swords, Maces, Glaves, Hammers, Rocks, and explosives.

Soundtrack wise; it's passable. I found myself mildly surprised that a game with such insane visuals would have such a mediocre OST. To be fair however, soundtracks are often one of the harder development processes for Indie devs.



An exceptional oddity in our world of graphical powerhouses' like Crysis and Battlefield. This game to me looks better than all of them simply due to it's art style.
The combat is rock solid to, and the game boasts a fun story for you to keep you invested.

Slightly harder to justify at Retail price, but under any discount this becomes a steal. A definite recommendation to anyone with a passing interest in myth, Metroidvania, or looks for a fun distraction.

• Good Combat, If a little clunky
• Good Story
• Gorgeous and Unique visuals
• Reasonable length.

Apotheon
~~~~~~~~

Apotheon is a well structured 2D platformer based on Greek mythology. You play Nikandreos and you have an epic fight ahead of you against the gods. The Greek artwork is really well done and the atmosphere will captivates you in this frantic era.

The levels are fairly large, therefore you will find it extremely useful to use the local and world map to pinpoint where you are. You can also use the map to find ancient writing. You will be able to gather plenty of weapons like spears, arrows, swords, axes and much more. In terms of protection, armours and shields are pretty much it. Mind you, you can find upgrades for your armours which are often in chests.

Crafting, health potions and fire bombs (Greek fire in the game) are vital to your success.

In regards to the combat interface is actually good but it will take you a little bit of time to master all the different aspects of it. Be prepared to use all buttons on your gamepad. It can be challenging at times.

Positives:
~~~~~~~~

- Great artwork and atmosphere
- Large levels
- Challenging
- Stacks of things to collect and do
- Achievements
- Trading cards

Negative:
~~~~~~~~

- Controls a bit challenging at the start (Gamepad)

Apotheon is a little gem. If you enjoyed Guacamelee you will love this game.

9.5/10

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