It's rare to criticize game developers for being
over-literate, but the makers of Rise Of The Argonauts may love the classics too
much. The game's action-RPG formula seems simple: Here's musclebound hero
Jason, he's got a big spear, let's go knock some heads. Yet every time you're
itching to fight, Argonauts gets enamored with the pomp of ancient Greece, and
you end up trading Homeric witticisms with Achilles.
All the chatter in this wordy epic does, at least, add
up to a compelling tale. The game takes Jason through a re-imagined Golden
Fleece story with the campy confidence of a '60s gladiator epic. While most
RPGs treat cinematic interludes as post-fight rewards, Argonauts uses long cutscene sequences
to set up battles. This approach lends a climactic feel to the God Of War-style boss fights, though
that's partly because you're starved for action by the time they arrive.
The developers' passion for the script doesn't carry
over to their "favor of the gods" system, a clever idea with feeble execution.
Every decision affects your standing with the gods. Careful, even-handed
actions curry Athena's favor, Ares rewards bravado, etc. If the choices had
more than superficial impact, Argonauts could be the Fable everyone wished for, but in
practice, you're just picking options in a dialogue tree to earn power-ups.
It's a missed opportunity.