Numen: Contest of Heroes
- June 3, 2010
- CINEMAX, s.r.o.
"Numen: Contest of Heroes" is a single-player, action RPG set in mythical Greece, where players choose one of nine heroes to compete in a grand test of capabilities for their patron god. The game rewards tactical decision-making, searching for enemies' weak spots, and adapting to battlefield situations with unique abilities from the Olympian gods. However, beware their unpredictable nature as you grind through a pilgrimage of mountains, forests, caves, and deserts.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The mythological theme and atmosphere are engaging, providing a unique setting for players who enjoy Greek mythology.
- The gameplay offers a nostalgic, old-school feel with a focus on exploration and character progression, appealing to fans of classic RPGs.
- The game features a variety of classes and customization options, allowing players to choose their path and abilities based on their playstyle.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes and unresponsive controls, which can significantly hinder the experience.
- Combat mechanics are often criticized for being unbalanced and tedious, leading to frustrating encounters and a lack of engaging gameplay.
- The story and quests are generally considered lackluster and generic, failing to provide a compelling narrative or memorable characters.
- story59 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally perceived as lackluster and generic, with many players noting a slow and tedious progression filled with fetch quests and repetitive tasks. While some appreciate the initial setup of the hero's journey, the overall narrative fails to engage, often feeling disjointed and poorly written, with numerous typos and inaccuracies regarding Greek mythology. Despite a few positive remarks about the setting and potential, the consensus is that the story does not provide a compelling experience, leaving players wanting more depth and coherence.
“The story is actually quite nice, and the quests are decent.”
“When I bought this game, it was on sale for 50p. Money well spent honestly! If you're looking for a decent RPG with an MMO feel, this is always worth a shout. The story so far is interesting enough to make me want to push forward while the grind for gear gets me every time.”
“You start out as a kid, and through a few quests, learn the basics of the three primary classes - warrior, archer, and mage.”
“The story is horrendous!”
“Numen's story is generic.”
“The main plot was okay, but the quests that guided you along through the main story were uninteresting and felt grindy.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as old-school and comfortable, featuring class-based mechanics with god selections that influence skills and themes. However, many users criticize the game for its unfair difficulty, lack of engaging story and character involvement, and reliance on tedious mechanics like fetch quests and grinding. Overall, the gameplay is seen as uninspired and lacking innovation, leading to a disappointing experience for players.
“The gameplay and overall pace is very old school and comfy.”
“Each class comes with 3 different gods you can choose from, who further refine the gameplay and skills you can get, as well as the thematic motif of your character.”
“The system is well implemented here and the result is a game that comes across as a nice hybrid of the setting from Titan Quest and the gameplay mechanics of Dungeon Siege.”
“I have no issue with difficulty; in fact, I enjoy hard games when they're fair and exciting or at least thoroughly entertaining, but this game's difficulty simply comes down to its RPG mechanics being downright unfair.”
“Pretty unforgivable faults, especially since it's so expensive (relative to the quality, that is): bland textures and animations, dull, boring gameplay, and a silly, confusing storyline.”
“Dead atmosphere, boring gameplay; even a few hours of gameplay is enough to get it uninstalled unless you had anything better to do.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that they have aged poorly and are generally weak, while others find them acceptable, particularly for a low-budget RPG. Textures are described as decent, and the 3D graphics are considered attractive by some, though the overall visual experience lacks innovation and customization options. The game's aesthetic is appreciated, but many feel it could benefit from updates and improvements.
“The graphics are on par with most MMO graphics and the sound is adequate but there is not a lot of music.”
“Numen: Contest of Heroes is a surprisingly robust RPG, with attractive 3D graphics, well animated if not particularly innovative enemies, and minimalist but adequate sound design.”
“Great graphics, but the gameplay isn't very innovative.”
“Graphically, the game has aged very poorly.”
“This game is a joke; bad graphics, bad story, bad fights.”
“The graphics are on par with most MMO graphics, and the sound is adequate, but there is not a lot of music.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is heavily criticized for its grinding mechanics, with players noting that combat is tedious due to enemies being significantly stronger and capable of dealing high damage, leading to frequent stuns and staggered attacks. The slow progression in leveling up and acquiring usable gear, combined with uninteresting quests and repetitive gameplay, contributes to a frustrating experience that feels overly grindy and detracts from overall enjoyment. While some players found the grinding less annoying after a few hours, many felt it was ultimately not worth the effort.
“Enemies have a shockingly high chance of dealing critical damage, they will frequently stun you over and over, you will get staggered so often you struggle getting a hit in and to top it all off enemies that are around your level are always significantly stronger than you, making combat a tedious slog.”
“Eventually, I thought maybe it's equipment-based and that sounds like a sensible answer, but you get so much gear that your class cannot use, gear that requires more grinding to use, and even shop items are so expensive. Making money is so slow and boring, and my god, do you feel the tedium yet?”
“The game itself would be over quickly if you didn't spend that much time grinding for levels, the first few hours of which are so tedious that I almost stopped playing (although the grinding got less annoying a few hours in).”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its mythical Greek setting and immersive qualities, others find it lacking in depth and excitement, describing it as dead and boring. The graphics and soundtrack receive criticism for being underwhelming, with long pauses in music that detract from the experience. Overall, the atmosphere may appeal to those who enjoy exploration and grinding, but it fails to engage many players fully.
“This is the game for people who enjoy atmosphere, delayed gratification, and don't mind realistic lengths of exploration and grinding for experience.”
“Despite the mixed to negative reviews, the mythical Greek atmosphere attracted me enough to take the small risk.”
“I recommend this game for its history and the fact that it is very atmospheric.”
“Oh, and as far as atmosphere goes: graphics and textures are okay - with no facial or physical customization option for your character, and the soundtrack decides to take long pauses of silence as you play for no apparent reason.”
“Lacks story, atmosphere, some kind of suspense and it's repetitive.”
“Dead atmosphere, boring gameplay; even a few hours of gameplay is enough to get it uninstalled unless you had anything better to do.”
- stability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, user experiences with stability vary significantly; while some players report no glitches or crashes after extensive playtime, others encountered multiple bugs, including getting stuck in walls. Despite these issues, many still found the game enjoyable.
“I had no glitches; the game did crash once, but I had recently saved, so it didn't matter.”
“Edit: After 26 hours of gameplay, I ran into no glitches or bugs myself.”
“Buggy and highly flawed.”
“The game was so buggy I got stuck in walls multiple times early into the game.”
“A little buggy but a good game nonetheless.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with a decent soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere, though some players note it features long pauses of silence during gameplay. While the sound design is considered adequate, there is a lack of variety in the music, which may leave some players wanting more. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively but is not a standout feature.
“The soundtrack is pretty good.”
“I did like how the monsters looked, and the music wasn't bad.”
“The graphics are on par with most MMO graphics, and the sound is adequate, but there is not a lot of music.”
“Oh, and as far as atmosphere goes: graphics and textures are okay - with no facial or physical customization option for your character, and the soundtrack decides to take long pauses of silence as you play for no apparent reason.”
“The graphics are on par with most MMO graphics and the sound is adequate, but there is not a lot of music.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers generally find that *Numen: Contest of Heroes* lacks replayability due to its uninteresting gameplay and absence of surprises or excitement, making it unlikely for players to return after their initial experience.
“I've seen worse, but it doesn't excuse 'Numen: Contest of Heroes' from being an uninteresting game that offers no surprise, no excitement, and no replay value.”
“The game lacks any meaningful choices or variations, making it feel repetitive after just a few playthroughs.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return, as the content feels stale and predictable.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely influenced by its ancient Greek mythology setting, but it lacks the presence of humorous monsters, which may limit comedic opportunities. Overall, the humor may appeal to those who appreciate a more serious tone rather than overtly comedic elements.
