Rise of the Argonauts

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In "Rise of the Argonauts," players assume the role of Jason, King of Iolcus, seeking the Golden Fleece to restore his murdered fiancé's life. This action-RPG features epic voyages, brutal combat against mythical beasts and heroes, and transformation into an exalted hero. Experience a grand scale adventure in the vibrant world of Ancient Greece.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 320 reviews

story86 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The game features a unique leveling system that allows players to gain points through actions and dialogue choices, enhancing character development.
The writing and voice acting are strong, with engaging characters and a story that incorporates Greek mythology in an interesting way.
The combat, while initially clunky, becomes enjoyable and visceral as players progress, with a variety of weapons and skills to utilize.

The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes and poor optimization, particularly in the PC port.
The pacing is uneven, with long stretches of dialogue and exploration that can feel tedious, leading to a lack of engaging combat.
Many players found the combat system to be simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and challenge, especially in boss fights.

story
296 mentions
29 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Rise of the Argonauts" is a reimagined take on the classic Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, focusing on themes of love, duty, and adventure as Jason seeks the Golden Fleece to resurrect his wife. While the narrative is engaging and features well-developed main characters, it diverges significantly from traditional mythology, which may frustrate purists. Overall, the game is praised for its rich storytelling and character development, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and the linearity of the plot.
- “Despite its deviations from the original myth, it maintains its sense of scale as a story about mythical ancient Greece, a great adventure, gods, demons, and otherworldly beasts of legend.”
- “Rise of the Argonauts is a very story-driven game with many dialogues you would expect in a Bioware RPG.”
- “The story was pretty neat actually; some boss battles were great and the writing was better than I expected.”
- “The main story is mediocre and predictable, while the side quests are most of the time quite boring and can be easily missed if you forget to speak with certain characters.”
- “I understand that myths are up to interpretation and can be told in a variety of methods, and with wildly different alterations, but when you make the story so unappealing, insane, and filled with tropes, it appears condescending, and ultimately annoys.”
- “The story was okay, but the whole plot of the myth has been completely changed (instead of collecting the fleece to restore his father's kingdom, Jason only wants it to resurrect his dead wife) and all the characters are there, but they are completely different from their mythic counterparts, especially Medea, who instead of being a key part of the story, is just another Argonaut.”
graphics
108 mentions
24 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, with many reviewers noting that they do not hold up well against modern standards, often comparing them to titles from the PS2 era. While some appreciate the unique art style and atmospheric visuals, others criticize the low-resolution textures and stiff animations, indicating that the graphics may detract from the overall experience. Overall, opinions vary, with some finding the graphics acceptable for their time, while others see them as a significant drawback.
- “I like the steampunk aesthetic with stylized visuals and instantly recognizable characters.”
- “One thing the game gets right is its artistically beautiful visuals, the really immersive sound direction, and soundtrack.”
- “So far I am really enjoying this game; I am using an Xbox controller and it works perfectly. For an older gamer, I am rather shocked how good the graphics are; also, the gameplay is good as well.”
- “The graphics don't hold up.”
- “This game is definitely a product of its time and I mean it in the worst possible way - terrible graphics (even for 2008), stiff voice acting, uninteresting story, bland side quests, surface level RPG system, gimmicky boss fights and small areas, that are still somehow split into smaller areas.”
- “Constant crashes, outdated graphics, plenty of NPCs that look exactly the same... I'm having a hard time trying to finish this game, even when I love Greek mythology and games like this one.”
gameplay
70 mentions
20 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of hack-and-slash combat, exploration, and dialogue-driven interactions, drawing inspiration from titles like God of War and Mass Effect. However, it often feels shallow and repetitive, with combat lacking depth and the overall experience skewed towards walking and talking rather than engaging action. While some players appreciate the intuitive controls and narrative elements, many find the gameplay disappointing due to its linearity, awkward mechanics, and limited use of party members.
- “The gameplay is good, with the combat (which stresses making an opening and striking, rather than hacking away at an HP bar), and skill systems (dedicating deeds to various gods, to gain their powers and favor) being of particular note.”
- “The gameplay consists of combat sections, exploration sections, and dialogue/role-playing sections.”
- “The gameplay is quick to pick up and fairly intuitive.”
- “From the gameplay side of things, it tries to be both Greek God of War and Mass Effect but falls short on both regards.”
- “The combat system isn't as mechanically deep as God of War and honestly feels more like a chore than it is challenging; not that you'll really have that much time to delve into the combat system as this game is definitely more skewed towards the walking and talking aspect.”
- “For me, the gameplay is a bit of a letdown because you need to do a lot of two-way trips, boss fights are not often enjoyable, and sadly the game is short; you do the same thing on five islands and a special place (exploring, talking, fighting) and some bosses have to be done more than once.”
music
42 mentions
57 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to create an immersive atmosphere that reflects the epic nature of Greek mythology. Composed by Tyler Bates, the soundtrack features distinct themes for each location, enhancing the overall experience, although some players found it less memorable and more of a background element. Overall, the combination of beautiful sound direction and voice acting contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Each location has its own musical theme, and most of them are good.”
- “The music is just fascinating; they tried to keep that 'epic ancient Greek atmosphere,' but sometimes they add variations of other kinds of music, like a tribal sound when they arrive in a jungle or dramatic chants when you reach ruins or dramatic parts of the story.”
- “While there is much to be desired - not least of all varied facial animations - the story is stellar, the soundtrack is brilliant, and the voice acting is wonderfully delivered.”
- “In most games, I don’t notice the background music; it just blends in.”
- “The music is not memorable; you'll just hear it as a background sound that you mostly ignore.”
- “The music is just ok.”
atmosphere
16 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its cozy yet somewhat dated visuals, effectively capturing the essence of Greek mythology. Players appreciate the engaging music, which varies to match different environments, enhancing the overall experience. While the game may lose some momentum in the middle, it ultimately returns to a captivating and immersive atmosphere, particularly in the final chapters.
- “Loved the atmosphere and all the Argonaut mythology around the game!”
- “The music is just fascinating; they tried to keep that 'epic ancient Greek atmosphere,' but sometimes they add variations of other kinds of music, like a tribal sound when they arrive in a jungle or dramatic chants when you reach ruins or dramatic parts of the story.”
- “I was really impressed with the aesthetics and atmosphere that the game created.”
emotional
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game effectively engages players emotionally, with a touching narrative centered on themes of death and the afterlife, complemented by a strong soundtrack. Players report feeling deeply involved in the story, with some expressing strong emotional reactions, including tears, as they progress through the game. While the environments vary in quality, the overall emotional impact is a significant highlight.
- “Nice and touching story about death and the afterlife with good soundtracks.”
- “It succeeded in emotionally involving me in the story and caused me to want to continue playing to see where it takes me.”
- “I cried a tear of pure testosterone when I finished this game!”
stability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its instability, with many users noting that it was released unfinished and filled with bugs, making it nearly unplayable. While some appreciate its potential as a hidden gem, the overall consensus is that the numerous technical issues detract significantly from the experience.
- “Overall, this is an excellent older 'budget game' and not buggy.”
- “It was released unfinished, therefore it is buggy and you can see where content was cut here and there; half of the characters that were meant to be party members are stuck as dialogue-only NPCs on the ship, beautifully crafted memorials to what might have been.”
- “Overall, Rise of the Argonauts is a really great hidden gem RPG, but it’s very buggy to the point of being unplayable.”
- “In the end, though, it is just too buggy and poorly done to be enjoyable.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be minimal, as only about one-third of the gameplay involves combat, with much of the experience consisting of walking and dialogue. While the combat can become tedious towards the end, the overall ease and enjoyment of overpowering enemies mitigate the feeling of grinding. However, the frequent backtracking and loading times can detract from the experience, making it feel repetitive.
- “The combat is basic but serviceable; near the end it begins to get tedious, although you are so strong it's rather enjoyable wrecking all the villains fool enough to think they can stop you.”
- “Seriously, only like 1/3 of the game was actual combat, while the rest was just walking around and talking to people, which gets tedious really quickly.”
- “Yes, it's quite easy and not very long, the plot is kind of stupid in places, the loading times disguised as cutscenes become tedious because there's much running back and forth, and it's not the best looking game out there.”
optimization
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized due to its poor port from the console version, resulting in significant performance issues such as lags, stuttering, and crashes, especially on lower-end PCs. Additionally, the lack of graphics settings and resolution options exacerbates these problems, leaving players with a frustrating experience.
- “However, the port of the game from the console version makes it a really poorly optimized game, and if you don't have a good computer, you're going to endure lags and slowdowns because there's no menu for the graphics settings, resolution, and such.”
- “It suffers from being a really poor port and was never optimized for PC.”
- “When coupled with a terrible port that caused constant game crashes, frequent and significant stuttering, and nearly broken audio, I find myself left with a bad taste.”
humor
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is primarily delivered through the characters of the argonauts, particularly Achilles, who provides amusing remarks, and Pan, who shares engaging Greek mythology lore. Players find the interactions and banter among these characters to be the standout aspect, adding a lighthearted touch to the otherwise dated graphics and gameplay.
- “The only good thing about the game is the Argonauts - Atalanta is hot, Achilles is funny, and Pan can share interesting lore about Greek mythology.”
- “When entering Krytha, Pan was a fixed member, and I chose Achilles as the second one, hoping for some funny remarks, which he delivered.”
- “There are final monster and epic fights in any case, and despite the dated engine, graphics, and textures, the result is funny.”
replayability
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game lacks significant replayability, with no new game plus option or compelling reasons to replay, leading to a consensus that it offers minimal value for repeated playthroughs.
- “No replayability or new game plus.”
- “Not much worth in replay value.”
- “Replay value is lacking.”
character development
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
83 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development in the game, highlighting it as a standout feature alongside the appealing ancient Greek-themed designs and environments. The story and character arcs are noted as particularly engaging, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
- “Of all its positive traits, the highlight was by far the story and character development.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is generally viewed positively, especially considering its low budget and minimal advertising. Players appreciate the value provided despite the game's limitations, indicating that the developers made the most of their resources.