riseoftheargonauts
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300, The Watchmen composer scoring Rise of the Argonauts
If you've watched the latest trailer for Codemasters' Rise of the Argonauts and have been wondering about the music you've since been humming along to in the shower, you can thank film and television muse, Tyler Bates. Bates, whose credits include the testosterone-fueled 300 and the upcoming movie adaptation of The Watchmen, will provide accompaniment for Jason as he flexes his mythical muscles against both gods and monsters this fall when Rise of the Argonauts ships for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The Liquid Entertainment-developed title represents Bates' first stab at scoring a video game, and while we're not prepared to award him the Golden Fleece just yet, we certainly approve of what we've heard so far.
Joystiq impressions: Rise of the Argonauts
Liquid Entertainment's Charley Price describes Rise of the Argonauts as an "RPG without the clutter." Menus and detailed statistics are absent from Jason's mythological quest to find the Golden Fleece, thrown overboard in the developer's attempt to focus on storytelling. Though Liquid's track record (featuring Battle Realms, some Dungeons, Dragons and, err, Desperate Housewives) is somewhat uneven, the proclaimed prioritization of plot is certainly commendable. When we ask if removing "clutter" from a role-playing game doesn't simply yield an action game, Price explains that an RPG is marked by a "depth of experience" and a player's ability to "impact story and character." We'll meet him halfway and call it an action RPG. And there is action, just so you know. The combat is classically themed and has a sense of lethality, with swords clanging against shields and spears perforating enemy soldiers in notably unpleasant ways. "We're sick of games where you stab a guy ten times before he falls down," comes the corresponding quip. Jason's party, here comprised of Atalanta and a comically proportioned Hercules, will automatically join the fray, fending for themselves and even holding down enemies for Jason to skewer. It's hard to tell how much depth there is to the fights without playing, but they're presented in the same bold style that permeates much of the game's richly colored graphics. Once the argonauts defeat a gigantic wild boar, we're reminded again of the game's clutter-free ideals -- there's no summary screen displaying experience points and potions.%Gallery-4360%
Rise of the Argonauts and promising new games
Greek Mythology is one of those things that you either love or hate. You can't really "kinda" be interested in mythology because then you'll come across as a fool who Wikipedia's myths to sound smart. Of the big three mythologies, Greek, Roman (more a variation of Greek than anything else, along with Christian overtones later down the pipes), and Norse, we'd prefer Norse above all else. Greek is a close second. Jason and the Argonauts is one of the most celebrated Greek myths. So much so, in fact, the tale is getting its own game, with the flavorful twists to spice up the story. We present Rise of the Argonauts.We like IGN's analogy of the ship, Argos. They said "think of it as a buoyant Suikoden fortress and you'll get the general idea." Obviously they skipped over the fourth installment in the franchise. The fact remains, your ship will grow with you -- recruits will pop in depending on your path and actions. Speaking of teammates, the other All-Star myth heroes will pop in to help you fight your battles in your stead (Jason was a sissy, after all) and the actual fighting mechanics play out akin to God of War or The Mark of Kri or some hybridization of the two.Your teammates matter, much like certain parts of the X-Men Legends titles. In the demo IGN got to sample, using Hercules as a teammate against a giant boar creature (we'll spare you the mythological background) proved effective as he could stop the creature in its tracks by holding onto the tusks and digging into the ground with his powerful little feet. This lets Jason cut up the bad ol' boar with ease. What's cool is the damage. Cuts and wounds appear on enemies in real-time. Everything will have realistic reactions, basically. This game has so much promise, especially with online co-op, and we could talk about it for a long time, but we'll leave it up to you to decide if it's worth your time. We think it just might be.
Rise of the Argonauts revealed -- Jason wants royalties
Have you ever desired that Greek mythos found in God of War but wished it was wrapped in a role-playing shell? Seems you've got your chance -- Codemasters have come out and announced their new Action-RPG: Rise of the Argonauts, due out for next-gen consoles and the PC. Expect "deep exploration and brutal combat," says the Codemasters.Playing as the mythical "hero" Jason (if you've read the classic myth, you'll know that he was a sissy... and his witch-lover Medea was the real brains behind the group), you'll team up with other Greek superheroes like Heracles and Atalanta (Not Hercules and Atlanta... plus, Atalanta was a woman). Details are sketchy, but they obviously don't want to stay true to the myth. No matter. As long as it's fun, we'll set those things aside. Details forthcoming!
