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.

[h1]Tl'dr version: [/h1] [b] 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.[/b] [h1]Elaborated version: [/h1] 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. [h1]Final thoughts: [/h1] 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.