Preview:Rise of the Argonauts

Rise of the Argonauts is a re-telling of the classic Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Developer Liquid Entertainment (Dragonshard) is using this famous mythological backdrop as the setting for its upcoming role-playing game.it shows enormous potential for those that love action-based RPGs as well as those who are looking for a strong narrative where dialogue and story matter just as much as chopping off enemy heads.

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The basic setup is this: Jason hops on his boat, the Argo, with an ever-expanding cast of characters and moves between islands completing quests and powering himself up. Unlike with most RPGs , Jason gains favor with the gods in battle through specific feats, like performing blocks or different kinds of kills. With mace, sword, spear, and shield he'll be able to whack opponents into submission, and from what we've seen quite frequently slice them in half or send them flying across arenas.

With the favor points Jason gains in battle he'll be able to upgrade his magic skills, each of which correspond to one of four gods. In this demo we saw a vortex spell that sucks opponents through to another dimension and a magma skin ability which provides a defense boost for Jason and injures any opponents that attack. Acquiring these magic abilities can be done on the Argo or at shrines located around the game world.

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New weapons are also acquired as Jason moves along, all with their own unique appearances and effects. Some spears, for instance, can puncture enemy shields, which some maces have special damage abilities. These are all displayed in a special room of your ship, set up something like a trophy room so you can admire your collection. Armor is another factor to consider, as Jason will acquire several suits, some of which can be upgraded with special attachments that provide better defense or other effects. Your loadout needs to be selected before you head out, though, as you can't swap equipment in the field.

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The many islands that you’ll be landing on. Called Veronus, the island is a favored place of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. She spends her day hunting with Orion (he once wanted to kill every animal on Earth!), but the master hunter’s quest to kill a giant boar for her was derailed by his apprentice. Our quest was to help take down the boar in Orion’s stead, after which Artemis would help Jason on his way. You’ll perform a lot of quests as you make your way through the game, and your supporting characters will sometimes be recruited to re-visit the island for special side quests.

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While the crew of the Argo was largely made up of sailors in the myth, you’ll be accompanied by an impressive number of Greek heroes, from the massive, powerful Hercules to the lithe Atalanta, whose specialty is to take enemies out from afar with her bow and arrow. While your fellow heroes come in especially handy in combat, you can also chat with them if you’d like learn more about the myths surrounding them. The conversation system is similar to Mass Effect’s in that you’ll basically pick the mood and delivery for your responses.

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The dialogue choices you make will actually determine how you character progresses through the game, rather than your prowess in combat. You’ll be able to earn the favor of different gods by acting in certain ways and doing certain things, and the god you’re aligned with will treat you differently when you run into them. As you explore the islands, you’ll be able to visit shrines dedicated to the gods, then explain that all of the deeds and accomplishments you’ve tallied while playing were all for them. For instance, they explained that if you’re in Ares’ favor, you’ll be able to walk through your enemies as they battle each other, while being in his doghouse will making them all come for you.

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What's nice about the combat in Rise of the Argonauts is that it isn't based on back-end dice rolls or hit points. If you slice an enemy in the neck, he'll lose his head. It's that simple, and it's a refreshing change of pace in the hack-and-slash action RPG genre. Along the way you'll also recruit the legendary heroes Hercules, Achilles, Atalanta, and Pan as your Argonauts, and one hero at a time can join you in combat. Each hero will fight enemies independently, but they will also unlock special attacks if you are fighting close to each other. Hercules, for example, will lift enemies in the air and hold them while you carefully aim a decapitation strike.

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In addition to pulping an enemy's head with the mace or tossing spears into the hearts of foes from afar, you'll have access to god powers. Your choices in the dialogue tree will curry favor with either Apollo, Hermes, Aries, or Athena, who is actually an omnipotent hottie. Our Jason was currently in the good graces of Hermes, the smart-aleck god of cunning and trickery. Being the guide to the underworld for wayward spirits, Hermes granted us the power to create a portal to hell that would quickly suck into the afterlife any enemy that we knocked into the air.

The game is eschewing several traditional RPG trappings. You don't earn experience points in order to level your character. Instead, you earn "Deeds" which can then be spent by praying to a particular Greek God. Deeds vary in importance and complexity from killing a boss enemy to simply locating a specific NPC. Your reward is based on which God you decide to pray to; Ares, for example, is all about combat so praying to him will let you pick from a list of combat-oriented rewards.

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The graphics, even in this very early stage of development, look sharp, and the art direction is fantastic. Liquid wants Jason to always look like a hero -- you'll never see him wearing a red helmet with bright blue checkerboard pants with a purple sash. Every item in the game that Jason and his comrades are able to wield all fits a particular pattern; they all go together both artistically and thematically.

The game still has a long way to go before release, but we're very excited about how it looks even in its pre-alpha state. We'll be on top of this one as it continues its development simultaneously on the PC, 360 and PS3.