Going Greek : Top 5 Games Inspired by Greek Myth
By: Alex Petk
Tags: Greece, Hades, Gaming, Videos, Top 5

With Hades receiving massive critical and commercial success and Immortal’s Fenyx Rising being released earlier this month it seems clear that gamers are still hungry for some games based on classical Greek myths. Fortunately, there are a vast library of games based on Greek Myth perfect to scratch that same itch as Hades. Here are my top 5 games based on Greek Myth.

Note: I will be focusing on classic Greek myth. While changes to the origin are fair game but games like Kid Icarus will be excluded for being based more on original characters rather than original characters being placed into setting of Greek myth and legend.

Honorable Mention — God of War Series

I’m only putting this as an honorable mention because it’s too easy to put at number 1. Kratos’ bloody, and I do mean bloody, campaign against the Greek gods pits you against countless figures from Greek mythology. The furies, the hecatoncheires, Heracles and so many more for you to batter, maim and overall take out your anger on. Tight hack and slash gameplay and a compelling story will put you right in Kratos’ sandals while you wreak havoc on Olympus. If you haven’t played the God of War series and want a timeless and fun Greek inspired experience look no further than God of War.

5 — Age of Mythology

Before the pitchforks come out let me defend myself. This game is iconic and if this list were based on nothing more than the game itself it would be higher. I was tempted to not put it on here at all as the game does not solely focus on ancient Greece. however it would be an injustice to this brilliant game to not include it on a list that involves anything relating to Greek Myth. Moreover, the expansion The Titans puts more emphasis on the ancient Greeks. If you haven’t played Age of Mythology do yourself a favor and play it. It has engaging real time strategy tactics with easy to understand but deep mechanics. The ability to access the powers of the gods adds a new dynamic to the game as it can sway crucial skirmishes or raids in your favor. The game has countless famous heroes represented as units in the game. Jason, Odysseus, Ajax and more. The game blends aspects of historically accurate Greek titles and roles with mythical units to get a blend of fact and fiction. The game is timeless and deserves to be on this list in one way or another.

4— Nyxqeuest : Kindred Spirit

Nyxquest is a platformer that puts you in the shoes of Nyx. A mysterious young girl looking for her friend Icarus : yes that Icarus. Much like Icarus, you are given wings which can be used to fly for a short period of time. The game is a platformer which makes use of a robust physics engine to manipulate the world to move obstacles or reveal new paths forward. While the game was initially released on the Wii Steam has made it possible to play as indented with the help of some free add-ons. You’ll fight classic Greek myth staples like the Hydra over the games 12 levels. The game is a quick fun foray through an ancient Greek landscape but hasn’t aged terribly well graphically or gameplay wise. I recommend this game for the atmosphere and music being evocative on Greek Myth not necessarily for being the most sound gameplay by today’s standards.

3 — Titan Quest : Anniversary Edition

This 2006 classic was given a facelift on Steam in 2016 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the games initial release. The anniversary edition makes countless quality of life changes, bug fixes and overall better graphics to make sure that this classic action RPG remains current even by todays standards. Titan Quest offers a variety of ways to build you character from a tanky bruiser to a more rangy archer you’ll be able to find a playstyle that suits you. You’ll take one of the games 28 highly customizable clashes and face off against familiar faces like harpies, Cerberus and gorgons all dropping loot like a piñata. The gameplay is reminiscent of the Diablo series in appearance and gameplay feel. Another amazing feature the game has is a world editor system that you can share with your friends with online co-op. Titan Quest : Anniversary Edition is a great pickup for anyone looking to work their way up from Greek farmer to hero of legend.

2 — Ohklos

Gather disgruntled Greek townsfolk and wildlife to fight against the Gods of Olympus in Ohklos. Ohklos is a pixel art roguelike full of Greek characters both Mythical and real. You play as a philosopher who rallies the towns people to attack the gods after seeing a prominent school of philosophy crushed. Those ancient Greek philosophers knew how to party, just ask Diogenes. The gameplay is a mishmash of the fast paced frantic action with Pikmin like mechanics to attack. You gather townspeople with different stats well as heroes with unique abilities and fight against the god of Olympus with your mob which you can customize before wreaking havoc. The game makes many references to notable figures like Socrates and Sisyphus who come with their own load outs. If you enjoyed Hades, Ohklos is right up your alley.

1 — Apotheon

Ancient Greek myth to the core. This game not only has an absurd amount of myths and legends crammed into it’s story but the style of the graphics oozes ancient Greece. The game’s graphics are based off ancient Greek black figure pottery which was popular around 7th and 5th century BCE. You take the roll of hoplite soldier Nikandreos to fight against the gods of Olympus who have abandoned mankind. The gameplay is standard Metrovania 2d fare and is extremely polished. You can attack from short range with a variety of weapons, block incoming attacks with a shield you have to angle or shoot from afar with a bow. You’ll jump from platform to platform killing those who oppose you and solving problems to find secrets. The enemies are as varied as they are accurate to the myths and legends from their origin. Fight against Chimera, Artemis, the cyclops Brontes and more while gaining their powers along the way. Apotheon is ancient Greek myth made into a game and it is a must play for anyone looking for more Greek inspired games.

Ancient Greek myths and legends are full of heroes, villains, creatures and gods that lend themselves perfectly to video games. I look forward to see what else ancient Greece has to offer in the future.