Greek mythology in video games: 7 Wonders of the Gaming World you should play before ‘Immortals Fenyx Rising’

If you had a chance to be a character in any mythological or fictional setting, you probably don’t want to be one from Greek mythology. Sure, fighting giant serpent-haired creatures, legions of skeleton soldiers, or the multi-headed Hydra in sleek armour, or totally nude, in the sunny Mediterranean may sound and look cool, but you don’t have to dig too far to realise that these epic tales are thwart with tragedy and woe that befall even the greatest of heroes. From Herakles to Achilles, to say nothing of the innocent characters who attracted the attention of the wrong Gods – namely Zeus – no one is safe from a horrifying fate. But there is one way you can experience these stories without being subjected to unfathomable eternal punishments or a manically, unavoidable depressing fate: let an animated character manipulated by your controller do it for you. 

Greco-Roman mythology has undoubtedly inspired many of our favourite film and video game franchises in a multitude of ways, whether it’s story or character tropes, or hideous creature designs. And the ancient forgotten time when a cyclopes could be used as a legitimate excuse for coming home late from a long voyage, or when people were transformed into otherworldly creatures in the neighbouring polis, makes for an inspiring setting for any fantastical adventure. Following Hades and the likes of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising rises to the challenge of offering a new take on a Greek mythological world. Originally going by the admittedly generic title Gods & Monsters, Ubisoft’s upcoming open world RPG, Immortals Fenyx Rising, takes visual design cues from the rich Pantheon of Greek mythology and mixes it with Breath of the Wild and a cartoony style. In preparation for its release for those who want to delve into other worlds inspired by Greek mythology, here are seven titles worth checking out…

---

1 – Hades (Switch, PC)

As the most recent entry on this list, Hades is a rogue-like action RPG from Supergiant Games that incidentally earned itself a super giant following upon its release. As Zagreus, son of Hades, players are challenged to escape from the Underworld to reach Mount Olympus while making use of gifts and abilities granted by the other Olympians, where the labyrinthine Halls of Hades are made up of a series of randomly generated rooms with as many rewards to uncover as there are hordes of grisly underworld entities to fight. Despite its underworld setting, Hades sports bold colour choices and a comic book aesthetic that gives even the infamously gruesome Erinyes (Furies) a stylish pizzazz!

For those learned in Greek mythology, you’ll find plenty of recognisable names, starring heroes from Achilles to Theseus, and underworld locales explored by the likes of Herakles and Aeneas, from Tartarus, Asphodel and Elysium. But even if you don’t consider yourself the Kleio of Olympian lore and mythology, Hades is a fun, well crafted indie action title that suits the Switch’s pick up and go nature perfectly.

---

2 – Kid Icarus (NES, Gameboy, 3DS)

Thanks to Harryhausen’s stop-motion animation, it’s hard to deny Medusa, the snake-haired, stony-eyed Gorgon sister herself, is probably one of the most iconic characters from Greek mythology. That, and thanks to Castlevania‘s infuriating floating Medusa heads who make skulking the halls of Dracula’s castle an exercise in patience. Either way, gamers of the NES days will recognise her as the antagonistic Goddess of Darkness, the antithesis of Palutena, Goddess of Light, in the infamously rage-inducing Greek mythology inspired platformer, Kid Icarus. Though the Greco-Roman mythology of Kid Icarus doesn’t just rely on Medusa. Outside of the series title, referencing the boy who flew too close to the sun, there are plenty of references throughout Pit’s adventure. This includes Pandora, a boss from the first game known as the Goddess of Calamity; evil, antagonistic flowers called Daphne; and single eyed skulls called Ganewmede, a parody of Zeus’s favourite cup-bearing youth, Ganymede. The designs of the monsters in Nintendo’s often overlooked title provide the series with its unique, recognisable style and charming design.

---

3 – God of War series (PS2, PS3, PS4)

While the iconic grumpy god-slayer Kratos has moved on from the Olympian stomping grounds of Mediterranean Greece to the conversely frozen mountain scapes of Midgard’s Norway, it’s only natural that the God of War franchise gets a mention when talking about Greek mythology in video games. For one thing, the brooding, rage-fuelled Spartan has already slayed his way through the poleis of Ancient Greece in numerous entries before making his bloody mark with his “Boy” in Norway, with his axe now set on the Æsir. Having butchered the likes of the titular God of War himself, Ares, as well as a handful of his Olympian brethren, demigods, heroes, and deities from Clotho, the spinner of fates, to the Underworld’s premier ferryman, Charon, the adventures of Kratos the Cranky have become as iconic as Sonic and Mario, albeit a tad more blood soaked and sporting all manner of maniacal God-slaying weaponry to boot…

---

4 – Shin Megami Tensei and Persona (Famicom, Super Famicom, Sega Saturn, PS1, PS2, PSP, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, DS, 3DS, Nintendo Switch)

While the Shin Megami Tensei and, by extent, Persona franchises don’t solely focus on adapting Greco-Roman mythology, with demons and Personas notably representing a plethora of world mythologies from Babylon to Nepal and even Lovecraft, the Olympian pantheon, infamous heroes and Mediterranean beasties we all recognise are well represented nonetheless. From the Moirae Sisters to Cerberus, Zeus, and Thanatos, the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona franchises are littered with well-researched and uniquely designed demons and Personas that reflect aspects of their characters and roles in mythology and folklore, even if they don’t necessarily serve significant roles in-game. That being said, Nyx – the primordial goddess of night, and mother of the likes of Nemesis and Thanatos – has played story roles in Shin Megami Tensei III and a more critical role in Persona 3 as the endgame boss, while Orpheus, Io and Hermes make up three of the initial party Personas of the Protagonist, Yukari and Junpei respectively. Mythology buffs will get a kick out of reading up on the various demon and Persona in-game bios, which show a deep, well researched database of deities and heroes from world mythology, reflected in the intricate details of their designs, with many of the more iconic concepts coming from the creative minds of Kazuma Kaneko and Shigenori Soejima.

---

5 – Phelios (Namco Arcades, Sega Genesis/ Mega Drive)

Few concepts are cooler than a top-down scrolling shooter where you play as Apollo, hurling power blasts from a magic sword on the back of a magic flying horse. Couple that with the badass box art, and Phelios becomes a must play arcade title from Namco, initially released for Namco arcades in 1989, but ported to Sega Genesis in 1990. While blasting your way through hordes of mythical beasts, Apollo will fight Medusa, the Graeae, and Scylla, among other bosses from Greek myth, in a plot that’s loosely – emphasis on “loosely” – inspired by Greek mythology. The story itself might cause a few raised eyebrows, following Apollo as he attempts to rescue his lover, Artemis, from the Titan Typhon. While the Gods relationships might be a cause for concern today, Artemis – the Goddess of Hunting – is notable for her pride in chastity, and as a renowned hunter, this story portrays the Greek gods with wild inaccuracy. Regardless, the graphical style, sprite work and inspired setting are for the eyes what Ambrosia is for the gods and firmly place Phelios in a Classical Greek world, even if some of the story details don’t quite convey Greek myth with particular accuracy. Its extremely addictive gameplay, high-scores, and fast pace scrolling levels more than make up for this, however.

---

6 – Apotheon (PS4, Steam)

Black-figure pottery is a style of Greek vase painting particularly common between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, featuring stylised figures recalling a silhouette motif against the red background of the vase, with details highlighted through opaque colours, distinguishing itself from the red-figure style. These vases tell stories that flow across the whole stretch of the vase itself, detailing popular stories from the Labours of Herakles, scenes from the sacking of Troy, to scenes from funeral games. Even as static images, these characters convey an almost animated quality to them, helped by the engagement from viewers who walk around them and fight for spaces in a cramped Museum environment to find the next part of the story, or peer over a particularly tall onlookers shoulders…

Developed and published by Alientrap in 2015, Apotheon is a unique, stylised action platformer that perfectly utilises this black-figure pottery style of Greek amphora. Unsurprisingly set in Ancient Greece, players take control of a young warrior, Nikandreos, who takes on the Olympian Pantheon with the help of Hera, armed with his fists, xiphos (a double-edged sword), axes, clubs, spears, and more. As each weapon has its own function and strengths and weaknesses in combat that must be considered, combat feels surprisingly deep and engaging through its simplicity, while exploration opens Apotheon’s black-figure Greece in a way that recalls a Metroidvania. Not to mention its surprisingly exhaustive PSN Trophies list… 

Apotheon – which means to be in an elevated state of god-hood – tells a revenge tale, where the Gods have begun to punish humanity for their arrogance and defiance, leading humanity to fall to savagery and self-destruction in a way that feels somewhat reflective and critical of the world today. In an attempt to save the mortal populace, Hera, the Queen of the Gods, tasks Nikandreos to slay Zeus and the rest of the Olympians: maybe they can exchange notes and tactics with Kratos? From its stunning visuals and interesting play on mythology and the troubled relationship between the Gods and humanity, Apotheon stands out amoungst other Greco-Roman inspired games as much as it does any digital gaming shop feature image.

---

7 – Theseus (PSVR, Steam)

Theseus and the Minotaur is a widely recognisable tale that tells the story of how Theseus, the mythical king and heroic founder of Athens, conquered King Minos’ Labyrinth and slew the Minotaur. You would have thought this would be an obvious choice for a video game adaptation, seeing how prevalent labyrinthine dungeon designs are in the likes of The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest, or Final Fantasy, and yet somehow no-one seems to have utilised the concept. Rather we have a poorly received and very missable Tom Hardy film from 2006. Created as a PSVR experience, however, Theseus creates a brooding, dark atmosphere, channeling moments of horror-esque inspiration in its interpretation of Daedalus’ infamous Labyrinth, inhabited by creatures worthy of a Lovecraftian nightmare and light puzzle elements. Admittedly, it’s something of a missed opportunity, with moments that show real promise that are held back by some less inspired design choices. Namely the clunky combat, linearity and questionable fixed camera perspectives, whereas the more atmospheric and immersive moments have the camera tail behind Theseus from an over-shoulder perspective. That being said, the Minotaur himself is a titanic beast and incurs some of the more intense moments, showing off a creature worthy of its horrifying, monstrous reputation. As far as VR experiences go, while it feels more like a tech demo for a project that could have been developed into something truly exceptional, Theseus’s interpretation of Daedalus’ manic maze is at the very least worth exploring… so long as you don’t get lost and caught by the prowling Minotaur.