EDGE: Rise Of The Argonauts Preview

When EDGE first saw Rise Of The Argonauts, three distinguishing factors were immediately apparent. It was rooted in the Greek myths. The realtime combat was pivotal and held great promise. And although its classification as action game made perfect sense, the other half of developer Liquid Entertainment’s definition – RPG – could have been a mythologizing flourish rather than a taxonomical aid. The fighting was present and correct, and a strong narrative emphasis was promised, but where were the stats?

More than six months on, a new ‘production cut’ – a 45-minute edit of a two-hour level assembled from elements at varying stages of readiness for the game’s autumn release on PS3, 360 and PC – has some answers. Argonauts’ action RPG credentials are lent by the fact that the plot and player attributes are advanced by victory in battle; it’s a genre-bender because there are still no stats. No trading of numbers. No default onscreen furniture – HUD, life bar, lock-on circles.