Achilles: Legends Untold Beta Preview

Fight. Die. Repeat.
By Richard Jewell
Reviewed on PC
Release date: Estimated Q2 2022 Early Access on PC
Developer: Dark point Games
Publisher: Dark Point Games

​Alrighty folks, this is going to be a short one today. This weekend I got the chance to try out the beta of Achilles: Legends Untold before it officially releases on Steam’s Early Access program later this year. There isn’t too much to talk about, since there are only a few hours of content available to try out right now, so we’re going to dive right in! The beta takes place during the War for Honor chapter, in which Achilles and his men lay siege to the city of Troy. There are three different areas to fight through, along with a few sidequests and bosses, like Hector and his brother Paris (although the beta ends abruptly when you start fighting Paris). Not all the enemies you will encounter are human. The beta also contains skeletons and a giant scorpion, with more mythological creatures showing up in the full release. Completing the beta allows you to start a New Game+ so you can play through it again with all your stuff.
 
While Legends Untold looks like a typical ARPG, the action is a lot more technical than simple button mashing and skill spamming. The combat is slow-paced, a little too sluggish sometimes. You will need to keep a constant watch on Achilles stamina bar, since it is used up when attacking, blocking, and dodging. An empty bar leaves you unable to attack or dodge, which is a bad situation to be in when the enemies are aggressive and deal quite a lot of damage per hit. While even a single enemy can be deadly if you aren’t careful, some of them can occasionally group up and combo attack you. I’ve only seen two instances of this in my short time playing. In one instance, a soldier set up his shield so an archer could vault over him while firing an arrow. Didn’t do them any good since I blasted them with a vial of Greek fire but it was cool to see it in action nonetheless.  

​Killing foes awards you with souls, which can then be cashed in at Hades Shrines to upgrade your stats and learn new abilities, the price rising incrementally with each purchase. You can also teleport between unlocked shrines, or rest to refill your health and items from your reserves. Resting revives all previously defeated baddies. And stop me if you heard this one before: dying sends you back to the last shrine you visited and parts you from your collected souls but if you can make it back to the spot you died, you can retrieve them.
 
If you are still having trouble, you can visit the forge of Hephaestus in the old ruins area and spend your hard-earned souls on new weapons and items. There are plenty of items in the beta, like the all-important health potions and the incredibly useful Greek firebombs. There are only a handful of weapons available and one shield to equip, but if you have the materials, you can upgrade them and improve their stats at the forge.
 
And that’s it! Achilles: Legends Untold looks to be a promising game. If you are looking to play it yourself, you can join the developer Discord (check the official Steam store page for the link) to gain access and don’t forget to wishlist it for notification of when the official Early Access launches.
Looking for a review score? You won’t find one here today. As Achilles: Legends Untold is a very early stage beta, it wouldn’t be fair to score it as if it were a full release.
Note: A copy of the game was provided for the purpose of the review.