Introduction
Basic information
Developer Name: Dark Point Games
Full Name: Achilles: Legends Untold
Release Date: November 2, 2023 (Full Release)
Released on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Cross Play: No
Initial thoughts
Every once in a while, an indie title comes along that surprises you, not with huge budgets, flashy marketing, or over-designed trailers, but with pure heart, passion, and clever design. Achilles: Legends Untold is one of those games.
Developed by Dark Point Games, this project immediately stands out because it aims high, blending Souls-like boss combat, action RPG exploration, and ancient Greek mythology into something that feels fresh, personal, and ambitious. There’s a genuine sense that the developers poured care into every corner of the world.
It enters the crowded ARPG market, yet manages to carve out its own personality and pace. Not by mimicking the giants, but by embracing the myth of Achilles in a grounded, storydriven, indie way.
We originally received Achilles: Legends Untold through a bundle. Reviews were mixed, and opinions seemed divided, some players expected a pure Souls-like, others expected a pure action RPG. Many felt disappointed that it wasn’t one or the other.
For me, that made it more intriguing. I wanted to discover which identity it leaned closer to and whether it could balance these elements into something truly engaging.
Almost immediately, it became clear that this game is its own category. It blends the deliberate weight of Souls combat with the accessibility and exploration of action RPGs. Smaller fights are more fluid and traditional ARPG in style, while boss encounters shift into deliberate Souls-like combat rhythms.
From the opening mission, I felt the developers had crafted something that respected the player’s time, offered variety, and stayed true to its mythological roots without abandoning gameplay depth.
Story and setting
Plot overview
The story follows Achilles, the legendary warrior, a hero shaped by glory, war, and a destiny that he struggles to define. After the fall of Troy, Achilles finds himself entangled in a greater threat that spans worlds, conspiracies, and gods.
What makes the plot stand out is its interpretation of Achilles. It doesn’t flatten him into a simple hero caricature. The narrative explores doubts, guilt, trauma, pride and how these human elements shape his legend.
World building and immersion
The world is crafted with surprising depth. Ancient Greece feels tangible, atmospheric, and mysterious. Ruins, forests, dungeons, and divine realms blend naturally with the mythic tone. Each location feels connected to Achilles’ journey rather than being just another level.
The lore is layered without overwhelming the player. By pacing new areas and story beats gradually, the game retains immersion throughout all acts.
Character development
Character development is far better than expected from an indie action title. Many players reportedly complained about Achilles losing to Paris, calling it unrealistic, but those players clearly missed the emotional layer of the story. Achilles did not lose because Paris overpowered him. He lost because he doubted himself, a weakness more lethal than any arrow.
This thematic focus enhances the narrative. Achilles’ struggles, choices, and reflections feel meaningful and align beautifully with the mythological tone. The supporting cast also adds richness without overshadowing the protagonist.
Emotional impact
Throughout the game, the emotional beats land stronger than anticipated. Achilles’ internal conflict becomes a recurring theme that grows over time. Small choices, story branches, and confrontations feel personal, not mechanical.
The more you explore, the more you feel like you’re uncovering a myth retold with care, equal parts somber, adventurous, and intense.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 8.5
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
Here’s where the game truly shines. Combat shifts fluidly between two distinct styles:
– Regular encounters feel more ARPG-focused, with faster attacks, quicker decisions, and aggressive play.
-Boss encounters lean fully into Souls-like mechanics, reading patterns, dodging precisely, and punishing openings.
This hybrid approach gives the experience personality. You never feel like you’re stuck in one style, and it keeps the action fresh.
Difficulty and balance
Surprisingly well-balanced. I only died once, to the first invisible enemy, which requires the right ability. After learning it, everything clicked.
The skill system is also well-designed:
–Blue nodes represent skill unlocks,
–Grey nodes represent stat increases, mirroring Souls-leveling principles.
The progression feels meaningful without grind.
Pacing of the game
Consistent and rewarding. Exploration, combat, dialogue, and puzzles flow into one another naturally. Just when you feel like things are speeding up, the game expands with a new zone that resets the pacing in a balanced way.
Innovation and uniqueness
The dual-style combat, the mythology focused narrative, and the indie passion behind the project all give it a unique footprint in the ARPG space.
Controls and user interface
Clean, responsive, and intuitive. Tutorials are clear without being intrusive. The UI is minimalistic but informative, giving the game a polished feel.
Microtransactions
None. Just pure gameplay.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing, and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 8.5.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
Not AAA, but absolutely impressive for a smaller studio. The art captures ancient Greece with sincerity, temples, statues, forests, and mythical zones feel handcrafted.
Technical performances
Smooth, stable, and visually refined. No major frame drops, stutters, or glitches during my time.
Environment and design uniqueness
Each biome stands apart visually. The designs focus more on atmosphere and world cohesion than spectacle, which suits the theme perfectly.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 8.0.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtrack enhances every fight, every quiet moment, and every heavy step Achilles takes. It fits the mythological tone beautifully.
Sound effects quality
Weapons, abilities, environmental sounds, everything contributes to immersion.
Voice Acting
While not fully professional-level acting, it has heart. You can tell the actors poured genuine effort and passion into their lines. It adds charm and authenticity, far better than leaving the game without voices.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with an 8.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
I spent over 30 hours completing all side quests, dungeons, optional bosses, and hunting down every enemy variant. The pacing constantly evolves, even when it seems like you’ve reached the end, a new world or area opens up and keeps things engaging.
Extra Content
After defeating the final boss, modifiers unlock, adding new twists to gameplay. New Game+ becomes available, letting you experience the game again with increased difficulty or alternate choices.
Replay value
High. Different spare or kill decisions change later events, and NG+ feels like a fresh challenge rather than a repeat.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Achilles: Legends Untold with an 8.5.
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
-Expand the enemy variety further in future updates.
-Add additional NG+ modifiers for even more replay depth.
-Consider refining tutorial explanations for newer players not familiar with Souls-like systems.
Comparisons
Achilles: Legends Untold blends elements of:
-Dark Souls (boss structure, stat allocation),
-Diablo (world exploration, action pacing),
-Hades (mythological reinterpretation),
yet still manages to feel distinct, a genuine indie creation with its own identity.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
This wasn’t a single standout moment, it was the entire journey. Achilles feels like he truly belongs in this world. Exploration is rewarding, combat is intense, and every ability you unlock feels like it was designed with purpose.
Walking through ancient Greece, uncovering secrets, and fighting mythical creatures just felt right. It’s rare to find an indie project that understands tone, pacing, and identity this well.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Achilles: Legends Untold, I give it a personal rating of 8.5.
Last words
Pros
- Deep, emotional interpretation of Achilles.
- Strong worldbuilding rooted in Greek mythology.
- Hybrid combat system that keeps things fresh.
- Balanced difficulty curve.
- Great pacing across multiple acts.
- Large world with meaningful exploration.
- Skill/stat system that feels satisfying.
- Passionate voice acting effort.
- Stable performance and smooth controls.
- High replay value with NG+ and modifiers.
Cons
- Visuals aren’t AAA quality (expected for an indie).
- Some players may misunderstand the hybrid genre.
- A few enemy types repeat visually.
Achilles: Legends Untold is an indie gem, ambitious, heartfelt, and masterfully crafted. It blends multiple genres without losing its identity and delivers a mythological action RPG experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly unique.
It’s a game made with passion, care, and respect for its source material. And for players willing to dive in without preconceptions, it offers hours of rewarding gameplay, emotional depth, and satisfying combat.
FINALÂ RATING
8
Please let me know what you think of Achilles: Legends Untold in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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This game deserves some more love.
A lot of the bad comments and reviews were about that people don’t understand the mixture of the different genres.
You nailed exactly why this game works by not forcing it into one genre box
Wow this game looks so amazing, the blend of genres is really interesting, and i didn’t know it was indie. the visuals are pretty good for me, i don’t like the exaggerated flashy stuff in AAA
its a shame if it got bad comments, i’m definitely putting it in my Wishlist
One of those games I would watch someone play just because of the story aspect of it.
Another detailed and informative review! Thanks for that. While I do play ARPGs from time to time, they usually end up behind games from other genres. But I’ll keep in mind that this game is well worth one’s time!
I do appreciate a game that manages to stand out from the usual ARPG’s, so I might check this one out!
Thank you for highlighting this game! 😄
I hadn’t heard of this game before, but it looked pretty fun from the videos I saw.
The reviews aren’t bad either, so I’d like to try it out sometime.
Light action, fun gameplay, soulslike bosses and level up UI design out of Skyrim sound amazing
I haven’t played mytholgy game for a long time. It looks good.
This excellent review has me sold on this game 🙂
I did not expect such a high review score for this one after seeing the reviews on Steam, but your review pointed out great things, so it makes sense. I like games with good story plots. 😀
The first con is not even a con in my opinion, and it looks like a solid game, must buy!
Sounds like a really good rpg with detailed systems! I really like the sound of the mythology theme and emotional story! Unfortunately I’m quite put off by the style of the visuals and UI, but that seems like one of the only big cons, so pretty impressive!
Thanks for the review.
Sounds like it could be fun. I think I keep my eyes open for it 🙂
aaaand… added to whishlist 😀 I might have missed this one if not for your review. Now I really want to play it. Thanks 🙂
It looks like good, fun game, especially with that hybrid combat.
It is not doubt interesting game, i had it on wishlist already. If gameplay is really good this is probably most important. I know you (Sven) like Greek mythology a lot so it is not supring he likes game respect to the source material 🙂
It’s a game that really appeals to me. And apparently, you like it too, which makes me want it even more, thank you.
I really like anything to do with mythology, so why not?
The game looks really cool, and I love all the ancient mythologically-based games similar to this. The game definitely does look a little rough, but seems like there’s definitely some charm to be had.