Heracles, sometimes called Hercules, is mythology's most celebrated strongman. He was a demigod and the son of Zeus, and he garnered a lot of unique challenges and company in his lifetime.
Glory of Heracles for the Nintendo DS follows a boy who believes he's the legendary hero, though he's a bit on the puny side. Glory of Heracles doesn't stand out like a Titan storming Olympus, nor does it bring new ideas to the role-playing genre. But like the story of Heracles, its familiarity is worth experiencing if you're in the right mood.
Developer: Paon
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG
ESRB Rating: E10+
Glory of Heracles for the Nintendo DS follows a boy who believes he's the legendary hero, though he's a bit on the puny side. Glory of Heracles doesn't stand out like a Titan storming Olympus, nor does it bring new ideas to the role-playing genre. But like the story of Heracles, its familiarity is worth experiencing if you're in the right mood.
Developer: Paon
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG
ESRB Rating: E10+
The Basics: Taking the Slow Boat to Olympus
Glory of Heracles tells the story of a passel of amnesiac immortals, at least two of whom believe they're the legendary Heracles. The party decides to wring some answers about their existence out of the gods of Olympus, but it's not an easy road. The gods don't offer up any easy answers, the mortal world is at war, and there are some pretty vicious monsters roaming the land, sky, and sea.
Though Glory of Heracles's story, characters and setting are inspired by Greek myth, run away like Arion if you're expecting any kind of accuracy. The references in Glory of Heracles are looser than a high school Greek Mythology class taught by an apathetic instructor. But the game's cast and dialogue boast some pretty memorable quotes and tongue-in-cheek fun. Playboys flaunt their perfect hair and heroes dine and dash at local taverns. This is not a story to be taken 100% seriously.
Though Glory of Heracles's story, characters and setting are inspired by Greek myth, run away like Arion if you're expecting any kind of accuracy. The references in Glory of Heracles are looser than a high school Greek Mythology class taught by an apathetic instructor. But the game's cast and dialogue boast some pretty memorable quotes and tongue-in-cheek fun. Playboys flaunt their perfect hair and heroes dine and dash at local taverns. This is not a story to be taken 100% seriously.
Gameplay: Ancient Tradition
At the core of Glory of Heracles is a basic battle system that's dressed up in a nice suit. Enemies remain unseen until they attack the party randomly—an archaic method of assault if there ever was one—and the party shifts into battle mode on a separate screen. From there, physical attacks can be launched at monsters as well as magic spells. The bottom screen of the Nintendo DS keeps a text record of the entire battle as it plays out, which can be surprisingly handy if you're looking to adjust your strategy. Enemies can also attack from the front lines or back row (as can the allies), which also calls for strategy; back row enemies can't be hit with melee weapons.
Because a large number of enemies choose to slum in the back row, Glory of Heracles requires that the party commands a large roster of spells. Spells are cast with the aid of “Ether,” a life-giving substance that's not easily replenished. The party can gain more Ether by really walloping an enemy, or even attacking the corpse of a fallen monster. This unorthodox means of harvesting magic energy adds another dimension to the battle system.
For all its required strategy, though, fights in Glory of Heracles get old pretty quickly. The random encounter rate is high, which makes exploring dungeons tedious. Moreover, you'll find yourself in said dungeons for some uninteresting reasons: lost children in mines, nymphs playing tricks, etc. On the plus side, players who can endure the tedium will find all kinds of neat items that can be turned into powerful weapons and armor.
Because a large number of enemies choose to slum in the back row, Glory of Heracles requires that the party commands a large roster of spells. Spells are cast with the aid of “Ether,” a life-giving substance that's not easily replenished. The party can gain more Ether by really walloping an enemy, or even attacking the corpse of a fallen monster. This unorthodox means of harvesting magic energy adds another dimension to the battle system.
For all its required strategy, though, fights in Glory of Heracles get old pretty quickly. The random encounter rate is high, which makes exploring dungeons tedious. Moreover, you'll find yourself in said dungeons for some uninteresting reasons: lost children in mines, nymphs playing tricks, etc. On the plus side, players who can endure the tedium will find all kinds of neat items that can be turned into powerful weapons and armor.
Graphics and Sound: Almost Epic
Glory of Heracles is a good-looking game, though some of the visuals lack personality. Towns and cities are particularly bland, and even the bustling city of Sparta (yes, the prerequisite “This! Is!” joke is made in-game) isn't very exciting. The enemy designs are based on Greek mythology, which is admittedly worked-over. As a result, you won't see too many original monsters, but they're well-animated and fun to behold. The characters' spells contain plenty of detail and are pleasingly overblown.
The game's soundtrack might not blow any minds, but it won't pop any eardrums, either. The tunes are generally soft and pleasing, and tune up to a heroic flare when appropriate.
The game's soundtrack might not blow any minds, but it won't pop any eardrums, either. The tunes are generally soft and pleasing, and tune up to a heroic flare when appropriate.
Conclusion: Familiarity Doesn't Always Breed Contempt
Glory of Heracles is a tough call to make. It would be an impressive role-playing game if it was released on a system with little genre support, but the Nintendo DS isn't wanting for fantastic RPGs. Even the handheld's more traditional RPGs, like Dragon Quest IV and Dragon Quest V have a unique character that carries the games' shortcomings.
Glory of Heracles doesn't offer much in the way of a new experience, but if you're seeking real tradition in your RPGs, it won't let you down. It's as solid as its namesake's obliques.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
Glory of Heracles doesn't offer much in the way of a new experience, but if you're seeking real tradition in your RPGs, it won't let you down. It's as solid as its namesake's obliques.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
