Even though Greek mythology is ancient, the stories continue to captivate audiences with each new form of media. Video games have crossed paths with myths before, and the simple tales and epic characters often make great fodder for an excellent game.
From strategy titles like A Total War Saga: Troy to major franchise releases like Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the best myth-based games don't just ape the stories, but actually reinvent them in a way that makes them fresh and new. With many titles to pick from, users on Reddit took to the site to call out Greek mythology games that reignited their interest in the ancient stories.
12 Labours Of Hercules (2013)
Though most of the best Greek mythology games are AAA titles on an epic scale, 12 Labours of Hercules offered the same amount of fun on a much smaller budget. User loner_v played up the relaxing aspects of the game when writing, "If you want an easy clicker game there is 12 Labours of Hercules on Steam. They have follow up games too. Not a serious game but I found it good to stress with."
Originally for mobile, the game has since jumped to other platforms and has even seen a few sequels which further explore the Hercules mythos. The game relies heavily on time management, and it takes the classic mythological tale and gives it a bright and vibrant facelift to keep it appealing.
Zeus: Master Of Olympus (2000)
Ranked highly among the best city-building video games of all time, Zeus: Master of Olympus took the popular mechanics of the genre and gave them a mythological makeover. User silvesterboots accurately described the game when they said, "Zeus: Master of Olympus - is a sim city management style like game".
Loosely interpreting the old stories, the game tasks the player with building up their civilization while dealing with the gods. The user is at the gods' mercy, and one of the key elements of the strategy is doing all the right things to keep the gods happy. Master of Olympus was not only a fresh take on mythology but on the city-building genre as well.
Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012)
Coming as a long-awaited sequel to the cult classic NES game, Kid Icarus: Uprising had all the same Greek myth-inspired flare of the original. User wishrocket shouted the game out, writing, "Kid icarus uprising is sort of an original twist on Greek mythogy. It has some names are changed but there is clearly characters that are supposed to be hercules, demeter, hades, hephaestus, Medusa, pandora, athena etc."
Putting a tongue-in-cheek spin on Greek myth, the original NES game has aged quite poorly according to some, but the sequel revitalized interest in the franchise. The third-person shooter format was an original take on a Greek myth game, and it stood out from the usual strategy or hack-and-slash titles.
Titan Quest (2006)
Titan Quest opted not to limit its scope exclusively to Ancient Greece and actually encompassed other classical myths as well. User quill18 praised the game when they wrote, "Titan Quest is an action-RPG (Diablo-like) game that is set in the ancient world, starting with Greece (then going to ancient Egypt, Babylon, and China -- and more places with expansions)."
Spanning Greece, Babylonia, and even ancient China the players traverses the world on a quest to defeat mythological titans that have been released upon the earth. Taking a cue from games like Diablo, the overhead hack-and-slash gameplay is fresh and exciting, and it perfectly incorporated the tales of old without getting too bogged down in history.
Age Of Mythology (2002)
While the games of the Age of Empires series were typically based on history, its spin-off Age of Mythology opted for something much more fantastical. User KronosWvW picked the classic of the real-time strategy genre when they commented, "Age of Mythology. It's an old RTS game I played endlessly as a kid."
Echoing the mechanics of the best real-time strategy video games, Age of Mythology featured all the world-conquering action of previous games, but it involved the mythology of ancient cultures like Greece and Egypt. Endlessly replayable and rewarding, the game also made its mythology more interesting by making it more accessible.
Hades (2018)
Sometimes the most fascinating parts of ancient myth are often the darkest, and Hades took players straight to the underworld. User Downtown_Celery_3705 felt refreshed by the game when they said "Hades is amazing. Greek mythos is so overdone in media, but this game made it feel fresh."
Cast as the prince of the underworld, the player is tasked with hacking and slashing their way to the surface world. Incorporating smaller myth figures like Sisyphus, the game shows that it truly cares about its source material while also delivering a great game. It is extremely challenging, but mastery of the game is a reward in of itself.
Apotheon (2015)
The stories of Ancient Greek culture are often found in video games, but the style is usually left behind. User blackfyre426 mentioned a game that went against that trend when saying "Apotheon! It's an indie platforme where the art style was inspired by ancient Greek vases."
The classical black figure style of pottery from Greece is revived in the video game form, and it is one of the most unique aesthetic choices in gaming history. The 2d platforming action is fast-paced and exciting, and the boss battles with the gods rival even the most extravagant AAA titles.
Immortals Fenyx Rising (2020)
Some games are tailor-made for their audiences, and Immortals Fenyx Rising is a dream come true for mythology junkies. User GreatValueGamer ran down the titles positive elements when saying, "Immortals Fenyx Rising is Greek Mythology. Open world exploration, beautiful art style, fun looking combat."
Perfectly melding the Greek mythology into its open-world setting, simply exploring the many lands is as exciting as any story driven narrative. The game's enemies are all derived from the classic tales, and the beautifully crafted stages help to bring the true grandeur of the ancient myths to life.
A Total War Saga: Troy (2020)
Though A Total War Saga: Troy is largely based on history, the clever way it incorporates myth helps it stand apart from its predecessors. Of the game, user blackfyre426 wrote, "If you're interested in strategy games, maybe Total War: Troy - it actually has a lot of mythological elements."
The turn-based strategy game recreates the legendary Trojan army as players battle in massive sandbox modes. Besides the ancient militaries of the world, ancient faith is also a big part of the game and success is only attainable by maintaining a good relationship with the gods. Mythology isn't the heart of the game, but it is sprinkled throughout to add intrigue and flair to the gameplay.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)
Generally favored as one of the best Assassin's Creed games in the franchise, Odyssey brought the familiar gameplay style to the world of Ancient Greece. Coming as a glowing recommendation for Greek myth fans, user DeborahBenn wrote that Odyssey is "a beautiful game set in ancient Greece with greek mythology included quite heavily in the story."
On top of the host of historical figures included in the game, the player also encounters many mythological figures as they navigate the story. Like most AC games, Odyssey cleverly folds history and myth together into a unique narrative that can't be found in any other gaming title pertaining to the ancient worlds of Greek myth.