PS3 Fanboy

You know, Codemasters can do a whole lot more than just racing games like GRID and DiRT. They can also make RPGs like Rise of the Argonauts, a tale chronicling Greek hero Jason and his search for the Golden Fleece. The art style in these new screens has a sort of Sands of Time quality to it. Check them out for yourself.

Here's a video detailing some of the finer points of Rise of the Argonauts -- namely, cutscenes! The highlight to us, the part that pumped us up, was the short clip of Jason facing off against what is most likely a god or giant atop a volcano. Gigantic boss battles? Check. Slamming someone in the face with a mace? Check. Dramatic view into the sunset? Check. We've got this game on our radar; how about you?

If there was one thing we should have learned from classic games like Contra or Bushido Blade, it's that bullets and swords hurt. Bad. Rise of the Argonauts is continuing this train of thought, says the game's director, Ed Del Castillo. Gamespot sat down for a Q&A session, so we're going to do what we do and summarize the important points for those interested in this game.

This isn't a true recreation of the classic Greek myth. Jason is off to find the fleece not because he was commanded to, but to resurrect his wife. So expect a lot of internal reflections about love and commitment. The game is an action-RPG, but without hit points or layers of menus. It's ... an action game, but role-playing. As such, there's no HUD to display (although you can turn it on in the options menu if you really need to). To save you from any spoilers, they list a couple of the special moves you can unlock in the game -- they sound pretty vicious. Kratos would be pleased.

The game progresses differently based on what god you choose to follow: different skills appear and certain enemies will be more or less difficult to destroy. The game needs to be executed well, obviously, because the ambition felt by the developers is rather large. We'll keep looking for more info because if done right, this could be a nice addition to the PS3 library.

Rise of the Argonauts features the mythical Jason on his mythical adventures, acquiring mythical things and accomplishing mythical feats. It's like God of War, but much, much older. This video interview with the game's director, Ed Del Castillo, showcases some pieces of gameplay and cinematic that actually seem rather cool. The Argonauts are described by Castillo as "the X-Men of the Greek Mythology universe" -- something that should pique the interest of many gamers and comic book fans. And Greek myth fans.

You can choose which characters to take with you on different quests to different places and they will alter the choices and experiences you will have -- they might even banter with one another depending on who you choose. There are a lot of consequences for your actions and branching paths, as well. Every character with a name will have a story arc and a series of events relating to the game's path. The graphics might not be the best we've seen, but there's definitely a lot of hidden potential in this game and we'll keep an eye on it.